The Guide

Am I a nonviolent person?

The code sheet to the test is also in the pptx presentation.

APPENDIX: THE NONVIOLENCE TEST (NVT)

1. A car driving through a parking lot splashes water on you. You feel like:

a. making him apologize and pay for damages

b. telling him to be more careful in the future.

 

 2. The more I think of how bad someone's actions or thoughts are:

a. the more I try to understand how to get along with that person

b. the more I get irritated and want to tell that person off,

 

3. My reaction to groups is:

a. I like the feeling of belonging to a social group

b. for some reason I really don't like groups.

 

4. If someone keeps bothering me even though I ask him/her to stop, I will:

a. lose control

b. control myself.

 

5. I think of myself first of all as:

a. an individual person

b. a social being responsible to society and those like me.

 

6. When a stranger hurts me, I believe:

a. forgive and forget is the best policy

b. a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye is the best policy.

 

7. Workers on an unlawful strike should be:

a. approached and a compromise should be negotiated

b. fired without notice.

 

8. Being different from my friends:

a. makes me feel uncomfortable

b. does not bother me; I like it.

 

9. When someone is rude to me, I want to:

a. be rude back to this person

b. overcome the temptation to be rude.

 

10. I am inspired by:

a. ideas

b. some people.

 

11. If I were in charge and some high officials were found guilty of taking bribes, I would:

a. pardon them with minimum punishment if they apologized

b. publicly humiliate and physically punish these people.

 

12. If someone breaks something that belongs to me:

a. I will probably become offended

b. I understand that accidents happen.

 

13. I consider myself to

a. be like everyone else

b. be different from everyone else.

 

14. Judgments about me

a. should be made on my own merits

b. should be made according to the people I associate with.

 

15. Lawbreakers must be

a. brought to justice, yet be dealt with mercifully

b. severely punished.

 

16. I am

a. loyal

b. independent

 

17. A boy was very mischievous and would beat up other boys. I would

a. kick him out of the group

b. try to change his habits.

 

18. I am responsible to

a. other people, those I love, and those who depend on me

b. myself, my ideals, and my ambitions

19. When I hold a poor opinion of a person

a. I do not try to hide the way I feel

b. I try to hide my feelings and improve them without their knowing.

 

20. Criminals that are physically abused

a. deserve it

b. should not be abused.

 

21. My reaction to crowds is:

a. I dislike crowds

b. I enjoy the excitement of crowds.

 

22. If an employee refused to follow orders I would

a. threaten to fire him unless he did what he was told

b. persuade him to do what he was told.

 

23. I admire

a. no one very much

b. some people and would not question their opinion.

 

24. I see myself as

a. an important person

b. a social person.

 

25. A person who commits a murder should be

a. placed in a rehabilitation program and given minimum punishment

b. put on death row.

 

26. I like to

a. get to know people

b. be alone.

 

27. Governments should deal with rebellious people by

a. punishing them

b. treating them in a humane way.

 

 

28. I like a person

a. to say he/she is a good person provided they are

b. to be modest, even if they are good.

 

29. When someone does something bad to me

a. I will get back at them if I can, just because of the principle of the matter

b. I do not get back at them but try to show them their mistakes.

 

30. I have confidence in

a. myself

b. things I and others like me represent.

 

31. When a person makes fun of me, I

a. try to convince the person that it is not always good to make fun of others

b. retaliate.

 

32. I live for

a. the good of everyone else

b. myself.

 

33. If someone criticizes me, I

a. do not criticize them back; rather, I defend myself with good arguments

b. I find it is best to criticize the person back.

 

34. Sex crimes such as rape and attacks on children deserve

a. imprisonment and psychiatric care

b. more than mere imprisonment, such criminals ought to be physically punished or worse.

 

35. When a friend does me a favour

a. I feel that I must return the favour

b. I do not feel that I must return the favour.

 

36. Sometimes, when my parents scolded me I

a. showed resentment

b. tried to reason with myself to understand why they acted as they did.

 

37. I like to

a. give gifts

b. receive gifts.

 

38. When I am disturbed by another, say, while studying,

a. my first reaction will be to get angry

b. I will explain to the person I do not want to be bothered.

 

39. The majority of my school work involves

a. reading

b. writing

 

40. If a person skips in front of me in a line

a. I will pass him and stand ahead of him

b. I will persuade him to go back.

 

41. When I was younger

a. I did not care to be a member of a crowd or gang

b. I was always a follower.

 

42. If students misbehave in school, the teachers should

a. punish them as needed

b. think of things they may have done to cause the behaviour.

 

43. If a teacher grades me unfairly I will

a. complain to my friends

b. seek an explanation,

 

44. If someone harms my family and I, then I will wait for in opportunity to

a. retaliate

b. make them understand what they did.

 

45. If my friend has a problem, I would like to

a. counsel that friend on his problem

b. recommend that my friend see a counsellor.

 

46. I like

a. team sports

b. individual sports.

 

47. If a judge were found guilty of corruption, I would recommend

a. a stronger penalty for him than for a common citizen

b. the same penalty for him as for a common citizen.

 

48. I am

a. forgetful

b. organized.

 

49. Our nation's history is glorified by

a. great fighters and conquerors

b. great writers and social reformers.

 

50. I follow

a. ethical standards

b. my conscience.

 

51. All citizens should be allowed to own weapons

a. only when there is a war

b. to defend themselves.

 

52. My attitude about groups is:

a. I do not join groups

b. I am proud to be in some groups

 

53. If a teacher is involved in a sex crime involving a student, 

a. s/he should be given a. harsher punishment that usual to set an example for other teachers

b. the same treatment as someone who was not a teacher.

 

54. I look forward to social events with

a. parents and relatives

b. friends and neighbours.

55. I like instructions to be

a. general

b. specific

 

56. A good social system needs

a. rugged and tough discipline

b. people who can tolerate others.

 

57. A clergyman who is involved in immoral behaviour should

a. be allowed to return to his position in the church after he repents and changes his ways

b. never be allowed to return to his position in the church.

 

58. I appreciate

a. music

b. art.

 

59. When I see a parade go by I

a. enjoy watching it but have no desire to be in it

b. wish I could be in it.

 

60. When I am in a bad mood I

a. feel like smashing things

b. relax and tell myself things will get better.

 

61. People who drink and drive should

a. be imprisoned and severely fined

b. undergo counselling and education on the effects of drugs and drug abuse.

 

62. I would rather watch

a. mystery movies

b. humorous movies.

63. If someone I know is engaging in deviant behaviour, I feel I should

a. tell him that what he is doing is wrong, then talk him out of doing it

b. let him do what he wants as long as I am not affected.

 

64. If a country is supporting terrorist acts, I think the country should be

a. attacked by military action until these acts end

b. persuaded through negotiations to withdraw their support of terrorism.

 

65. People who try to force their religious beliefs on others should be

a. ignored until they are ready to listen to others´ belief

b. asked to leave and threatened if they refuse to go.

 

The NVT code sheet 

1. B                                         23. FILLER                              45. FILLER

 2. A                                        24. FILLER                               46. FILLER

3. FILLER                                 25. A                                       47. B

4. B                                         26. FILLER                               48. FILLER

5. FILLER                                 27. B                                      49. B

6. A                                         28. FILLER                               50. FILLER

7. A                                         29. B                                      51. A

8. FILLER                                 30. FILLER                               52. FILLER

 9. B                                        31. A                                       53. B

10. FILLER                               32. FILLER                               54. FILLER

11. A                                       33. A                                       55. FILLER

12. B                                       34. A                                       56. B

13. FILLER                               35. FILLER                               57. A

14. FILLER                               36. B                                       58. FILLER

15. A                                       37. FILLER                               59. FILLER

16. FILLER                               38. B                                       60. B

17. B                                       39. FILLER                               61. B

I8. FILLER                                40. B                                       62. FILLER

19. B                                       41. FILLER                               63. A

20. B                                       42. B                                       64. B

21. FILLER                               43. B                                       65. A

22. B                                       44. B

A or B = nonviolent orientation = 1      

Filler = irrelevant item