Beck hopelessness scale: dimensional structure and its determinants

Abstract

This study examines the dimensional structure of the Beck Hopelessness Scale and its determinants. 596 primary school pupils aged 12-15 years and pedagogical university students aged 19-22 years filled in the Polish version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale with 4 points “agree-disagree” response options. Two factor-analytic models were tested. One-factor structure (hope-hopelessness as one bipolar dimension) has best parameters in sample of pedagogical university students while two-factor structure (hope and hopelessness as two relatively independent dimensions) has best parameters in sample of primary school pupils. The findings are analyzed in light of the hypothesis about dependence of the dimensional structure of the affect on the cognitive development level and on the total affect variation. The data obtained in this study correspond the second of these hypotheses.