ASSERTIVENESS AS A COMMUNICATION CONSTRUCT

Previous research in assertiveness has often failed to differentiate the behaviors to be subsumed within the construct. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to isolate and define the subconstructs of assertiveness as they emerged from the structure of two assertive inventories—the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and the College Self Expression Scale; (2) to evaluate assertiveness as a communication construct by examining it in the framework of two measures of communicator style—a Communicator Style Measure and a test of Predispositions toward Verbal Behavior. Results revealed that the assertiveness measures related to the expected subconstructs of communicator style. Assertiveness, as evidenced by low anxiety, dominance, contentiousness, and a refusal to be intimidated by others, correlated highly with measures of verbal intensity, talkativeness, and good communicator style.     

Children's Cognitive and Emotional Responses to the Portrayal of Negative Emotions in Family-Formatted Situation Comedies

This experiment assesses children's cognitive and emotional responses to negative emotions in family-formatted situation comedies. Boys and girls from two grade levels (Grades K-2 vs. Grades 3–5) viewed a family sitcom that featured one of two negative emotions (anger, fear) and varied the inclusion of a positive, humorous subplot (no, yes). Results revealed that inclusion of the subplot reduced comprehension of the major story line for younger children as well as for boys. Among all children, the presence of the positive subplot also distorted perceptions of how negative and persistent the main character's emotions were, finally, children who perceived the family sitcom to be highly realistic were more concerned about similar negative emotional events in their own lives than were those whoperceived theprogram to be less realistic. The findings are discussed in terms of children's social learning from television and emotional development.     

Support for Intimacy Skills Groups from Research in Social Psychology

Work done by social psychologists on self-disclosure is relevant for intimacy skills groups. This research is reviewed and a structured group on intimacy training that integrates the research findings is discussed.     

Law Enforcement Officers: The Consequences of Exposure to Violence

Law enforcement officers are exposed to victims of violence, are themselves victims of violence, and, at times, use violence against offenders. The authors discuss methods that officers have developed for handling violent situations and explore some of the effects this exposure to violence has on both their mental and physical health. Suggestions are developed for counselors working with law enforcement personnel and others who need to cope with the direct and indirect effects of violence.