Ernest T. Hallberg

An assertiveness scale for adolescents.

This study developed a situation-specific instrument that measures assertiveness of adolescents. The Assertiveness Scale for Adolescents (ASA), which contains 33 items, was constructed using a multiple-choice format with three response alternatives. Based on data from 682 elementary and secondary school students, adequate reliability and validity of the ASA were obtained when tested against several variables about which predictions could be made. Potential use of the instrument in clinical diagnosis and research was discussed.

Participants' Memories for Therapeutic Events and Ratings of Session Effectiveness

We investigated various relationships between therapists’ and clients’ memories for important therapeutic events and their assessments of the effectiveness of therapy sessions in 11 therapy dyads. Results showed that clients had greater accuracy of recall of important events for sessions they rated as more effective. There was also a greater match between therapists and clients in their choice of important events for more effective sessions. Finally, therapists displayed greater overall accuracy of recall than did clients. Implications of these results for therapeutic work are explored.

CONCEPTUAL LEVEL AND ATTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITY FOLLOWING HIGH OR LOW FEEDBACK ON PERFORMANCE

The present study examined the ways in which subjects of high and low conceptual level attribute responsibility following high or low feedback on performance. 32 high school students, classified as high or low in conceptual level based on the Paragraph Completion Method, completed a communication task based on Carkhuffs Communication Index. Next, the subjects received high (“success”) or low (“failure”) feedback concerning their performance on the task, and finally their attribution of responsibility was assessed by a questionnaire. Subjects low in conceptual level attributed more responsibility to impersonal sources following both high and low feedback than did high scorers. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to counseling situations.