Name Date Section
How Assertive Are You?  

For each statement, indicate how characteristic or descriptive it is for you by selecting the appropriate response.


1. Most people seem to be more aggressive and assertive than I am.


2. I have hesitated to make or accept dates because of shyness.


3. When the food served at a restaurant is not done to my satisfaction, I complain about it to the waiter or waitress.


4. I am careful to avoid hurting other people's feelings, even when I feel that I have been injured.


5. If a salesman has gone to considerable trouble to show me merchandise that is not quite suitable, I have a difficult time saying no.


6. When I am asked to do something, I insist upon knowing why.


7. There are times when I look for a good, vigorous argument.


8. I strive to get ahead as well as most people in my position.


9. To be honest, people often take advantage of me.


10. I enjoy starting conversations with new acquaintances and strangers.


11. I often don't know what to say to attractive persons of the opposite sex.


12. I hesitate to make phone calls to business establishments and institutions.


13. I would rather apply for a job or for admission to a college by writing letters than by going through with personal interviews.


14. I find it embarrassing to return merchandise.


15. If a close and respected relative were annoying me, I would smother my feelings rather than express my annoyance.


16. I have avoided asking questions for fear of sounding stupid.


17. During an argument I am sometimes afraid that I will get so upset that I will shake all over.


18. If a famed and respected lecturer makes a statement that I think is incorrect, I will have the audience hear my point of view as well.


19. I avoid arguing over prices with clerks and salespeople.


20. When I have done something important or worthwhile, I manage to let others know about it.


21. I am open and frank about my feelings.


22. If someone has been spreading false and bad stories about me, I see that person as soon as possible to have a talk about it.


23. I often have a hard time saying no.


24. I tend to bottle up my emotions rather than make a scene.


25. I complain about poor service in a restaurant or elsewhere.


26. When I am given a compliment, I sometimes just don't know what to say.


27. If a couple near me in a theater or at a lecture were conversing rather loudly, I would ask them to be quiet or to take their conversation elsewhere.


28. Anyone attempting to push ahead of me in a line is in for a good battle.


29. I am quick to express an opinion.


30. There are times when I just can't say anything.


Your Score:


Scoring

Compare your score to the ratings in the table below.

-29   Significantly below average
-15   Somewhat below average
0   Average
+15   Somewhat above average
+29   Significantly above average


SOURCE: Rathus, S. A. 1973. A 30-item schedule for assessing assertive behavior. Behavior Therapy 4: 398-406. Used by permission.

Copyright © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.