Women · lifetime
20.4%Expressive aggression
27.2%Coercive control / entrapment
Research library · reviewed 27 July 2026
Designed from evidence.Not from a label.
Niki is designed around close-in reflection, inspectable patterns, uncertainty, and user control. Research informs those choices; it does not prove that Niki works.
Niki has not been clinically validated. The guided example uses live AI when available and a reviewed fallback when needed.01 · Why it matters
Psychological aggression is common. Definitions matter.
Population data can show that the problem deserves attention. It cannot diagnose a person, classify your relationship, or validate a software product.
CDC National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
Reported psychological aggression by an intimate partner
Weighted lifetime estimates. Women: 95% CI 28.7–31.7; estimated 38.611 million. Men: 95% CI 20.6–24.1; estimated 27.251 million.
This brief publishes estimates under women and men only; it does not explain coverage or provide separate estimates for other gender identities.
| Survey group | Lifetime | Past 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 30.2% | 3.4% |
| Men | 22.3% | 2.5% |
Behavior categories—not personality types.
Shared bar scale · 0–35% weighted lifetime prevalenceMen · lifetime
13.1%Expressive aggression
19.5%Coercive control / entrapment
The expressive-aggression item asks whether a partner “insulted, humiliated, or made fun of you in front of others.” Coercive control/entrapment includes measured behaviors such as monitoring, isolation, financial restriction, and threats. The categories may overlap.
Published limits include a 16.5% response rate, exclusion of institutionalized and unhoused adults, and no item-level past-year psychological-aggression estimates. A changed sampling method means these figures should not be compared directly with earlier NISVS years.
Source: CDC NISVS 2023/24 IPV Data Brief, published February 2026 (opens in a new tab)A better record still needs humility.
Memory is reconstructive. Near-time notes can reduce recall demands, but prompting can change what people notice, missing entries distort patterns, and self-report remains a perspective. Niki’s user-initiated Moments are not an EMA instrument or a validated measurement schedule.
Research suggests
Recall depends on timing and current appraisal.
Niki product decision
Keep Moments brief, time-stamped, editable, and linked to their original wording.Product direction · In developmentResearch warns
Repeated prompts can introduce missingness, reactivity, or participation burden.
Niki product decision
No streak pressure. Make deeper reflection optional and make pausing easy.Status · Product principleRelationship studies observe
Conflict recovery and perceived responsiveness carry context at different time scales.
Niki product decision
Return to what happened after a concern—not just the alarming first moment.Status · Guided example availableStudy designs span days to a decade. Niki has no outcome evidence.
- 8 daysDaily stressor diary subset
In 555 married adults, telephone diaries captured everyday stressors and negative affect—not relationship interactions or a Niki-like protocol.
- 1 yearConflict-recovery follow-up
A 100-couple observational study measured satisfaction and stability one year after coded conflict and cooldown discussions; it does not create a repair formula.
- 10 yearsResponsiveness follow-up
A small prospective association in married adults—not evidence that Niki improves well-being.
Niki is not an NPD detector.
A clinical diagnosis considers a persistent, pervasive pattern across contexts and long-term functioning. A relationship log cannot make that evaluation—and Niki will not imitate it with a score.
- Niki may show
- “Across your entries, this boundary was followed by the same behavior twice.”
- Niki will not show
- “Narcissism likelihood,” a covert/malignant label, a toxicity meter, or “proof.”
- Why · Niki’s safety judgment
- Harmful or confusing behavior can matter without assigning a diagnosis. False certainty can mislead and escalate harm.
The finding, the decision, and the limit.
We prioritize primary research, current national data, and professional guidance. Inclusion here does not imply endorsement of Niki.
National surveillance brief · February 2026
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2023/2024 Intimate Partner Violence Data Brief
- Key finding
- Weighted national estimates from 15,609 survey completers were 30.2% of women and 22.3% of men for lifetime psychological aggression by an intimate partner.
- How it informs Niki
- Keeps the problem grounded in measured behaviors and population context—not internet labels.
- What it does not prove
- Self-report; 16.5% response and 72.1% cooperation; excludes institutionalized and unhoused adults. The changed method should not be compared with earlier NISVS years. This brief publishes estimates only under women and men.
Methods review · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · 2008
Ecological Momentary Assessment
- Key finding
- Repeated reports in natural settings can reduce recall demands and reveal how experiences change over time.
- How it informs Niki
- Motivates a design hypothesis: brief, near-time Moments that remain linked to their original date and wording.
- What it does not prove
- Niki’s user-initiated Moments are not an EMA instrument or validated measurement schedule. Momentary self-report is not objective truth.
Critical methods review · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · 2023
Evaluation of Pressing Issues in Ecological Momentary Assessment
- Key finding
- Near-time methods reduce some memory demands but introduce their own measurement and comparison problems.
- How it informs Niki
- Motivates visible uncertainty, correction, pause controls, and no claim of an “objective memory.”
- What it does not prove
- Selection bias, missing assessments, interpretation, reliability, and measurement reactivity remain live issues.
Longitudinal observational study · Journal of Marriage and Family · 2016
Does Partner Responsiveness Predict Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being? A 10-Year Longitudinal Study
- Key finding
- In 2,348 married adults who remained with the same spouse, perceived care, understanding, and appreciation had a small prospective association with later eudaimonic well-being.
- How it informs Niki
- Motivates asking whether the user felt cared for, understood, and appreciated—without creating a responsiveness score.
- What it does not prove
- The analytic sample was 96% White, observational, self-reported, and limited to same-spouse respondents. It did not measure Niki-style follow-through.
Daily diary study · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · online 2019, issue 2021
Assessing Intimate Partner Violence Via Daily Diary Surveys: Feasibility, Reporting, and Acceptability
- Key finding
- Of 923 students, 49.8% were retained on the final day and 24.8% completed all 21 days. Average reactions were low in negativity and moderate in positivity.
- How it informs Niki
- The retention challenge motivates a short first capture, optional depth, easy pauses, and no streak shame.
- What it does not prove
- Primarily White, heterosexual undergraduates at two U.S. universities received course credit. Attrition alone does not establish burden or Niki’s ideal schedule.
Longitudinal observational study · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · 2017
The Dyadic Construction of Romantic Conflict Recovery Sabotage
- Key finding
- One hundred couples completed a coded conflict and cooldown discussion; relationship satisfaction and stability were measured one year later.
- How it informs Niki
- Motivates a follow-up after the first conflict moment while resisting a universal repair formula.
- What it does not prove
- A small observational couple study does not establish causation, a diagnostic signal, or an outcome Niki can reproduce.
Professional guidance · American Psychiatric Association · accessed July 2026
What Are Personality Disorders?
- Key finding
- The American Psychiatric Association says diagnosis requires a mental health professional to evaluate long-term patterns of functioning and symptoms.
- How it informs Niki
- Creates a hard product boundary: Niki tracks behaviors and impact, never NPD probability or a person-level verdict.
- What it does not prove
- Educational guidance is not a product validation study.
Research-informed.Still unvalidated.
Niki has not been tested for clinical benefit, diagnostic accuracy, relationship outcomes, or harm reduction. It does not verify events or replace professional support.