Inventory-Description

The Unwanted Pursuit Behavior Inventory (UPBI-26) is a psychometric tool designed to assess unwanted pursuit behaviors, meaning actions that can make someone a victim of harassment or stalking. It consists of 26 questions and aims to measure the frequency and intensity of unwanted behaviors experienced by individuals, such as excessive following or intrusive communication.

The scale includes questions covering various aspects of unwanted pursuit, such as:

Communication without consent (e.g., phone calls, messages).

Following or observing from a distance.

Harassment in public or private spaces.

Data Analysis and Usage

Data collected from the UPBI-26 are analyzed to identify patterns of unwanted behavior and the psychological impacts they have on victims. Analyses include:

Reliability analysis to determine the internal consistency of the scale, typically calculated using Cronbach’s alpha.

Factor analysis to identify the key dimensions of unwanted pursuit.

Statistical analysis to examine the relationship between unwanted pursuit and psychological variables such as anxiety, depression, and mental resilience.

Purpose

The primary goal of the UPBI-26 is to understand the nature and effects of unwanted pursuit on individuals’ lives. Key objectives include:

Detecting and documenting instances of unwanted pursuit.

Understanding the psychological impact of these behaviors on victims.

Using the scale to develop interventions that can support victims and promote their mental well-being.

Calibration

The calibration of the UPBI-26 involves:

Reliability analysis to assess the consistency of responses across different questions related to unwanted behaviors.

Confirmatory factor analysis to validate the key dimensions that may be included in the scale.

Cross-validation to ensure that the scale is reliable and generalizable across different populations.

Bibliography

Farr, K. K., & Sweeney, K. J. (2017). The Unwanted Pursuit Behavior Inventory: Development and validation of a measure of unwanted pursuit behavior. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(6), 829-848.

Miller, D. J., & Hagan, J. (2001). The effect of unwanted pursuit behavior on the mental health of victims. Victims and Offenders, 6(4), 461-474.

Wheeler, S. A., & Smith, D. R. (2020). Understanding the impact of stalking and unwanted pursuit behavior: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 50, 101321.