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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2015

J. J. Jupp  and
B. Plummer
J. J. Jupp
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, New South Wales
B. Plummer
Affiliation:
New South Wales Department of Education
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Abstract

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

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Articles
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Queensland Journal of Guidance and Counselling , Volume 3 , November 1989 , pp. 29 - 38
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1989

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