Fear of hope: an acquired aversion to feeling hopeful due to anticipated disappointment may block hopeful engagement¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoreticalr3·q1
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q1 i? Individuals may develop fear of hope, an acquired aversion to feeling hopeful due to anticipated disappointment or emotional risk, leading them to avoid hopeful engagement with the future. → Bohlmeijer 2026
Evidence¶
Bohlmeijer 2026¶
Bohlmeijer, E., Nieuwenhuis, M., Dominguez, A. R., Klooster, P. ten, and Malboeuf-Hurtubise, C. (2026). Toward an integrative psychological framework of existential hope: navigating uncertain futures. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1850611
q1 · i? · theoretical · r3
Narrative review attribution: the article reports that Harber et al. (2026) introduced "fear of hope" as "an acquired aversion to feeling hopeful." The article uses this concept to underscore the importance of existential trust as willingness to remain open to possibility despite the risk of disappointment; no data are presented here.
"Harber et al. (2026) introduced the concept of fear of hope, defined as an acquired aversion to feeling hopeful due to the anticipated disappointment or emotional risk that hope may entail."
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Achievement Emotions — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
Related Claims¶
- Existing cognitive hope theories presuppose predictability and control, an assumption that breaks down under radical uncertainty — related
- Ikeda positions hope as an essential component of global citizenship education, with value creation starting from hope — related
- After the futures-and-quantum-computing course, upper-secondary students reported a more optimistic or hopeful outlook on the future — related
- Naive hope is negatively related to civic engagement, while existential hope is proposed to be positively associated with it — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
fear-of-hope-acquired-aversion |
title |
Fear of hope: an acquired aversion to feeling hopeful due to anticipated disappointment may block hopeful engagement |
description |
Fear of hope: an acquired aversion to feeling hopeful due to anticipated disappointment may block hopeful engagement |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-09-27 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — bohlmeijer-2026 |
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