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The Cast Test of Nonverbal Sensitivity

University of Sydney

Michael Walker

University of Sydney

A number of tests claim to measure sensitivity to various aspects of the communication process, particularly the nonverbal component. Unfortunately, the validity and usefulness of these tests are open to question, as each can be criticised on methodological and conceptual grounds. A new test of affective sensitivity was developed. Called the Contextual and Affective Sensitivity Test (CAST), it incorporates a number of features that constitute an important methodological improvement on earlier tests. Specifically, genuine rather than posed messages are used; messages are contextualised rather than disparate; and the focus of the test is camouflaged rather than transparent. The CAST avoids a number of methodological problems present in alternative tests, such as the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity. It represents a new approach to measuring sensitivity to affective communication. The CAST consists of 34 items that measure communication on three dimensions: accuracy of identification; sensitivity to nonverbal cues; and responsiveness to contextual information. Pretesting focused on the item and scale characteristics and on validity. Validity was demonstrated by showing that higher scores on the test are obtained by people in more person-oriented occupations.

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