Adolescent Assertiveness Assessment Scale

Abstract

The Adolescent Assertiveness Assessment Scale (AAA-S) was introduced by de Lima et al. in 2024 as a specialized instrument designed to quantify assertiveness skills among adolescents. The development process commenced with an exploratory qualitative study utilizing focus groups to gather pertinent data. This qualitative feedback, combined with the established operational definition and subclasses of assertiveness (Del Prette & Del Prette, 2017), led to an initial pool of 80 items. Data collection focused on adolescents aged 12 to 15 years in Brazil. The resulting final instrument was refined to 20 items, providing initial evidence of strong content validity and semantic validity. The authors acknowledge that subsequent research is required to fully establish the instrument’s reliability and factorial structure.

Keywords

Adolescent Assertiveness, Assertiveness Skills, Semantic Validity, Content Validity, Developmental Measures, Adolescent Characteristics, Young People’s Perceptions.

Authors

de Lima, Sara Luize Pereira, Simeão, Shirley de Souza Silva, Silva, Washington Allysson Dantas, Galdino, Melyssa Kellyane Cavalcanti.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the AAA-S is to provide a standardized, objective measure for evaluating the manifestation and proficiency of assertiveness behaviors specific to the developmental stage of adolescence. It aims to capture how young individuals navigate various social and personal situations requiring the expression of their rights, opinions, and feelings in a non-aggressive manner.

The scale is specifically designed to assess behavioral repertoires indicative of assertiveness across different contexts relevant to the lives of young people, including interactions with peers, family, and authority figures.

Construct

The core construct measured by the AAA-S is Adolescent Assertiveness. This construct encompasses the ability of young people to express their thoughts, feelings, and needs appropriately while respecting the rights of others. The scale was developed based on established subclasses of assertiveness, ensuring comprehensive coverage of relevant behavioral domains in this age group.

Assertiveness is conceptualized here as a crucial social skill necessary for positive development and effective interpersonal communication during adolescence.

Validity

The AAA-S demonstrated robust initial evidence for two primary forms of validity: Content Validity and Semantic Validity.

For Content Validity, the scale was assessed by expert judges using the Content Validity Coefficient (CVC). The total CVCt achieved a high score of 0.97, and the CVCi coefficient for individual items was consistently above 0.80. The overall average CVC ranged from 0.92 to 0.99 across the judges’ evaluations, indicating a strong consensus that the items adequately represent the domain of adolescent assertiveness.

Regarding Semantic Validity (comprehensibility), median scores exceeding 2.5 were set as the threshold for high comprehension. The analysis revealed a general comprehensibility index of 86.4% among the adolescent sample. Furthermore, a moderate and partially significant positive correlation (r = 0.41, p = 0.05) was noted between the age of the participants and their level of comprehensibility of the scale items.

Reliability

At the time of its initial publication, specific psychometric indicators of reliability (such as internal consistency measures like Cronbach’s Alpha or test-retest reliability) were not yet established for the AAA-S. The authors explicitly noted that further research is essential to verify the instrument’s stability and consistency before widespread clinical or research application.

Factor Analysis

A formal factor analysis (e.g., Exploratory Factor Analysis or Confirmatory Factor Analysis) to determine the underlying dimensional structure of the 20 items has not yet been reported. While the initial development was guided by subclasses of assertiveness, verification of the instrument’s factorial validity remains a critical next step for future psychometric studies, ensuring the internal structure aligns with theoretical components of the construct.

Instrument

Test Type: Original Rating Scale

Format: The instrument consists of 20 items administered using a four-point Likert scale. Response options range from 1 (never or rarely) to 4 (always/almost always).

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human (Male and Female adolescents)

Age Group: 12 to 18 years

Population Details: The initial validation sample consisted of adolescents primarily aged 12 to 15 years, residing in Brazil. Respondents were adolescents themselves.

Test Methodology: The scale is self-administered electronically (Electronic administration method).

Keywords

Adolescent Attitudes, Developmental Psychology, Likert Scale, Psychological Assessment, Brazil, Content Validity Coefficient (CVC), Semantic Assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: de Lima, Sara Luize Pereira: [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The AAA-S is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY 4.0), permitting its use for research and teaching purposes. The scale is Non-Commercial and requires No Fee for usage. The instrument was first published in 2024.

Reference’s

de Lima, S. L. P., Simeão, S. d. S. S., Silva, W. A. D., & Galdino, M. K. C. (2024). Adolescent Assertiveness Assessment Scale: Evidence of content validity. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, 40, Article e40403.

Items of the Adolescent Assertiveness Assessment Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

This scale is designed to assess assertiveness in adolescents. Responses are structured on a four-point Likert format ranging from 1 (never or rarely) to 4 (always/almost always).

Items:

Item No.	Item Description
1	When my peers say something I do not agree with, I voice my opinion.
2	If I buy a new piece of clothing and find out at home that I do not like it, I come back to change it.
3	During a group outing, I can give my opinion about what we could do every day.
4	At school I have difficulty talking to the teacher.
5	In group situations I usually represent my group to make requests to the teacher.
6	I can argue when my parents ask me to do something I do not want to do.
7	I often get angry when my parents criticize my performance at school.
8	When someone says my taste in music is not good, I explain that we have different musical preferences.
9	When I like a classmate, I find it difficult to express my feelings.
10	I tend to be ironic with my colleagues.
11	I play games that lead to disappointing my friends.
12	I have difficulty maintaining friendships.
13	When I am unhappy in a relationship, I can take the initiative to end the relationship.
14	If I hurt a colleague, I apologize.
15	Even when I know I am in the wrong, I avoid admitting my mistake.
16	In situations where my colleagues do something I do not like, I often say how I feel.
17	If a classmate asks me to copy my notes during class, I borrow them even if it slows me down.
18	If I do not understand something the teacher has explained, I ask you to explain it again.
19	If I must go to a place but I do not know how to get there, I prefer to look for it myself rather than ask someone for help.
20	If some classmates make noise in class and I feel uncomfortable, I ask for silence.

Response Format:

• 1 = Never or rarely

• 2 = Sometimes

• 3 = Often

• 4 = Always/almost always