The effect of social skills and assertiveness training on the attitudes and behaviours of socially anxious adolescents

Abstract

Skills deficit, anxiety, inhibition and cognitive interference models have been proposed to explain why people characteristically behave unassertively. Northern American professionals now use omnibus procedures based on these perspectives to modify attitudes and behaviours associated with shyness. The investigation reported here attempted to examine how effectively an omnibus package of procedures based on the three different models translated to the Australian context. Subjects were young, shy, socially non-assertive Australian high school students. The design was quasi-experimental and used an experimental control group test-retest follow-up design. Results of the study showed that subjects expressed stronger assertive belief s and had more internal locus of control following the intervention. However, there was no evidence of significant change in behaviour or in self-concept. There was independent evidence that there may have been a “ripple” effect. Reasons for these apparently less effective outcomes among Australian students, in contrast with American students, are discussed.