Assertiveness Test (RAS)

Assertiveness entered psychology through the behavior-therapy movement of the mid-twentieth century. Andrew Salter and Joseph Wolpe treated the ability to express feelings and defend one's interests as a trainable skill rather than a fixed trait, and assertiveness training soon became one of the most common ingredients of behavioral therapy. What the field lacked was a quick, standardized way to measure the behavior it was trying to change. In 1973, Spencer Rathus answered that need with a schedule of everyday situations - complaining about bad service, returning merchandise, disagreeing with a lecturer - that became the classic self-report measure of assertive conduct.

Assertiveness is often confused with aggression, but the two are distinct. Aggression pursues one's interests at another person's expense, through intimidation, hostility, or disregard. Passivity gives one's interests away, swallowing objections and absorbing unfair treatment to keep the peace. Assertiveness is the middle path: stating what you think, want, or will not accept, directly and without apology, while leaving the other person's dignity intact. Research in this tradition treats assertiveness as a skill that can be practiced, not a temperament handed out at birth.

This test profiles three facets of that skill. Speaking Up captures the expressive side: voicing opinions, lodging complaints, and correcting errors even when silence would be easier. Saying No captures the boundary side: refusing requests, resisting sales pressure, and declining plans without manufacturing excuses. Social Boldness captures the approach side: initiating contact with strangers, handling official calls and face-to-face business, and staying composed when a disagreement heats up.

Studies using the Rathus schedule and its successors link higher assertiveness to higher self-esteem, lower social anxiety, and better outcomes in negotiation, healthcare, and the workplace, where unassertive employees are more prone to burnout and unvoiced grievances. Low assertiveness is also a common presenting complaint in therapy, and assertiveness training remains a standard component of cognitive-behavioral programs for social anxiety and depression. None of this makes maximal assertiveness the goal: the most effective communicators modulate their directness to the situation, and cultures differ in how much bluntness they reward. Context matters too - many people are assertive at work yet yielding at home, or vice versa, and scores on a questionnaire like this one describe your typical pattern across situations rather than a rule that holds everywhere. The practical value of measuring assertiveness is locating which of the three areas costs you the most, since each responds to different practice.

Your three facet scores are averaged into a single Total Assertiveness score, shown as a percentage from low to high. Alongside your bars, the chart marks estimated values for a typical adult, who lands near 50% - published samples with the original schedule cluster close to the scale midpoint, with refusal situations the most commonly endorsed area of difficulty. These markers are approximations rescaled from research with the original instrument, not validated percentile norms for this exact test, so treat them as a rough reference point rather than a precise ranking.

This test is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not a diagnostic instrument and cannot determine how you will act in any particular situation. The test is based on the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule but uses its own items and is not affiliated with Spencer Rathus or any of his institutions. If difficulty asserting yourself causes you distress, a qualified professional can help - assertiveness responds well to training.

References

• Rathus, S. A. (1973). A 30-item schedule for assessing assertive behavior. Behavior Therapy, 4(3), 398-406.
• Alberti, R. E., & Emmons, M. L. (1970). Your Perfect Right: A Guide to Assertive Behavior. Impact Publishers.
• Salter, A. (1949). Conditioned Reflex Therapy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.