An Evaluation of Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Assertiveness Skills to College Students

Assertiveness skills are related to a variety of life factors including stress levels, social relationships, social fears, and anxiety. Previous research has shown that engaging in nonassertive behavior can have negative effects, and assertive behaviors can lead to a healthier life (Eldeeb, Enstar, & Eldosoky, 2014; Elliot & Gramling, 1990; Morgan, 1974; Larijani, Aghajanie, Baheriraei, & Neiestanank, 2010). The purpose of the current research was to determine if behavioral skills training (BST) was effective in teaching assertiveness skills to college students and if the skills would generalize to novel situations. BST is a method for teaching skills that uses instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. In the current study, BST was used to identify and teach nine different assertive behaviors and help the participants differentiate between nonassertive, assertive, and aggressive behavior. The current study used a multiple baseline design to implement the BST intervention for three participants. It is expected that participants will show an increase in assertiveness skills, and that those skills will generalize to novel scenarios.