Performance-Based Measures, Experimental Approaches, and Intensive Repeated Measures to Examine Interpersonal Characteristics of Victims

Bullying is a widespread global problem that affects individuals throughout their
lives. Victims of bullying often exhibit more maladaptive interpersonal characteristics, consistent with the social learning perspective. This perspective suggests that prior social experiences, such as encounters with bullies, shape an individual's future behaviors and attitudes. These maladaptive interpersonal characteristics are risk factors for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression (Hames et al., 2013; Newman & Erickson, 2010; Ttofi et al., 2011). Despite the prevalence of bullying, there has been limited systematic research on the role of interpersonal characteristics in understanding why victims are more
vulnerable to mental health problems.
This chapter proposes and outlines recommendations for systematically studying the interpersonal characteristics of victims using (1) performance-based measures, (2) experimental approaches, and (3) intensive repeated measures in naturalistic settings. The results of these methods are crucial in providing reliable evidence for preventing bullying and mitigating its adverse mental health effects. In addition, they can assist in the development of effective interventions to reduce the incidence of psychopathology associated with victimization