Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and College Self-Expression Scale Scores as Predictors of Assertive Behavior

Abstract

The present study attempted to assess the feasibility of predicting from a person's performance on the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and the College Self-expression Scale his ability to respond with positive assertion to situations requiring such behaviors. Scores on individual Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and College Self-expression Scale items were correlated with ratings of performance in situations requiring the expression of positive assertion, and with total Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and College Self-expression Scale scores to assess the validity of these instruments in predicting assertive behavior. A subject's total Rathus Assertiveness Schedule score, his total College Self-expression Scale score, and his score on items which purported to measure ability to respond appropriately in situations requiring positively assertive responses were poor predictors of ability to perform in realistic situations. The best predictor of actual performance in the present study was an individual's assessment of his over-all level of assertiveness.