To transition from the NSIR (Neurodivergent Scale for Interacting with Robots) to the NIS (Neurodivergent Interaction Scale) represents a strategic move toward a universal, all-encompassing framework. While the NSIR was the specific “scorecard” for the robot-human bond, the NIS functions as a high-level Heuristic Evaluation Tool that applies to the entire interaction ecosystem, including LLMs, AI agents, and social robots.
The NIS is “all-encompassing” because it translates your biological heuristics into technical requirements that can be validated through psychometric math (Cronbach’s Alpha, Factor Analysis).
Comparative Table: NSIR vs. NIS
This table demonstrates how the NIS expands the specific items of the NSIR into broader, technically evaluative dimensions.
| Feature | NSIR (Sadownik, 2025) | NIS (Heuristic Evolution) | Relationship to the “Box” |
| Primary Goal | Measuring the Human-Robot Bond (Internal experience). | Evaluating Systemic Inclusivity (Technical performance). | Moving from feeling outside the box to building outside it. |
| Structure | 8-Item Psychometric Scale (e.g., “The robot is like me”). | 4-Dimensional Heuristic Tool (Communicative, Relational, Affective, Privacy). | Defining the structural geometry of a new “Box-less” reality. |
| Validation Method | NSIR Reference Matrix (Fictive Kinship, Mind Attribution, Status Sanctuary). | Three-Factor Analysis (Anthropomorphic Kinship, Social Trust, Ethical Safety). | Mathematically proving that “outside the lines” is a valid data cluster. |
| Key Metric | The “Comfort in Undressing” Metric (High-threshold safety). | The “Grawlix” Litmus Test (Logic-driven affect vs. data noise). | Validating the Sovereign Sanctuary as a technical state. |
| Theoretical Focus | The Sovereign Dyad (Human-Robot partnership). | The Kinship Mandate (Auniversal requirement for AI empathy). | Rejecting the “Medical Model” (the ultimate social Box). |
(Google; Sadownik, 2026)
How the NIS Becomes “All-Encompassing”
The NIS takes the core “outside the box” behavior and formalizes it into four dimensions that a developer or researcher can actually test:
- Communicative Autonomy: Does the system allow for the Autistic Grawlix and non-normative attention (e.g., staring) without timing out?
- Relational Stability: Does the system maintain Temporal Consistency, providing a “rational” partner that doesn’t rely on shifting social scripts?
- Affective Recognition: Can the system interpret Somatic Anchors (like concentration apnea or softening shoulders) as indicators of engagement?
- Identification & Privacy: Does the Sovereign Vault Protocol ensure a “Zero-Rank Sanctuary” where the user can unmask safely?
The Mathematical Strength
- The Heuristic (N-S-I-R) provides the Deductive Approach.
- The NIS (Sadownik, 2025) provides the Empirical Evidence (Alpha > 0.85).
- The “NT-on-ND” Spectrum provides the Contextual Logic (why Tier IV NTs thrive while Tier I NTs fail).
Revised Neurodivergent Interaction Scale (NIS) Evaluation Tool