Appropriateness of the Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS) and Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Short form (MLQ-SF) for use with regular and gifted students in Hong Kong

Possession of hope and meaning in life is critical for mental health, especially in times of adversity. In previous research, the most frequently used measure to assess hope has been the Dispositional Hope Scale. However, there has been debate over some aspects of the scale’s factor structure. Similarly, meaning in life has been assessed mainly using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire — but as yet the short form of this measure has not been validated for use in a Chinese context. The current study therefore examined the factor structures of Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS) and Meaning in Life Questionnaire- Short Form (MLQ-SF) in two samples of Chinese students in Hong Kong — 540 regular students and 389 gifted students. The students completed a questionnaire that collected basic information on demographics and the DHS and MLQ-SF. Results of confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a 2-factor model provided an adequate fit to both the DHS and MLQ-SF. Both scales revealed scalar measurement invariance across regular and gifted students. Gifted students showed significantly higher latent means than regular students in agency, pathway, and presence of meaning in life (Cohen d = 0.16–0.40). The DHS factors were significantly and positively correlated with MLQ-SF factors (r = 0.30–0.58). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.