Social skills training for young adolescents: cognitive and performance components

An assertiveness training curriculum that was an expansion of two previous programs with young adolescents (Thompson, Bundy, & Broncheau, 1995; Wise, Bundy, Bundy, & Wise, 1991) was presented to 22 fifth graders. Cognitive acquisition and retention of the symbolic assertiveness information were measured with multiple-choice pre- and posttests used in the two prior programs. The performance components, including verbal (word choice) and non-verbal (body orientation, posture, and gestures) aspects of assertive behavior were measured in pretest and posttest role-play situations, with the posttest administered at two levels of motivation. When trained students were compared to control groups on the cognitive measures, a significant effect for treatment (p < or = .000); a significant effect for measures (p < or = .000); and a significant Treatment x Measures interaction (p < or = .000) were found. However, the results did not show that training facilitated assertiveness on the performance components. When trained and control subjects' performance scores were combined, a significant effect for measures was found across role-play tests on some of the performance measures. Discussion focuses on factors that facilitate adolescents' appropriate application of stored symbolic information regarding assertiveness. Suggestions are offered for designing programs aimed at developing adolescents' assertive behavior in ways that will generalize to their lives beyond the training context.