The adult self expression scale: validation by the multitrait-multimethod procedure

Area of Science:

• Psychological Assessment
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Assertive behavior is crucial for adult functioning.
• Validating measurement tools for assertiveness is essential in psychological research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To further validate the Adult Self Expression Scale (ASES) for measuring assertive behavior in general adult populations.
• To assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the ASES using the Campbell and Fiske multitrait-multimethod procedure.

Main Methods:

• Employed the Campbell and Fiske multitrait-multimethod validation approach.
• Collected self-report, peer-rating, and unobtrusive measures from diverse adult samples (students, psychiatric inpatients, felons).
• Examined relationships between ASES scores and measures of dominance, abasement, and various forms of aggression.

Main Results:

• The Adult Self Expression Scale demonstrated moderately strong convergent validity.
• The scale exhibited moderate discriminant validity against aggression measures.
• Findings supported the ASES's utility across different adult groups.

Conclusions:

• The Adult Self Expression Scale is a valid instrument for assessing assertive behavior in adults.
• The scale's psychometric properties support its use in diverse clinical and non-clinical adult populations.
• Further research can utilize the ASES for understanding assertiveness in various contexts.