Dialectical Behavioral Therapy‘s Interpersonal Effectiveness skills are designed to help you get what you need from your relationships while being respectful of yourself and others. Interpersonal relationships can be very challenging when you are also dealing with unstable emotions. Interpersonal interactions can be challenging. Before you make a request or say no, it is important to figure out how intense you should make your request or refusal. This DBT exercise will help you determine how to modulate the intensity you bring to your Interpersonal Effectiveness skills.

The following worksheet lists factors that affect each interpersonal interaction. The more factors you have in a situation, the more intense your request or refusal should be. The fewer factors the less intense your request or refusal should be.

Determining Intensity

Circle Yes or No for each of the factors below and then total the Yes’s or No’s.

This will give you the intensity rating that will help guide you in acting out what you would like to say.

If you are making a request, answer the questions labeled ‘asking’ and if you are refusing, answer the questions labeled ‘saying no.’ Do not answer both sets.

1. PRIORITIES:

Objectives: are they very important? Increase intensity
Relationship: is it very tenuous? Consider reducing intensity
Self-respect: is it on the line? Intensity should fit values

2. CAPABILITIES

Does the person have what you want? (asking) YES / NO
Do I have what the other person wants? (saying no) YES / NO

3. TIMELINESS

Is this a good time to ask? Is the other person in a good mood, paying attention, likely to say yes?(asking) YES / NO
Is this a bad time to say no? (saying no) YES / NO

4. HOMEWORK

Do I know all the facts? Is my goal clear? Is my request clear (asking) YES / NO
Is the other person’s request clear? (saying no) YES / NO

5. AUTHORITY

Is the other person required (by law or moral code) to give me what I want? (asking) YES / NO
Am I required to give this person what they are asking for? Does saying no violate their rights? (saying no) YES / NO

7. RELATIONSHIP

Is what I want appropriate to our relationship? (asking) YES / NO
Is this request appropriate to our relationship? (saying no) YES / NO

8. RECIPROCITY

Have I done at least as much for the other person as I am requesting? Am I willing to give if the other person says yes? (asking) YES / NO
Does this person give me a lot? Do I owe this person? (saying no) YES / NO

9. GOALS

Would being submissive result in peace now, but create problems in the long run? (asking) YES / NO
Is short term peace more important that the long term health of the relationship? (saying no) YES / NO

10. RESPECT

Am I careful to avoid acting helpless when this is not the case? Do I usually do things for myself? (asking) YES / NO
Will saying no result in me feeling badly about myself? Does Wise Mind say yes? (saying no) YES / NO

Add up your number of Yes’s and No’s and plug the number into the chart below.

Your sum for the above factors will determine the intensity rating that will help you to decide how to handle the particular situation that you find yourself in. If your intensity score is high, try and change the situation. If it is low, accept the situation as it is.