Behavioral performance in the validation of an assertiveness scale

Abstract

The study was concerned with validation of a self-report measure of assertiveness against behavioral performance criteria. Low, moderate, and high scorers on the College Self Expression Scale role played five short situations which required assertive behaviors. Planned nonorthogonal multivariate comparisons revealed significant differences between the low group and the combined moderate and high group and the low and high groups, respectively, on a linear combination of four dependent variables—assertive content, eye contact, subjective anxiety, and response latency. Univariate comparisons indicated significant differences between the low and high groups on assertive content and eye contact and between the low group and the combined moderate and high group on eye contact. Differences on the anxiety measure approached significance.