Gender and Locality as Factors Influencing Assertive Behaviour Among Adolescents
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to determine whether gender will determine assertive behaviour among adolescents and also to examine whether locality will determine assertive behaviour among adolescents.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
THEORETICAL REVIEW
Learning Theory
The world is like a school where we learn various academic skills and at the same time unlearn some of the uncivilized behaviors that are discomforting to us. One of the earliest and most basic assumptions of Bandura’s social cognitive theory is that human’s are quite flexible and capable of learning a multitude of attitudes, skills and behaviors and that a good bit of those learning’s are a result of vicarious experiences. Although people can and do learn from direct experience, much of what they learn is acquired through observing others. Bandura (1986, 2003) believes that observational learning is much more efficient than learning through direct experience. By observing other people, humans are spared countless responses that might be followed by punishments or by no reinforcement. This theory of learning can be evidence in treating problems Assertive behavior usually known as Assertive training a common clinical problem is presented by unassertive clients who are unable to express their emotional feelings and do not stand up for their legitimate rights. In behavior rehearsal the therapist may model appropriate assertive behavior and may ask the client to engage repeated in a graduated sequence of similar action (Upper & Ross, 1981).
MODELING
The cord of observation learning is modeling. Learning through modeling involves adding and subtracting from the observed behaviour and generalizing from one observation to another. In other words, modeling involves cognitive processes and is not simple, mimicry or imitation. It is more than matching the action of another, it involves symbolically represented information and storing it for use at a future time(Bandura, 1986, 1994). Bandura (1986) recognizes four processes that govern observation learning:-
Attention
Representation
Behaviors production
Motivation
THERAPY
According to Bandura, deviant brhaviours are limited on the basis of social cognitive learning principles, and they are maintained because, in some ways they continue to serve a purpose. Therapeutic change therefore, is difficult because it involves eliminating behaviors that are satisfying to the person. Smoking, overeating, and drinking alcoholic beverages, for example, generally have positive effect initially, and their long range aversive consequences are usually not sufficient to produce avoidance behavior. Bandura, (1986) has suggested several basis treatment approaches they are:
Overt or vicarious
Convert or cognitive modeling
Enactive mastery
Bandura (1986) believes that the reason for their effectiveness can be traced to a common mechanism found in each of these approaches, namely, cognitive and mediation.
Assertiveness was initially described as a personality trait by Andrew Salter in 1949. It was though that some people had and some people did not just like extroversion or stinginess. But Wolpe (1958) and Lazarus (1966) redefined assertiveness as “expressing personal rights and feelings. They found that nearly everybody could be totally ineffectual in others. The goal of assertive training is to increase the number and variety of situations in which assertive behavior is possible. Investigators such as Spector (1973); Alberti and Emmons (1970) discovered that people who show relatively little assertive behaviour do not believe that they have right to their feelings, beliefs, or right to their feelings, or opinions. In the deepest sense, they reject the idea that we are created equal and are to each other as equals.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODS
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 92 participants comprising 48 male and 46 female from Enugu. The participants are between the age of 16-19 years, within a mean of 17.42 and standard deviation of 11.25. They were sampled from adolescent population in Enugu (urban and rural) using stratified random sampling technique. They were further divided into 25 urban male and 21 rural male adolescent, against 24 urban female and 22 rural female adolescents.
INSTRUMENTS
The research instrument used in this study was Rathus Assertiveness schedule (RS). RS was developed by Rathus (1973). It is a 30-item inventory designed to assess assertive behaviour or social boldness or the extent to which an individual claims right, voices out true feeling in social setting. RS is administered individually or in group after establishing adequate rapport with the client. There is no time limit for completing RS.
Scoring: – RS has direct and reverse scorning items which is detailed in the manual.
Psychometric properties: – Rathus (1973) provided the original psychometric properties for American samples. While Anumba (1995) provided the properties for Nigerian samples.
Norms: – The norm reported here are the mean scores obtained by different categories of clients. The American samples were university students, while Nigerian sample were secondary school students.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
Table 1: Summary of unweighted mean on gender and locality as determinants of assertive among adolescents.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION
The outcome of this study revealed that the first hypothesis tested which stated that “gender will not significantly determine assertive behaviour among adolescents” was accepted. This means that gender as a factor did not significantly determine adolescent’s assertive behaviour. This is due to fact that the null hypothesis stated was confirmed, indicating that no remarkable observation was made between male and female in determining assertive behaviour among adolescents.
This outcome can be related to an empirical study conducted by Scherbath (2000) which examines dating competency and status kin relation to assertiveness and assertion of autonomy as well as aggression are discussed. 96 Universities of Nebraska students, of age 21 and their third years of college, completed a demographic questionnaire and buttery of surveys. Result indicates neither dating status nor gender as predictors of assertiveness, which in turn is not always associated with aggression or argumentativeness (Scherbath, 2003).
CHAPTER SIX
SUMMARY
The outcomes of this study are summarized as follows.
It was observed that gender is not a significant determinant of assertive behaviour among adolescents. Also locality was observed not to significantly determine assertive behaviour among adolescents.
CONCLUSION
Based on the outcomes the research hereby concludes that gender and locality of adolescents does not determine their assertive behaviour.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the outcome of this study one could recommend that the assertiveness scale should be modified to have a continuum measure in order to incorporate other fact of assertiveness. Also, children should be taught assertive skills, good communication etc. to help boost their interpersonal relations.
Children should not be exposed to any sort of abuse or maltreatment, since they go a long way in affecting his/her assertive behaviour, self-esteem etc.
The research also recommends that future investigations should sample from other area based on ethnic groups, or cultural disposition to increasing the sample towards cross-validating the outcome of this study. Again, try other related variable like, educational level, SES etc. as the independent variable, to help build theories in this area of study.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Limitation of this study includes, the Naïve and Lack of interest shown by the participants especially those from rural locality. The reluctancy which the research use reports to continue the participants to objectively complete the questionnaire. Also money and track has taken in collecting the data since there is no research grant posed a difficulty.
REFERENCES
- Alberti, R., & Emmons, M. (1974).Your perfect right: a guide to assertive behaviour. Samluis Obispo, CA: Impact Publishers.
- Alberti, R., & Emmons, M. (1990).Your perfect right revealed. Samluis Obispo, CA: Impact Publishers.
- Alberti, R., & Emmons, M. (1995).Your perfect Right (7th Ed.) Samluis Obispo, CA: Impact press.
- Anumba, A. N. (1995). The influences of peer relations on self esteem, assertiveness and ego-strength of adolescents. Unpublished B.Sc Thesis, Department of psychology, University of Lagos.
- Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of the thoughts andactions: A social cognitive theory: Englewood (Clift, Nj: prentice HALL).
- Bandura, A. (1986). Human agency in social cognitive theory. American Psychologist. 44, 1175-1184.
- Bandura, A. (1986). Social cognitive theory and mass communication. In J Bryant & D Zillmann (Eds,), Media effect: Advances in theory and research. Hillsdale, Nj: Erlbaum.
- Bandura, A. (2003). On the psycho social impact and mechanism of spiritual modeling. International Journal of the psychology of Religion, 13, 167-174.
- Barrigan, L.P., & Garfiled, S.L. (1981). Relationship of missed psychotherapy appointments to premature termination and social class. The British Journal Clinical psychology, 20, 239-242.
