RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELECTED PERSONALITY VARIABLES

MEASURED BY THE PATTE&~S OF SOCIAL ADAPTATION SCALE

AND THE SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE

by

Joyce Clara Christensen

A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of

Master of Science

College of Nursing

University of Utah

June 1976

Copyright €) Joyce Clara Christensen 1976

All Rights Reserved

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH GRADUATE SCIJOOL

SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVAL

of a thesis submitted by

Joyce Clara Christensen

I have read this thesis and have found it to be of satisfactory quality for a master's

degree.

Date Mary A. Manderino Chairman. Supervisory Committee

I have read this thesis and have found it to be of satisfactory quality for a master's

degree.

--------'--_._---Date Gerald F. Braza

Member, Supervisory Committee

7'

T hay!'. re:ld thi� thl'sis :lnd 11;1\'(' found it to h!' of satisfactory quality for a master's

degree.

', ' / ----�.- . -- - ----_.-

Date

; , . --- ''--... -::", . _- --- - - -'- _. __ . _ -. ---_. ---

John J. Sullivan Mrmher, Supcr!Vi<ory Committee

UNIVERSny OF UTAH GRADUATE SCHOOL

FINAL READING APPROVAL

To the Graduate Council of the University of Utah:

I have read the thesis of ___ .:[9..Yce Clara CbJ:j, __ �·��n§e:[L... in its final form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographic style are consistent and acceptable; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and

charts arc in place ; and (3) the final manuscript is sati sfactory to the Super-/isory

Committee and is re<Jdy for submission to the Graduate School.

) Date

/'>; /1- J \ / , / ( /' " ' .) /L . ( .. \ .

) . ----Mary A. Manderino Member, Supervisory Committee

Approved for the Major Department

...... -- ,,� . .

Madeleine Leining �f. Chairman/Dean

/

Approved for the Graduate Council

/.

�/;; L(; ��f-!/'/ )11 ( );f--!/I-l-i'H\-/ SterJjLng t1. McMurrin

Dian of the Graduate School

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my Chairwoman, Mandy Manderino, I extend my

warmth, love and appreciation for her expertise and strong

encouragement to persevere in the face of absurdity; and

for her provision of substantial nurturance and psychic

epoxy for my frayed identity. My thanks to John Sullivan

whose frequent injections of persistance and knowledge

immunized me from despair. Further thanks are extended

to Jerry Braza, who tolerated us through out, offering

his support, encouragement and ideas.

To Carol Kirgis for her English interpretation of

statistical jargon and her patience in directing my

research, I am grateful. To Lynn Simons for his bravery

in rescuing me from the quagmire of illiteracy, I extend

my gratitude. To Ann Hutton, thank you for your continued

efforts in perfecting my therapeutic skills over the last

two years.

To Nancy Madsen and Elaine Ellis with whom I

suffered, and produced in our hour of mutual stress and

hysteria, I of my thanks and assurances that whatever

psychic manifestations occurred during this period are

transient and situational. To Marty Woods my insane

roommate who offered the ultimate cure for thesis blues

through Coca-Cola addiction and assorted other services

ranging from file clerk to general maintenance, I give

my thanks. To Kaye Coleman who has given me support and

counseling, helped me maintain my sanity and showed

appropriate amazement at my survival--thanks.

To all those who serendipitiously motivated me to

challenge myself and supported me in those endeavors

and/or offered me enticing distractions: Steve Krantz,

Paulette Soine, Jim Beaver, Michael Enright, Dana Latham,

Howard Sloane and most of all my loving and understanding

family, I give my undying gratitude and unconditional

positive regard.

v

ABSTRACT

The problem of this investigation was to examine the

validity of the Patterns of Social Adaptation (PSA)

Assertion Scale. The instrument was administered concur­

rently with the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire

(16PF), to 108 undergraduate nursing students. All of the

subjects were women; the mean age was 23.6. Significant

correlations were found between the PSA self-report mea­

sure of assertiveness and four source traits of the l6PF:

outgoing, assertive, venturesome and self assured. A

multiple regression analysis suggested that self-report of

assertiveness may be partially explained by these four

16PF source traits (R2=.252). The results are consistent

with a general hypothesis that the PSA has some validity

as a measure of assertion. The nature of the relation-

ships between the PSA Assertive Scale and the 16PF source

traits also correspond with prior descriptive and empiri­

cal discussions of assertiveness.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

ABSTRACT.

Introduction ..

Method"

Ins t~rumen ts

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Results and Discussion.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX B.

APPENDIX C.

REFERENCES.

VITA.

page

iv

vii

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4

5

8

14

28

29

31

33

Introduction

The Patterns of Social Adaptation Scale (PSA) is a

recently developed self-report instrument designed to mea­

sure five interpersonal patterns of adaptation or coping

in three major categories of interpersonal situations.

The objective of this study was to examine the relation­

ship between the assertive scale of the PSA and the

Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF). The

problem was to provide concurrent validity for the asser­

tive scale of the PSA.

In the field of psychosocial nursing, the measurement

of psychosocial adaptation has become particularly

important. Loomis and Horsley (1974) stated "Nursing is

moving away from its former position of accepting hypothe­

ses as fact and is now attempting to develop a scientific

basis for nursing interventions in the patient care

setting" (p. xi). Objective behavioral assessment is

emphasized as part of the clinical process. It facili­

tates planning, implementation, and evaluation of nursing

interventions (Loomis & Horsley, 1974; Berni & Fordyce,

1973). Self-report measures represent one of several

methods of assessment.

King (1971) stated liThe dynamics of nursing can be

described as a constant restructuring of relationships

between the nurse and the patient to cope with existential

2

problems and to learn ways of adapting or adjusting to

changes in daily activities" (p. 103). This relates to

her definition of health which includes continuous adapta­

tion to stresses in the internal and external environment.

The clinical process of strengthening and promoting

patterns of social adaptation may occur on primary, secon­

dary, or tertiery intervention levels, and with indivi­

duals, families, groups and communities. Society has

recently emphasized health promotion and primary preven­

tion; this has resulted in a shift to community based

mental health programs. As a consequence, there have

been many changes in intervention strategies and interven­

tion at multiple levels (Loomis & Horsley, 1974; Larson,

1973). Assertion training has increasingly gained recog­

nition as an intervention strategy applicable to primary,

secondary and tertiery intervention, and has been found

useful in a variety of settings.

Assertion, one pattern of social adaptation, was

recognized early in behavioral psychology. The first

major work acknowledging the virtues of assertive behav­

ior and specific assertive training techniques was Salter's

Conditioned Reflex Therapy (1949). Wolpe (1969) hypothe­

sized that assertion and anxiety are incompatible, i.e.

interpersonal assertion may inhibit interpersonal anxiety.

Assertive behavior is defined by Alberti and Emmons

(1974) as "behavior which enables a person to act in his

own best interest, to stand up for himself without undue

anxiety, to express his honest feelings comfortably, or

3

to exercise his own rights without denying the rights of

others (p. 2) .... " Honest and direct communication is

the intent of assertive behavior (Bloom, Coburn & Pearlman,

1975). Assertive people are characteristically described

as being open, flexible, self-enhancing, expressive,

independent, interpersonally comfortable, and genuinely

concerned wi th the rights of others (Alberti & Emmons,

1974; Fensterheim & Baer, 1975; Bloom, Coburn & Pearlman,

1975; Phelps & Austin, 1975; Smith, 1975).

Lay and professional literature on assertiveness and

assertion training is now prolific. While assertive

training has become a popular modality for facilitating

interpersonal growth, it has also been used as a thera­

peutic intervention modality. Hersen, Eisler and Miller

(1973) concluded that assertion training can be an effec­

tive treatment approach for a wide variety of disorders

characterized by moderate to severe interpersonal defi­

cits. They noted specific concern that relatively few

empirical investigations have been reported, although

there is clinical evidence to support this formulation,

and they suggest the need for intervention outcome

studies with a variety of populations.

Several recently developed assertion measures have

been used in clinical practice as well as in empirical

4

investigations. The following self-report instruments are

presently in use: The Conflict Resolution Inventory

(McFall & Lillesand, 1971); The Lawrence Assertive Inven­

tory (Lawrence, 1970); The Rathus Assertiveness Schedule

(Rathus, 1973); The College Self-Expression Scale (Galassi,

1974); and The Adult Self Expression Scale (Galassi,

1975) .

The Patterns of Social Adaptation Scale is a recently

developed instrument which has expanded on other self­

report measures in that it is designed to measure five

interpersonal adaptation patterns in three major categor­

ies of interpersonal situations. This study was limited to

a validity examination of the Assertion Scale.

Method

Subjects

One hundred and eight female undergraduate nursing

students at the University of Utah were volunteer partici­

pants in this study. The mean age was 23.6, standard

deviation 5.5. There were 36 students from the sophomore

class, 36 students from the junior class, 32 students

from the senior class and four students who were returned

registered nurses working towards a baccalaureate degree

in nursing. Twenty-eight of the participants were mar­

ried, 74 were single, and five were divorced. Seventy-two

subjects classified themselves as religious; of these 65

reported that their religious beliefs strongly influenced

5

their social attitudes.

Instruments

The Patterns of Social Adaptation Scale (PSA) is a

recently developed self-report measure, designed by M.

Manderino, J. Sullivan, L. Sullivan, and N. Madsen (1975)

at the University of Utah College of Nursing (see Appendix

A). It is a two vector instrument consisting of a situa­

tional vector with three variables and a response vector

with five variables. The situational vector was construc­

ted around three major categories of social interaction:

(a) direct requests, (b) request refusal and disagreement,

and (c) expression of positive and negative feelings in

interpersonal feedback situations. The response vector

was constructed to include five choices of interpersonal

adaptation: (a) assertion, (b) aggression, (c) indirect

aggression, (d) passivity, and (e) social compliance. The

scale consists of 52 items, with approximately one third

of the items derived or modified from the Lawrence

Assertive Scale (1970). Internal consistency, established

by means of Hoyt reliability, was .854. The 33 item

assertive scale had a mean of 15.3 and a standard devia­

tion of 5.5. The following are three sample items from

the PSA Assertive Scale:

1. A close friend tells -you that you should go on a

diet. This 0 ends you.

a. Tell your friend that she is tactless.

b. Feel hurt but say nothing since your friend

means well.

c. Comment on something your friend could also

improve on.

d. Tell your friend you feel hurt by the remark.

e. Listen and say nothing.

2. While talking to a friend of yours you remember

that he borrowed money from you two weeks ago and has not

yet returned it as'he said he would.

a. Say nothing about it.

b. Don't mention the loan since you know he would

pay back if he could.

c. Mention to him that you're a little short of

money these days.

d. Remind him that he borrowed the money from you

and ask that he pay it back.

6

e. Tell your friend he is not being very responsible

about his debts.

3. Your neighbor, who is chairperson of a charity

bake sale asks you to please contribute a home-made cake.

You really are quite busy.

a. Tell him you will think about it.

b. Bake the cake since it is for a worthy cause.

c. Rearrange your activities so you will have time

to bake the cake.

d. Explain that you are quite busy and tactfully

7

refuse his request.

e. Tell him he should know better than to ask you.

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF)

is published by the Institute for Personality and Ability

Testing, Catalog No. SA003. Form A is a 187 item instru­

ment, which yields 16 functionally independent and psycho­

socially meaningful factors isolated and replicated in

more than 30 years of factor-analytic research on normal

and clinical groups. Each factor represents a "source

trait" that is an independent and pragmatically important

trait affecting large areas of overt personality behavior

which may change with time, experience and circumstance.

The profile of source traits is potentially valuable in

predicting specific behaviors (Cattell, Eber, & Tatsuoka,

1970). Information on scoring, norms, reliability and

validity of the 16PF are found in Appendix B. This in­

strument was used to contribute to the concurrent­

construct validity of the PSA Assertive Scale.

The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale is a

33 item scale requiring true-false response to items

which define behaviors which are culturally sanctioned

and approved but which are unlikely to occur. It was

developed to determine if subjects need to obtain approv­

al by responding in a culturally appropriate and accepta­

ble manner (Crowne & Marlowe, 1960). This scale was

added at the end of the PSA to determine whether the

8

subjects were responding to'the socially desirable proper­

ties of the items on the PSA or attempting to give an

accurate self-report.

Procedure

The subjects were informed that the purpose of the

study was to examine a new test which was developed at

the University of Utah College of Nursing. The tests and

a consent and census form (see Appendix C) were admini­

stered to the subjects in a group; detailed instructions

for test completion were written on each test. The PSA

was administered first, the 16PF second and the CPI last.

Each subject was allowed to complete the test procedure

at her own rate.

Results and Discussion

The data for the present investigation were analyzed

by Frequencies, Pearson Correlation and Regression pro­

grams of the SPSS system (Nie, Hull, Jenkins, Steinbrenner

& Bent, 1975). The correlations between scores on the

PSA Assertiveness Scale and the 16 source trait items of

the 16PF are represented in Table 1. Four source traits

of the 16PF (A, outgoing: E, assertive; H, venturesome:

0, self-assured) were significantly related and three

source traits (I, tough-minded; N, forthright; Ql'

experimenting) were marginally related to scores on the

assertiveness scale of the PSA.

As a result of the examination of correlations

9

Table 1

Pearson Correlation Coefficients Between the

PSA Assertive Scale and the 16PF Source Traits

16PF (1) Low (10) High r Source Score Score (minimum Traits Description Description df=104 ) p<

H Shy Venturesome .354 .001

0 Self-assured Apprehensive -.340 .001

E Humble Assertive .261 .007

A Reserved Outgoing .235 .015

N Forthright Astute -.187 .055

Ql Conservative Experimenting .170 .081

I Tough-minded Tender-minded -.167 .088

C Affected by Emotionally .123 .209 feelings stable

M Practical Imaginative .118 .228

Q4 Relaxed Tense -.111 .257

Q2 Group Dependent Self-sufficient -.092 .317

L Trusting Suspicious -.086 .378

Q3 Undisciplined Controlled -.055 .578 self-conflict

F Sober Happy-go-lucky .048 .622

B Less More -.009 .929 intelligent intelligent

G Expedient Conscientious -.008 .936

10

between the 16PF source traits and the PSA Assertive

Scale, it was concluded that some characteristics of the

subjects in this study are associated with assertiveness.

For example, outgoing subjects (source trait A) were more

likely to score high on assertiveness (r=.235; p<.015).

Thus subjects who are easy going, warm-hearted, and who

express appropriate affect seem to be better able to

respond assertively. Source trait H representing ventur­

ousness, social boldness, emotional expressiveness and

low inhibitions to environmental threats, was even more

highly correlated with reported assertiveness (r=.354i

p(.OOl). Subjects who can be characterized as self­

assured, placid, and insensitive to social evaluation

from their responses to source trait 0, were also more

likely to respond assertively (r=-.34;p<.001). The oppo­

site end of this source trait represents apprehension,

and is related to the clinical manifestation of anxiety;

the correlation between source trait 0 and assertiveness

suggests that assertiveness is incompatible with anxiety

as proposed by Wolpe (1969).

The final significant relationship between source

trait E and assertiveness suggests that assertive indivi­

duals may show characteristics of independence and self

reliance plus stubbornness ,and dominance. Finally, source

traits I, N, Ql representing tough-mindedness, forthright­

ness and radicalism, are also marginally related to high

11

Table 2

Multiple Regression Analysis:

Dependent Variable Assertion

o -.340

E .261

A .235

levels of reported assertiveness. The pattern of the pre-

sent finding suggests that assertive women are likely to

reveal characteristics of outgoingness, venturousness,

self-assurance and independence or stubbornness, and may

appear tough-minded, forthright, and experimental.

The relative predictive strengths of the four source

traits significantly related to reported assertiveness

were assessed through step-wise multiple regression. The

results of this analysis are reported in Table 2. The

multiple correlation coefficient was .502 (F=8.51i f=4,101,

p(.OOl) and the four variables (H, venturousness; 0, self-

assurance; E, independence or stubbornness and A, out-

goingness) contributed 25% of the variance in measured

assertiveness. It was concluded that assertiveness may be

partially explained by these four 16PF source traits. The

12

Beta weights in the present anlysis suggest that first

self-assurance (Beta=-.268), the independence or stubborn­

ness (Beta=.224), then venturousness (Beta=.184) , the out­

goingness (Beta=.159) should be considered in predicting

measured assertiveness.

An interesting subsidiary problem explored in this

study was the influence of religious beliefs on assertive

behavior. Subjects were asked if their religious beliefs

strongly influenced their social attitudes. Those respond­

ing affirmatively to this question were significantly less

likely to report assertiveness than those answering nega­

tively (Rbis=-.283, p<.003). Alberti and Emmons (1974)

have suggested that contemporary churches may be teaching

their members that lito be assertive in life is not the

'religious' thing to dolt (p. 6). This is interesting data,

that may suggest a potential area for further cultural­

behavioral studies.

Social desirability could have influenced the find­

ings of the present study. That is, if our culture values

assertiveness, then subjects could have modified their

responses on the PSA Assertive Scale to appear socially

appropriate. However, there seemed to be no association

between scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability

Scale (Crowne & Marlowe, 1960) and the PSA Assertive

Scale (r=.08l; p<.408). Generalization of the present

findings beyond nursing students at the University of Utah

should be approached with caution. The homogeneity and

reasonably small size of the present sample motivates

extensions of the present investigation with different,

and perhaps larger, groups of subjects.

13

The present investigation suggests that the Patterns

of Social Adaptation Assertiveness Scale may be a valuable

tool in measuring the interpersonal pattern of assertive­

ness. The nature of relationships between the PSA Assert­

iveness Scale and the l6PF Scale also corresponds with

prior descriptive discussions of assertiveness (Wolpe,

1969; Alberti & Emmons, 1974; Fensterheim & Baer, 1975;

Bloom, Coburn, & Pearlman, 1975; Phelps & Austin, 1975;

Smith, 1975).

The development of the PSA Assertiveness Scale may

aid the practice of psychosocial nursing; clinicians may

use it to assess initial levels of assertiveness as well

as to measure changes in assertiveness as a result of

psychosocial nursing therapy. It could also be employed

in empirical investigations which evaluate the effective­

ness of assertive-training programs.

APPENDIX A

Patterns of Social .. Adaptation PIPAS Project

University of Utah College of Nursing

This test consists of a series of specific situations. Imagine yourself present in each situation as vividly as possible and then select the one response which best represents what you would sayer do in that situation. Be sure to select the one response which is closest to what you would say or do ineach situation No'r' what you think you should say or do. Please mark on the answer sheet only one response for each item. Be sure to answer every item, even if it does not seem to apply -to you. Use a No., 2 pencil only. Please do not write on this test booklet.

1. You are at a lecture with a friend and the speaker makes a statement that you believe is completely erroneous. You have the facts at hand with which you can disprove his statement.

aG Say nothing to the speaker, but remark audibly to your friend that the statement is erroneous.

h. Present your views during the question and answer period.

c. Immediately remark that his statement was erron­eous.

d. Say nothing to the speaker or your friend. e. Realize he is wrong, but overlook the statement

since he must have good reasons for making it.

2. You have ordered a steak at a restaurant and when the waiter brings the steak you notice that it cooked considerably more than the way you ordered it.

a. Eat the steak, then mention the problem to the cashier when paying the bill.

b. Eat the steak and say nothing. c. Call attention to the waiter and request that he

take the steak back and have another one cooked. d. Tell the waiter it is overcooked and indicate that

he shouldn't have served it. e. Eat the steak because you don't want to make a

scene at the table in front of your friends.

15

3. Your boss gives you a "satisfactory" rating but you think your work is well above average.

a. Do nothing but feel unfairly treated. b. Tell him his rating is unfair. c. Gripe to co-workers about how unfair he is. d. Ask the boss to explain why he gave you a low

rating and if you still don't think he is right, attempt to convince him that you deserve the hig~er rating.

e. Accept the rating and try to improve his percep­tion of you.

4. You have had a strong argument with your parents over some issue. Later you find out that your parents were correct.

a. Tell them that they were right. h. Uncomfortably and meekly admit your error and

apologize for causing such a strong argument. c. Remark that even though they're right this ti~e,

they're usually wrong. d. Do not say anything to them about it, hoping they

would forget the argument. e. Tell them they are right this time.

5. You are reading in the library. A couple of students are talking nearby and are interferring with your con­centration.

a. Clear your throat and give them a menacing look, but say nothing.

b. Get up and move to another location. c. Ask them to please be a little quieter. d. Loudly tell them to be quiet. e. Recognize that they are having a good time and try

to concentrate in spite of the noise.

6. You feel angry because your mate expects too much from you when you are ill.

a. Express your anger. b. Tell him he doesn't understand your illness. c. You feel angry but say nothing. d. Hide your anger in order to avoid a quarrel. e. Complain that his requests make the illness more

intense.

7. You buy a pair of expensive shoes and due to poor co~­struction the straps break after one week of wear.

a. Tell your friends not to buy anything at this store. b. Do nothing since it is not the store owner's fault.

c. Have the strap repaired and say nothing. d. Ask the store to replace the shoes with a new

pair. e. Tell the store manager that he sold you faulty

merchandise and ask for a new pair.

8. You receive some unfair criticism.

a. Say nothing in order to avoid an argument.

16

h. Even though you feel unfairly criticized, listen and say nothing.

c. Disagree with them and tell them the situation as you see it.

d. Tell them that their criticism is inappropriate. e. Remark how easily you are hurt by unfair criticism.

9. You are eating dinner with your family in a fancy restaurant. You have been waiting several minutes for your waiter to refill your glass with water.

a. Complain to the waiter about the poor service. b. Call the waiter to your table and ask for water. c. Do nothing. d. Gesture to the waiter indicating that your glass

is empty. e. Wait patiently because you realize how busy he is.

10. A friend invites you to a party. You do not wish to attend.

a. Accept his invitation so as not to offend this person.

b. Pretend you had another engagement. c. Tell him that you would rather not go to the party. d. Reluctantly accept the invitation. e. Tell your friend you are no longer accepting such

invitations.

11. You are annoyed because a friend carelessly spills a .. drink on you and ruins an expensive outfit.

a. Criticize the friend for his carelessness. h. Cover your annoyance so you will not e~barrass

your friend. c. Even though you are upset say nothing. d. Tell this person how badly you 1 that your

favorite outfit is ruined. e. Express irritation because he has ruined an expen­

sive outfit.

12. You have been waiting for a parking space and just as you are ready to pull in another car pulls in before

17 you can.

a. Get out of your car, walk over to them and tell them what you think of them.

b. Go find another parking place. c. Frown at them, then find another parking place. d. Tell them that you were about to back into the

space and request that they move out. e. Gesture to them that you don't mind and look for

another place.

13. A friend asks you to accept a gift that you do not want.

a. Accept the gift but feel somewhat uncomfortable about doing so.

b. Accept the gift but indicate you really don't want i t~

c. Accept the gift in order to save your friend embarrassment.

d. Thank your friend but explain that you cannot accept this gift.

e. Do not accept the gift.

14. You are upset because a public official is unneces­sarily rude to you in the fulfillment of his of cial duties.

a. Even though you are upset, say nothing because you realize the official's job is a difficult one.

b. Tell the official his rudeness is uncalled for. c. Let the official know that you are upset by his

rude behavior. d. Tell the official he makes you feel bad and you

don't deserve this treatment. e. Say nothing.

15. You have a guest who puts her cigarettes out in your best china coffee cups, even though an ash tray is nearby.

a. Ignore the situation. b. Mention that it is thoughtless not to use an ash

tray_ c. Say nothing to her since you can clean the cups

later. d. Place the ash tray closer to her and say, "Nould

you please use this?" e. Jokingly tell her a china cup is not an ash tray.

16. You are requested to give a talk to the PTA on some­thing you have no interest in.

18

a. Refuse the request but offer to speak on another topic.

b. Familiarize yourself with the topic in order to give the speech since it is a privilege to be asked.

c. Reluctantly agree to the request. d. Agree to give the speech even though you will

probably try to get out of it at a later time. e. Reply that you can't be bothered giving speeches

to the PTA.

17. A close friend tells you that you should go on a diet. This offends you.

a. Tell your friend that she is tactless. b. Feel hurt but say nothing since your friend

means well. c. Comment on something your friend could also

improve on. d. Tell your friend you feel hurt by the remark. e. Listen and say nothing.

18. Your mate has a headache and uses the situation to be very critical of you.

a. Tell your mate he is cranky. b. Say nothing and do something special since he does

not feel well. c. Say nothing and try to avoid annoying your mate. d. Things will look better when his headache goes

away. e. Remind your mate that it is particularly irnporta~t

to avoid unfair criticism when he is not feeling well.

19. Immediately after leaving a store you notice that you have been shortchanged by 20 cents.

a. Complain to the store manager. b. Continue on your way. c. Return to the store and tell the cashier his mis­

take was careless. d. Return to the store, point out the mistake to the

cashier, and ask for the correct change. e. Decide not to create a scene over such a small

amount.

20. You are sitting in a no smoking section of a public lounge. A man sitting directly in front of you smokes cigar after cigar. The heavy smoke distracts you and the smell makes you nauseous.

a. Find another seat.

19 b. Complain to the lounge manager. c. Politely ask the man to move to the smoking section

of the lounge. d. Patiently put up with the smoke as best you can

since you have no right to control his behavior. e. Tell him that smoking in a nonsmoking section is

inconsiderate.

21. A close and respected relative makes demands on you which interfere with your other activities.

a. Complain to your parents or others about his increasing demands.

b. Continue to comply so as not to raise a fuss. c. Say nothing but avoid seeing the relative as often. d. Indicate that you want to help but tactfully

explain your other responsibilities and lack of time to meet his demands.

e. Tell him he is making unreasonable demands.

22. A close friend continually interrupts and appears not to be listening to what you are saying. Yeu feel angry_

a. Point out that he has been doing this a lot lately and tell him you are angry about it.

b. Complain about the interruptions, but do not admit your anger.

c. Do not remark about this because you don't w~~t to hurt his feelings.

d. Tell him he would learn more if he listened more. e. Jokingly comment that it must be difficult for

him to carry the full burden of the conversation.

23. A co-worker sitting next to you in the office indulges in loud gum chewing all day long every day. This is getting on your nerves.

a. Ignore her since gum chewing is a good release for tension.

h. Tell her to stop chewing gum. c. Ask her politely to please chew more quietly. d. Tease her about her constant chewing. e. Move to the next office.

24. You are engaged in a project with a friend and must prepare a joint term paper. When you discuss the paper your friend suggests that you do most of the work because he is not good at that sort of thing.

a. Insist that he do his fair share. b. Jokingly suggest he is shirking his responsibility. c. Agree to do most of the work because you really

20

enjoy the work as well as helping your friend. d. Agree to do most o£ the work yourself. e. Tell your friend that it is irresponsible not to do

his share of the work

25. Your neighbor, who is chairperson of a charity bake sale asks you to please contribute a homemade cake. You really are quite busy_

a. Tell him you will think about it. b. Bake the cake since it is for a worthy cause. c. Rearrange your activities so you will have time to

bake the cake. d. Explain that you are quite busy and tactfully

refuse his request. e. Tell him he should know better than to ask you.

26. You are in a hurry and have been waiting in the grocery checkout line for 5 minutes. A slight acquaintance asks if she can cut ahead of you.

a. Refuse the person's request and point out that you are in a hurry.

b. Reluctantly allow her to cut in. c. In order to save her from embarrassment allow her

to cut in ahead of you. d. Make a comment about people who cut i~ line. e. Insist that she move to the back like everyone

else.

27. You are the chairperson of a corr~ittee which is to com­plete a project in a week. All of your co~~ittee members have worked hard except for one who has not done anything asked of him.

a. Divide up this person t s '-lark among the other committee me~~ers.

b. Confront the person and dismiss this person from the committee.

c. Do most of this person's work yourself. d. Tell him he is not doing his fair share of the

work and request that he do so. e. Complain about his behavior to the other members

of the committee.

28. An out-of-town friend whom you have not seen in some time calls and asks if she and her children may drop by for a week's visit. You are going to be quite busy this week wi th work and family commi tme:ll:S.

a. Explain that you have already made co~~itrnents for that week and ask if she might come by

21

another time. b. Invite her to come and you rearrange your sched­

ule. c. Invite her to corne but comment about how busy

you are. d. Invite her to come in order to not hurt her feel­

ings. e. Express your amazement at her presumptuousness.

29. A casual friend constantly teases you in a joking but unfriendly way. This is beginning to annoy you.

a. Express your annoyance at this behavior. b. Feel hurt and/or annoyed but do not express l-

ings. c. Pretend to enjoy the humor so as not to offend

your friend. d. Respond in kind--that is, return the teasing com-

ments. e. Tell your friend that he is insensitive.

30. You are playing miniature golf with a friend. You are being held up before each hole by the party of four people in front of you.

31.

a.

b. c. d.

e.

Ask them if they would mind if you went in front of them. Tell them to hurr~ up. Patiently wait for them to complete each hole. Gripe loudly to your friend about them taking so long at each hole. Pretend that it doesn't matter.

You are asked by a friend to help out in a crisis situation. You feel you have already done your share.

a. Tell friend what you have done and indicate that you feel you have contributed enough.

h. Help out more since everyone should contribute as much as possible in a crisis.

c. Reluctantly offer to be of more help. d. Agree to help out further, but participate mini­

mally. e. Tell you friend that you have already cont=ibuted

enough.

32. Your friend, whom you care very much, has just visited you and tells you he does not want to see you any longer.

a. Tell him he is wrong for treating you this way. b. Make him feel guilty about not seeing you.

22

c. Tell him that you feel very hurt. d. Say nothing at all.' e. Tell him it was great while it lasted.

33. You have made reservations at a restaurant for your­self and two friends. While dressing, another friend of yours unexpectedly arrives, asks if he can come along and you don't want to include him.

a. Invite him anyway to eat with you and your friend. b. Tell him that he should have called first. c. Allow him to come but don't pay much attention to

him for the rest of the evening. d. Invite him because you don't want to hurt his

feelings. e. Tell him that you have been planning to be with

your other friends tonight. Ask if you could make plans for another time.

34. Your mate has been complaining a great deal about your housekeeping. You are becoming quite amazed with this since you feel you have done more than your share.

a. Comment about your mate's sloppiness. b. Reluctantly agree to do more. c. Express your annoyance and explain that you have

already done your share. d. Criticize your mate for not recognizing you have

already done your part. e. Try to do a better job at housekeeping in order

not to make a scene.

35. While talking to a friend of yours you remember that he borrowed money from you two weeks ago and has not yet returned it as he said he would.

a. Say nothing about it. b. Don I t mention the loan since you knOvl he would

pay it back if he could. c. Mention to him that you're a little short of money

these days. d. Remind him that he borrowed the money from you

and ask that he pay it back. e. Tell your friend he is not being very responsible

about his debts.

36. You go to a party with your date who then ignores you the rest of the evening until it is time to go home. You are on the way home and feel hurt because of this.

a. Indicate that you feel hurt and ask your date why he ignored you.

23

h. Pretend nothing happened and continue normal con­versation.

c. Say nothing to your date for the rest of the even­ing.

d. Tell him he is insensitive. e. Cover up your hurt feelings and be a good sport.

37. You are taking a timed quiz in one of your classes. The instructor interrupts you several times to give you next week's homework, correct items, etc. These interruptions are making your concentration next to impossible ..

a. Go up to the instructor and ask him to please make his comments after the quiz is finished.

b. Clear your throat and stare angrily at him. c. Smile at the instructor realizing that the inter­

ruptions are necessary. d. Say nothing to your instructor. e. Loudly and public proclaim your dissatisfaction

with these interruptions.

38. You are living with a new roommate. This roorr~ate has been throwing her clothes allover the room during the past week.

a. Confront her with her being sloppy. b. Put up with the mess as best you can. c. Tell her you would appreciate it if she would try

to keep her clothes hung up. d. Hint around about how you don't care for messy

rooms. e. Pick up the clothes because you want to help her.

39. Your friend used to see you very often but has net been seeing you as often lately for no apparent reason. You feel emotionally involved with this person and would like to know where you stand.

a. Tell him you are feeling uneasy and would like know his feelings toward you.

b. Tell him that he should see you more often. c. Wait for him to mention '-!-1. '- •

d. Tell him that this is no way to treat a close friend.

to

e. Tell him you wonder what you have done to offend him.

40. You are stopped at a stop sign and the driver ot another car takes a wide turn and runs into the side of your automobile. Neither are hurt, but you feel quite angry.

24

a. Get out of your car and express your irritation to the careless driver.

b. Get out of the car and berate his careless driving. c. Make a joking remark to the driver about the

quality of his driving. d. Sit in your own car and wait for him to approach

you. e. Suppress your anger and ask if he is hurt.

41. You have been waiting at the counter section of a restaurant and notice that several people who came in after you have already been waited on.

a. Demand that you be waited on immediately. b. Scowl at the waitress and hope she gets the hint. c. Do nothing. d. Try to be patient in order not to cause a fuss

for the waitress. e. Point out that you have been waiting longer than

the waited on and would appreciate- it if your order could be taken soon.

42. An instructor of yours reads an article in class and interprets it in a manner different from the way in which you interpret it.

a. Go along with the instructor's interpretation. b. Raise your hand and provide your own interpreta­

tion. c. Do not respond. d. Whisper to the student next to you about the

instructor's error. e. Tell the instructor he has missed the point of

the article.

43. A month ago a friend borrowed a small sum of money from you and he has not paid you back.

a. Tell your friend how broke you are. b. Remind him of the unpaid debt and ask for payment. c. Say nothing in order not to embarrass your friend. d. Tell your friend it is irresponsible not to pay

his debts. e. Say nothing and hope your friend eventually

remembers the debt.

44. A person wi th whom you do not Twish to associa te asks you to go to a movie with him.

a. Tell the person that you would rather not go anywhere with him.

b. Tell the person you are busy with other things.

25

c. Accept the invitation in order not to embarrass the person.

d. Go to the movie with the person. e. Tell the person you would rather not go to the

movie with him.

45. On a picnic your steady boy friend pays more attention to another woman than he does to you. This has never happened before and angers you.

a. Tell him you are angry at him for ignoring you. b. Avoid the subject. c. Say nothing at all to your steady for the rest of

the day. d. Cover up your anger and show him that you dorl't

mind. e. Criticize him for being so inconsiderate.

46. You are trying to have a quiet evening at homei how­ever, the people who live in the apartment by yours have their stereo turned up quite loudly.

a. Call them on the phone and ask that they turn the music down.

b. Try to ignore the loud music since they have a right to enjoy themselves.

c. Knock on their door and tell them that they are inconsiderate.

d. Turn up your TV or stereo. e. Put cotton in your ears.

47. Your class is discussing the answers to a multiple choice exam with your laboratory instructor. He says alternative b is correct for an item, but you feel very strongly that alternative c is correct. No other student in your class objects to the instructor's answer.

a. Change your opinion since the instructor is the expert.

b. Make your objection to the student sitting next to you.

c. Keep your opinion to yourself. d. Indicate to the class the reasons why you feel

alternative c is correct. e. Directly ques ion the judgment of the instructor

on this matter.

48. You attend a lecture that was extremely interesting to you, even though the lecturer spoke in a monotone. You find yourself seated beside the lecturer the next day at a meeting.

26

a. Say, "Good ~orning, Dr. Jones. I really enjoyed your lecture."

b. Say nothing. c. Tell him it was an interesting topic but that

something was lost by his manner of presenting it.

d. Say, "Dr. Jones, I found the points you made in your work extremely interesting."

e. Joke about lecturers putting people to sleep with their methods of delivery.

49. You are seated near the back of a room during a lecture presentation. You are having a great deal of difficulty hearing the person's presentation.

a. Raise your hand and ask the person to speak louder. b. Shout "Speak up! " c. Ignore the presentation and occupy yourself with

something else. d. Hove closer to the speaker in order to hear

better. e. Stay seated and say nothing in order not to

attract attention.

50. You have just finished eating dinner in a restaurant where the food was satisfactory but the service was extremely slow.

51.

a. b.

c.

d.

e.

Leave a small tip and gripe to your co-diners. Leave a normal-sized tip and hope for another waiter the next time you eat there. Mention the poor service to the waiter and leave a normal tip. Tell the waiter you didn't mind the slow service because you could see how busy he was. Tell the waiter he is too slow.

You cannot leave work at the end of the day until your co-worker arrives. This person is consistently late.

a. Tell this person he is inconsiderate. b. Say nothing since you want to maintain good rela­

tions with this person. c. Even though you are tired of working overtime,

say nothing. d. Point out your overtime each day and ask this

person to be on time. e. Comment to t.~is person that he will "probably be

late for his own funeral".

52. A friend of yours shows you a painting that she has done and ~sks for your reaction. You think the

27 painting is generally of poor quality.

a. Mention the merits and tactfully indicate some of its weaknesses.

b. To avoid offending her tell her you like it. c. Say how difficult it is to do good paintings on

that subject. d. Say, "That's a nice painting", and change the sub­

ject. e. Tell her that she needs more training as a painter.

APPENDIX B

Data on the l6PF

Institute for Personality and Ability Testing (IPAT)

published the l6PF for the first time in 1949. IPAT's

1967-1968 edition of l6PF Form A was used, as was IPAT's

Tabular Supplement No.1, Norms for the l6PF, Forms A and

B. Hand Scoring was facilitated by IPAT keys. Table 7 of

the Tabular Supplement (Norms for College Student Females;

Form A) was used for all subjects through age 29, while

Table 13 (Norms for General Population, Female; Form A) was

used for all subjects 30 years and over.

Reliability and Validity coefficients for the l6PF

were obtained from IPAT's Manual for the l6PF. Test-retest

reliability was given in Table 2.1 for Form A. The N con­

sisted of 146 American subjects, including 79 employment

counselors and 67 undergraduate students retested in two

to seven day intervals. The reliability coefficients for

the source traits were: A) .81, B) 58, C) .78, E) .80,

F) 79, H) • 83, I) . 77, L) • 75, M) • 701 N) • 61, 0) • 79, Q 1) 73,

Q2) .73, Q3) .62 and Q4) .81. Direct Construct Validity was

given for Form A, N 958 in Table 2.4 as follows: A) .79,

B) .35, C) .70, E) .63, F) .83, G) .67 H) .92, I) .70,

L) • 49, M) • 44, N) . 41, 0) • 71, Q 1) . 62, Q 2 ) • 70, Q 3) . 68 and

Q4) .57.

APPENDIX C

Patterns of Social Adaptation PIPAS Project

University of Utah College of Nursing

Informed Consent

I --------------------------~-----

voluntarily agree to

participate in a study which involves the measurement and

comparison of several aspects of personality. I understand

that I will be asked to complete a brief personal question-

naire as well as a battery of psychological tests which

will take approximately two hours. My participation in

the study has been explained and I understand what is

involved. Any questions concerning the procedures will be

answered to my satisfaction. I understand that anonymity

will be maintained and the personal information will be

handled in a confidential manner. I also understand that

I am free to withdraw from the study at any time for any

reason. The results of the study will be shared with me if

I so request.

Date Signature

Census Data

Name ------------------------------------------Age Sex Marital Status -------- ----------

30

Do you consider yourself a religious person? Yes No

Do you believe your religious beliefs strongly influence

your social attitudes? Yes No

Area of Nursing Interest at Present Time: Year in Nursing:

Psychosocial Nursing Sophomore ---Obstetric Nursing Junior ---Pediatric Nursing Senior ---Medical Nursing Returning

Reg. Nurse Surgical Nursing --- ---

Public Health Nursing ---

REFERENCES

Alberti, R. E. & Emmons, M. L. Your perfect right. San Luis Obispo, California: Impact, 1974.

Berni, R. & Fordyce, W. E. Behavior modification and the nursing process. St. Louis: Mosby, 1973.

Bloom, L. Z., Coburn, K., & Pearlman, J. The new asser­tive woman. New York: Delacorate Press, 1975.

Cattell, R. B., Eber, H. W., & Tatsuoka, M. M. Handbook for the sixteen factor questionnaire (1970 Edition). Illinois: Champaign, 1974.

Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1960, ~, 349-354.

Fensterheim, H., & Baer, J. Don't say yes when you want to say no. New York: Dell, 1975.

Galassi, J. P., DeLo, J., Galassi, M. D., & Bastien, S. The college self expression scale: A measure of assertiveness. Behavior Therapy, 1974, ~, 165-171.

Gay, M. L., Hollandworth, J. G., & Galassi, J. P. An assertiveness inventory for adults. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1975, ~, 340-344.

Hersen, M., Eisler, R. M., & Miller, P. M. Development of assertive responses: Clinical measurement and research considerations. Behavior Research and Therapy, 1973, 11, 505-521.

Kerlinger, F. N. Foundations of behavioral research. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1973.

King, I. M. Toward a therapy for nursing: concepts of human behavior. New York: Sons, 1971.

General John Wiley &

Larson, M. From psychiatric to psychosocial nursing. Nursing Outlook, 1973, 21, 520-523.

Lawrence, P. S. The assessment and modification of assertive behavior. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, 1970.

Loomis, M. E. & Horsley, J. Interpersonal change: A behavior approach to nursing practice. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974.

32

McFall, R. M., & Lillesand, D. B. Behavior rehearsal with modeling and coaching in assertion training. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1971, 22, 313-323.

McNemar, Q. Psychological statistics. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1962.

Nie, N., Hull, C. H., Jenkins, J. G., Steinbrener, K., & Bert, D. H. Statistical package for the social sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975.

Phelps, S., & Austin, N. The assertive woman. Fredericksburg, Virginia: Impact, 1975.

Rathus, S. A. behavior.

A 30-item schedule for assessing assertive Behavior Therapy, 1973, !, 398-406.

Rirnm, D. C. & Masters, J. C. Behavior therapy techniques and empirical findings. New York: Academic Press, 1971.

Salter, A. Conditioned reflex therapy. New York: Capricorn, 1949.

Smith, M. J. When I say no, I feel guilty. New York: Bantam Book, 1975.

Ullman, L. P., & Krasner, L. modification. New York: 1965.

Case studies in behavior Holt, Rinehart & Winston,

Wolpe, J. The practice of behavior therapy. New York: Pergamon Press, 1969.

Name

Birthdate

Birthplace

High School

College 1969-1971

Degree 1971

University 1973-74

Degree 1974

Honor Society

Professional License 1971

Professional Organizations

Professional Positions

VITA

Joyce Clara Christensen

November 29, 1949

St. Paul, Minnesota

Frank B. Kellogg St. Paul, Minnesota

Anoka-Ramsey State Junior College Coon Rapids, Minnesota

A. D., Anoka-Ramsey State Junior College Coon Rapids, Minnesota

University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah

Bachelor of Science University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah

Phi Kappa Phi

R. N., Minnesota

R. N., Utah

American Nurses' Association

Utah Nurses' Association

Crisis Nurse (1975-1976) Salt Lake Community Mental Health Center, and University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

Staff Nurse (1972-1975) Child Psychiatric Inpatient Unit Primary Children's Hospital Salt Lake City, Utah

Staff Nurse (1971-1972) Obstetrics Unit

34

University of Utah Medical Center Salt Lake City, Utah

Staff Nurse (197l) Gynecology Unit University of Minnesota Medical Center Minneapolis, Minnesota