[An exploratory study toward a theoretic construction of hope].

Abstract

A written association test has been conducted to establish the concept, the meaning and the process of hope. The test consists of the major question: List of three words related to "hope". The question was given to 55 nurses (rehabilitation/cancer/internal medicine care wards units) and 61 patients. A total of 289 words have been collected, and the collection was analyzed with categorization by the value or meaning of listed words. The analysis yields three major categories, namely, componants of hope, metaphores/symbols, and synonyms. The three major categories may be further partitioned into subcategories. The results are significant to define the nature of the hope and process of the hope. These understanding will facilitate the development of effective methods of nursing or chronic or cancer patients disabled.