Abstract
Purpose: Nonviolent communication (NVC) has been increasingly recognized as a potentially beneficial approach that could promote empathy, resolve conflicts, and improve psychosocial well-being. No validated measure is available to assess or quantify NVC-specific characteristics or behaviors. This paper describes the development and pilot psychometric evaluation of a self-report measure for assessing behaviors characteristic of NVC (e.g., awareness of feelings, honest self-expression).
Method: We analyzed data in an online convenience sample of young adults (N = 205).
Results: The 7-item Nonviolent Communication Behaviors Scale (NVCBS) was found to have satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.789 to 0.810), good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.781) and a single-factor structure. The NVCBS was also positively correlated with empathy while negatively correlated with negative beliefs about emotions, demonstrating its construct validity.
Discussion: The study provides a reliable and valid measure of NVC behaviors which can facilitate future studies on NVC. Directions for future research are discussed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 790-797 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Research on Social Work Practice |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 7 |
Early online date | 23 Sept 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2023 |
Scopus Subject Areas
- General Social Sciences
- General
- General Psychology
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Sociology and Political Science
User-Defined Keywords
- empathy
- mental health
- nonviolent communication (NVC)
- reliability
- validation