ORIGINAL PAPER
Beyond behavioural mobbing indicators: revision and shortening of the SDM Questionnaire for measuring and diagnosing workplace bullying
1
Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
Submission date: 2025-01-22
Final revision date: 2025-05-26
Acceptance date: 2025-06-12
Online publication date: 2025-10-16
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Currently, the predominant approach in mobbing research employs “behavioural experience methods” (BEM), which have certain limitations. BEM primarily gauge the frequency of exposure to negative behaviours, while neglecting the perception and harm caused by these behaviours. This study aimed to refine and abbreviate the original, 64-item Polish SDM (Skala Doświadczania Mobbingu) mobbing questionnaire, which encompasses behavioural, cognitive, and emotional mobbing indicators.
Participants and procedure:
The study was conducted on a sample of 2,500 Polish employees. A mixed-method approach, incorporating both quantita-tive – exploratory factor analysis (EFA), item response theory (IRT), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) – and qualitative methods, along with a cross-validation procedure, was employed in the study.
Results:
EFA revealed that the SDM Questionnaire has a hierarchical structure with two primary factors: behavioural (IDM scale measuring exposure to mobbing) and cognitive-emotional (ODC scale; 7 items, α = .92; measuring harm and victimization). The IDM scale includes person-related (IDM_P: 7 items, α = .91) and work-related (IDM_W: 6 items, α = .86) subscales. The SDM-20 shows a good fit (RMSEA = 0.067 [90% CI: 0.063, 0.071]; SRMR = 0.037; CFI = 0.941; TLI = 0.933), and exhib-its robust, positive correlations with the NAQ-R mobbing test, as well as the ICAWS, QWI, and OCS scales measuring job stressors.
Conclusions:
The revised 20-item SDM Questionnaire is an innovative, validated, reliable, and concise yet comprehensive psychometric tool for measuring and diagnosing mobbing. The instrument allows a distinction to be made between mobbing targets and mobbing victims.
Currently, the predominant approach in mobbing research employs “behavioural experience methods” (BEM), which have certain limitations. BEM primarily gauge the frequency of exposure to negative behaviours, while neglecting the perception and harm caused by these behaviours. This study aimed to refine and abbreviate the original, 64-item Polish SDM (Skala Doświadczania Mobbingu) mobbing questionnaire, which encompasses behavioural, cognitive, and emotional mobbing indicators.
Participants and procedure:
The study was conducted on a sample of 2,500 Polish employees. A mixed-method approach, incorporating both quantita-tive – exploratory factor analysis (EFA), item response theory (IRT), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) – and qualitative methods, along with a cross-validation procedure, was employed in the study.
Results:
EFA revealed that the SDM Questionnaire has a hierarchical structure with two primary factors: behavioural (IDM scale measuring exposure to mobbing) and cognitive-emotional (ODC scale; 7 items, α = .92; measuring harm and victimization). The IDM scale includes person-related (IDM_P: 7 items, α = .91) and work-related (IDM_W: 6 items, α = .86) subscales. The SDM-20 shows a good fit (RMSEA = 0.067 [90% CI: 0.063, 0.071]; SRMR = 0.037; CFI = 0.941; TLI = 0.933), and exhib-its robust, positive correlations with the NAQ-R mobbing test, as well as the ICAWS, QWI, and OCS scales measuring job stressors.
Conclusions:
The revised 20-item SDM Questionnaire is an innovative, validated, reliable, and concise yet comprehensive psychometric tool for measuring and diagnosing mobbing. The instrument allows a distinction to be made between mobbing targets and mobbing victims.
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