Psychological capital

The half a glass of water helps illustrates of two different mental attitudes, optimism (half full) and pessimism (half empty)

"Psychological capital (PsyCap) is an individual's positive psychological state of development, characterized by having enough self-confidence to succeed, making positive attributions about the future, persevering towards goals, and the ability to bounce back from adversity. It's a relatively stable, but developable, state composed of hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism, often referred to by the acronym HERO.'^[1]

The company Neurolaunch indicates concerning psychological capital: "The roots of Psychological Capital Theory can be traced back to the positive psychology movement, pioneered by Martin Seligman in the late 1990s. This movement shifted the focus of psychology from fixing what’s wrong to enhancing what’s right. It was like switching from always playing defense to suddenly realizing you could score points too!"^[2]

Journal articles, book excerpt and academic material

Psychological capital development: toward a micro-intervention, Journal of Organizational Behaviour. 27, 387–393 (2006)
Psychological Capital: An Evidence-Based Positive Approach by Fred Luthans1 and Carolyn M. Youssef-Morgan. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior Volume 4, 2017
PsyCap Hope: The Will and the Way, Fred Luthans, Carolyn M. Youssef, Bruce J. Avolio. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187526.003.0003. Pages 63–86. Published: September 2006 (Abstract)
Abstract: Psychological Capital: Developing the Human Competitive Edge, Fred Luthans, Carolyn M. Youssef and Bruce J. Avolio. Oxford University Press, 2006, https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187526.001.0001
The Entrepreneur’s Psychological Capital, Creative Innovation Behavior, and Enterprise Performance, Frontiers in Psychology, 23 July 2020. Sec. Organizational Psychology. Volume 11 - 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01651
Psychological capital and mental health: Twenty-five years of progress, Organizational Dynamics. Volume 53, Issue 4, October–December 2024, 101081
Measuring Psychological Capital: Construction and Validation of the Compound PsyCap Scale (CPC-12), Plos One, : April 1, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152892
Positive psychological capital to help combat the mental health fallout from the pandemic and VUCA environment, Organizational Dynamics. 2020 Dec 9;51(2):100817. doi: 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2020.100817
Psychological capital: a literature review and research trends, Asian Journal of Economics and Banking, Volume 8 - Issue 3 | November, 2023

Hope and psychology

A dove carrying an olive branch is a symbol of hope, peace, and renewal. The image appears in the Bible and in Christian art and iconography.

See also: Hope and Optimism and Goal setting and Agency (psychology)

"In psychology, hope and optimism, while often used interchangeably, represent distinct concepts. Optimism is a general expectation of positive future outcomes, while hope is a more active process focused on achieving specific goals through personal agency and pathways. Essentially, optimism is about believing things will generally turn out well, while hope is about believing one can take actions to make things better, even if the overall outcome is uncertain.^[3]

Articles on hope vs. optimism:

What's the Difference Between Optimism and Hope? by Utpal Dholakia Ph.D.
The Difference Between Hope and Optimism by Arthur C. Brooks, 2021
The Crucial, Empowering Difference Between Hope and Optimism
Hope and optimism, John Templeton Foundation

Articles on hope:

Why Is Hope So Important?, PsychCentral
The Psychology of Hope by Camille Preston Ph.D.
What is Hope in Psychology + 7 Exercises & Worksheets by Elaine Houston, B.Sc.
Hope: A research-based explainer

Book: Hope and psychology

Psychology of Hope: You Can Get Here from There by C.R. R. Snyder. Free Press. April 1, 2003