Generative AI for Nonviolent Communication

Have you ever wondered, 'How can I de-escalate this conversation and foster understanding instead of conflict?'

If so, you’ve encountered an instance in which nonviolent communication may be a helpful tool. Nonviolent communication (NVC) is an approach to conversation which predictively increases constructive interactions and results in stronger relationships. NVC encourages: observing without evaluating, identifying feelings without judging, explaining needs without accusing, and making requests without demanding. Communicating in accordance with NVC might involve, for example, shifting from second-person accusations like, “you never help out around the house” to first-person expressions of needs like, “I feel overwhelmed by the number of chores I have to do.” Using NVC predicts increased likelihood of conversational partners finding common ground in the short term and building a more trusting relationship in the long term.

Stage 1. Identifying Needs and Emotions

We first needed to understand why people respond to debates online. What needs are they trying to get met? What emotions do they feel as they respond?

To answer these questions, we are deploying a survey in which users respond to a curated set of provocations from r/changemyview and identify the needs and emotions that resonate with their responses.

Stage 2. Gathering Initial Design Feedback

We then need to understand how users understand and respond to our initial design concept. Does using nonviolent communication apply best in the context of public forums such as reddit? Or on a messaging platform? To answer these questions, we are deploying a survey to evaluate which of these contexts users prefer.

Ongoing: Implementation and Evaluation

This work is ongoing and will be updated as we collect and analyze additional data.