Thesis (M.Psych.Org.) - University of Queensland, 2003. / Includes bibliography.

The problem of this study is to determine the relative effectiveness of the three counseling procedures of modeling, assertive training, and modeling plus assertive training for increasing assertive behavior in low assertive junior college students.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Boston University, 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-252).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Boston University, 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-252).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Boston University, 1999. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-252).

M.Cur. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology) / Assertiveness, a specific social skill is traced back to its roots in Salter's 1949 Pavlovian model. The impression is gained that the growing interest in assertiveness may be a reaction to the post-Sputnik era of increasing violence and acts of terrorism. In South Africa assertiveness training has particular relevance, as a state of emergency was -declared by the State President in the middle of 1985. It is fitting that assertiveness training be done with black adolescents as in the African communities there is concern about the estrangement of parents and their children which has contributed to the school unrest that has had such wide repercussions. An empirical study of 32 matched pairs of black South African pupils in their 11th year of schooling was undertaken in 1985 following a pilot study in 1984. The experimental groups were given assertiveness training while the control groups were engaged in other activities. The hypotheses examined were that if aggressive and submissive South African black adolescents were exposed to assertiveness training their levels of aggression and submission would be reduced, assertiveness would be increased, anxiety would be reduced and self-esteem enhanced. Evidence is adduced to indicate partial support for the hypotheses and this is discussed.

D.Cur. / Psychiatric nurses are constantly in interaction with psychiatric patients, families, psychiatrists, auxiliary nurses and other multidisciplinary team members. Psychiatric nurses, during their basic training, have to complete the course in interpersonal skills and methods. However, some psychiatric nurses during their interaction with psychiatric patients, families, psychiatrists and auxiliary nurses behaved aggressively and passively towards them. This has led to this research study aimed at describing a model for facilitation of continuous assertiveness for psychiatric nurses. A theory-generative design which is qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was followed. The research method were dealt with in four steps in theory generation in the following manner: Step 1 - Concept analysis This step was dealt with in two phases namely concept identification and concept definition. During concept identification a qualitative research strategy which is explorative, descriptive and contextual was used. This was attained through field research conducted in a specified urban psychiatric hospital in Gauteng Province. The sample consisted of twelve psychiatric nurses and were purposively selected. Four different scenarios were role-played, each scenario was role-played twelve times. Each scenario lasted approximately forty-five minutes. One advanced psychiatric practitioner from a different hospital took the role of psychiatric patient, family psychiatrist and auxiliary nurse. Videotaped recordings, transcripts of videorecordings, non-participating observational field notes as well as written feedback were used as methods of data collection. Data were analysed according to the protocol of Tesch 1990 (in Creswell, 1994 : 155) and Bottorff (in Schurink & Poggenpoel, 1998 : 329) in analysing the videotape recordings. An independent coder helped in coding the results of videotapes. The researcher concluded from the results obtained from the fieldwork that psychiatric nurses are unable to facilitate interaction through assertive behaviour. This research was characterised by repetitive aggressive and passive behaviour of psychiatric nurses when in interaction with others. The result was validated through literature control. The major concept of the model was identified as "facilitation of continuous assertiveness" for psychiatric nurses. The concept was analysed thoroughly by looking at different dictionaries (see bibliography) and subject usage. The defining attributes were identified and synthesised through a definition. The other related concepts were identified and classified by using a survey list of Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968: 430). Step2 This step dealt with the creation of interrelationship statements between concepts identified in Step 1 so that concepts were able to stand in relation to one another. Step 3 This step dealt with the description of the model by using strategies proposed by Chinn and Kramer (1991 ). Step 4 This step dealt with the description of guidelines for model operationalisation in psychiatric nursing practice, psychiatric nursing education and psychiatric nursing research. The proposed model was evaluated by a panel of independent experts. To ensure valid results a model of trustworthiness proposed by Guba (Lincoln & Guba 1985) was used. The following criteria for trustworthiness were applied in all the steps of theory generation : truth-value, applicability, consistency and neutrality. Ethical measures were applied right through the research. An unique contribution in the model description is the facilitation of continuous assertiveness for psychiatric nurses by the advanced practitioner in psychiatric nursing.

This study was conducted to investigate whether cognitive variables (as measured by six self-report inventories) covaried with changes in behavior following group assertiveness training as postulated by several assertiveness training theorists and practitioners. Statistical analysis of the data did not support any of the hypotheses. No significant differences were found between the groups on any of the self-report measures or the behavioral ratings, although experimental group subjects consistently scored higher (in the predicted direction) on all self-report measures or were rated higher than placebo group subjects. The hypotheses that experimental group subjects would exhibit significantly higher levels of self-reported assertiveness, self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-confidence than placebo group subjects were rejected. The hypothesis that the experimental group would exhibit a significantly greater shift toward self-reported internal locus of control than the placebo group was rejected. The hypothesis that the experimental group would exhibit significantly larger decreases in levels of self-reported anxiety than the placebo group was also rejected. Furthermore, no support was found for the hypothesis that experimental group subjects would exhibit significantly higher levels of objectively-rated assertive behavior than placebo group subjects. An examination of the data revealed substantial improvements on each of the six self-report measures for subjects in both groups. These data were treated statistically with a one-tailed t-test for correlated means. The t-test data indicated that both groups improved significantly on all cognitive variable measures from pretest to posttest.

No description available.