Increasing assertiveness in junior high students with a special training program

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of it group assertiveness training program on unassertive pre-adolescent students (approximately 15-16 years old), of mixed gender. The subjects were drawn from Orta 3 Robert College students who were volunteers joining the study during the first semester of 1983-84 school year. Twelve students for the experimental group and twelve students for the control group were randomly selected among unassertive s tudents. Each group included six boys and girls. Assertiveness of the students was measured by the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS). It was used both in pre-test and in post-test. Pretest-Posttest control group design was used in the study. The study was conceived within a theoretical framework which emphasized correspondence between the individual and the environment. The program was developed according to the needs of the group members.Training was given to only the experimental group during guidance hours once a week for seven weeks, and each session lasted 45 minutes. The counseling service was used for the meetings. The majority (67.2 per cent) of the Robert College Orta 3 students appeared to be asserdive. According to the findings the AT group showed a significantly greater improvement than no-teatment control group on the RAS. In post treatment discussion the group members stated that they had found AT program useful, understood assertiveness better in improving their assertive behavior. Consequenltly, it can be said tha t such training was effective in increasing the assertiveness of pre-adolescent boys and girls as evaluated by self report and the test results.