Measurement of positive assertive behaviors: the behavioral test of tenderness expression

Abstract

A role-play test designed to measure the expression of positive assertive behaviors in intimate relationships was developed. Forty-one couples who had been dating 9 months or more or who were married listened individually to the taped behavioral test and role-played their responses. Responses were independently rated on a four-point scale for expressiveness of content by two raters. Subjects listened to and rated their partner's taped responses as to how characteristic the responses were for a measure of concurrent validity. Two self-report measures and the Crowne-Marlowe Social Desirability Scale were also used to assess validity. Results indicate that the Behavioral Test of Tenderness Expression (BTTE) has high inter-rater reliability. Concurrent validity, as measured by the partner's ratings of taped behaviors, is also high, indicating that the test behaviors were typical of usual home behaviors in similar situations. Social desirability is unrelated to any measures used. Self-report measures yield moderate correlations with the behavioral test.