Those Who Hesitate Lose: The Relationship between Assertiveness and Response Latency

Individuals who are low in assertiveness may take longer to sort out, process, and state their own perceptions, attitudes and priorities, which puts them at a disadvantage in getting their needs met. The reason for this may not be inhibition in social situations or cognitive ability, but a lack of c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Perceptual and motor skills 2000-06, Vol.90 (3), p.931-943
Main Authors: Collins, Lynn H., Powell, Jack L., Oliver, Peter V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggressiveness
Assertiveness
Attitude
Attitudes
Behavior
Female
Humans
Male
Perceptions
Personality Assessment
Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data
Reaction Time
Self Concept
Self Efficacy
Self-Assessment
Surveys and Questionnaires
Verbal Behavior
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Summary:Individuals who are low in assertiveness may take longer to sort out, process, and state their own perceptions, attitudes and priorities, which puts them at a disadvantage in getting their needs met. The reason for this may not be inhibition in social situations or cognitive ability, but a lack of clarity regarding their own attitudes, opinions, preferences, goals, and priorities. 101 undergraduate students (57% women and 43% men) completed a demographics questionnaire, the Wonderlic Personnel Test, a self-monitoring scale, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the College Self-expression Scale, and a test of the false-consensus effect. Response latencies to questions were measured. Individuals with higher scores on the Wonderlic Personnel Test answered items more quickly but, even when cognitive ability was controlled, individuals low in assertiveness still took significantly longer to respond to questions about themselves, their opinions, and their preferences. If individuals fall behind at this early step in the process of asserting themselves, then they may be more likely to miss opportunities to be assertive.
ISSN:0031-5125
1558-688X
DOI:10.2466/pms.2000.90.3.931