Self-reported assertion of males with and without a physical disability: a cross-cultural study

The purpose of the present study was to compare the level of assertion among four different groups of male subjects: Arab and Jewish Israelis with and without a physical disability. A total of 189 subjects participated in the present study: 42 Israeli Arabs and 40 Israeli Jews with a physical disability and the remaining 107 served as control groups. Subjects filled out the Assertion Inventory (Gambrill and Richey, 1975). A significant interaction between cultural affiliation and physical disability was found. The Arab subjects without a physical disability reported the lowest level os assertion compared to the other three research groups. This finding is discussed on the basis of different cultural demands for social behavior particularly in regard to physical disability.