Assertiveness Training

Assertiveness can be defined as the positive insistence on one’s rights, a balance between affirming self-worth and equanimity in interpersonal situations. Assertiveness training has been employed as a behavioral intervention to target social anxiety, aggression, and excessive people pleasing. In general, this approach includes modeling, instruction, behavioral rehearsal, and communication analysis. These activities have been performed in the context of group and individual therapy, offered in brief (e.g., one or two sessions) and lengthier formats. In numerous research studies, assertiveness training has been found effective for improving self-esteem and interpersonal dynamics, reducing social anxiety, and diminishing anger. Assertiveness training has also been utilized in educational contexts to improve performance-related anxieties. Since 2010, research samples have included mental health patients, ethnic and cultural minorities, and persons ...