Children and even infants have clear intuitions about power early in development; they can infer who is dominant and subordinate from observing a single interaction. However, it is unclear what children infer about each individual's status from these interactions--do they think dominants and subordinates will maintain their status when interacting…

Children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) who attend mainstream settings face social skills deficits that have not been adequately explored. This study aims to examine social skills through self-reports of children with AS (N = 21) and a matched group of typically developing peers, as well as reports from their mothers, fathers, and teachers. Results…

Jerry M. Burger's (see record 2008-19206-001) partial replication of Stanley Milgram's (1974) obedience study shows both the influence of culture and generations on behavior and the power of the situation. In Burger's data, disobedience has nearly doubled among male participants since the 1960s, a shift just as large as the increase in Americans'…

While a great deal of clinical research attention has been directed toward assertive training, there have been few studies examining the social impact or interpersonal evaluation of assertive versus unassertive behavior, including the differential evaluation of assertiveness exhibited by males and females. In this study, subjects observed a…

The premise that "sports builds character" is scrutinized through a discussion of several contact sports--boxing, hockey, and football. The fine line between assertiveness and aggression is explored, and the interrelationship between society and sports is investigated. (JN)

This article discusses teaching social skills and assertiveness to students with disabilities. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) content standards for physical education emphasize teaching responsible personal and social behaviors to students of all abilities, to help them develop an understanding of and respect for…

This study was conducted to compare the social style of Japanese and Americans. Participants included 241 Japanese students from Otsuma Women's University and Nihon University (Tokyo, Japan) and 252 American students from West Virginia University (United States). Each completed the Richmond-McCroskey Assertiveness-Responsiveness Measure (which…

Most definitions and training of assertive behavior fail to consider cultural diversity in social skills. Verbal, nonverbal and cognitive components of assertive behavior were investigated to determine cultural variations in assertiveness. Black (N=30) and white (N=30) male and female college students enacted 16 role-play scenes with 4 role…

Reports on a study of the relationships between assertiveness and cooperativeness dimensions of conflict styles among 202 graduate business students. Finds that preferences for assertiveness are reflected in both strategic and tactical use of behaviors. Also finds cooperativeness is associated with last-choice behaviors. (CFR)

This exploratory study examined the contribution of the "RC" Approach over a two-year period. The "RC" Approach integrates social and academic learning in order to produce classroom environments that are conducive to learning by integrating social and academic learning. Two questions are addressed. First, how does teachers' use of "RC" practices…

Androgyny consists of the integration of relatively large numbers of both feminine and masculine sex-stereotyped characteristics. The androgynous person is viewed as a more adaptable individual. Several researchers have studied this "androgyny-equals-adaptability" hypothesis set forth by Bem (1974). Examination of this data yields a phenomenon…

Adolescents are frequently admonished to be socially assertive in order to confront negative interpersonal peer influences. Since the advent of HIV/AIDS in human social chemistry, the admonition has become more critical than ever. But the warning is often proffered in the misguided presumption that social assertiveness is the all-required…