THE RATHUS ASSERTIVENESS SCHEDULE

How assertive are you? Do you stick up for your rights, or do you allow other people to walk all
over you? Do you say what you feel or what you think other people want you to say? Do you
initiate relationships with attractive people, or do you shy away from them?
One way to gain insight into how assertive you are is to take the following self-report test of
assertive behavior. Once you have finished, click the Scoring Key button to find out how to
calculate and interpret your score.

Directions: Indicate how well each item describes you by using this code:

+3 very much like me +2 rather like me +1 slightly like me

_____1. Most people seem to be more aggressive and assertive than I am.*

_____2. I have hesitated to make or accept dates because of “shyness.”*

_____3. When the food served at a restaurant is not done to my satisfaction, I complain about it to the
waiter or waitress.

_____4. I am careful to avoid hurting other people’s feelings, even when I feel that I have been injured.*

_____5. If a salesperson has gone to considerable trouble to show me merchandise that is not quite
suitable, I have a difficult time saying “No.”*

_____6. When I am asked to do something, I insist upon knowing why.

_____7. There are times when I look for a good, vigorous argument.

_____8. I strive to get ahead as well as most people in my position.

_____9. To be honest, people often take advantage of me.*

_____10. I enjoy starting conversations with new acquaintances and strangers.

_____11. I often don’t know what to say to people I find attractive.*

_____12. I will hesitate to make phone calls to business establishments and institutions.*

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 _____13. I would rather apply for a job or for admission to a college by writing letters than by going
through with personal interviews.*

_____14. I find it embarrassing to return merchandise.*

_____15. If a close and respected relative were annoying me, I would smother my feelings rather
than ex- press my annoyance.*

_____16. I have avoided asking questions for fear of sounding stupid.*

_____17. During an argument, I am sometimes afraid that I will get so upset that I will shake all
over.*

_____18. If a famed and respected lecturer makes a comment which I think is incorrect, I will have
the audience hear my point of view as well.

_____19. I avoid arguing over prices with clerks and sales- people.*

_____20. When I have done something important or worthwhile, I manage to let others know
about it.

_____21. I am open and frank about my feelings.

_____22. If someone has been spreading false and bad stories about me, I see him or her as soon
as possible and “have a talk” about it.

_____23. I often have a hard time saying “No.”*

_____24. I tend to bottle up my emotions rather than make a scene.*

_____25. I complain about poor service in a restaurant and elsewhere.

_____26. When I am given a compliment, I sometimes just don’t know what to say.*

_____27. If a couple near me in a theatre or at a lecture were conversing rather loudly, I would ask
them to be quiet or to take their conversation elsewhere.

_____28. Anyone attempting to push ahead of me in a line is in for a good battle.

_____29. I am quick to express an opinion.

_____30. There are times when I just can’t say anything.*

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 SCORING KEY FOR THE “RATHUS ASSERTIVENESS SCHEDULE”
Tabulate your score as follows: For those items followed by an asterisk (*), change the signs
(plus to minus: minus to plus). For example, if the response to an asterisked item was 2, place a
minus sign (2) before the two. If the response to an asterisked item was 23, change the minus
sign to a plus sign (1) by adding a vertical stroke. Then add up the scores of the 36 items.

Scores on the assertiveness schedule can vary from +90 to -90. Table B.3 will show you how your
score compares with those of 764 college women and 637 men from 35 campuses across the
United States. For example, if you are a woman and your score was 26, it exceeded that of 80% of
the women in the sample. A score of 15 for a male exceeds that of 55–60% of the men in the
sample.
TABLEB.3 PERCENTILES FOR SCORES ON THE RAS
Women’s Scores Percentile Men’s Scores

55 99 65
48 97 54
45 95 48
37 90 40
31 85 33
26 80 30
23 75 26
19 70 24
17 65 19
14 60 17
11 55 15
8 50 11
6 45 8
2 40 6
-1 35 3
-4 30 1
-8 25 -3
-13 20 -7
-17 15 -11
-24 10 -15
-34 5 -24
-39 3 -30
-48 1 -41

SOURCE: Nevid, J. S., & Rathus, S. A. (1978). Multivariate and normative data pertaining to the RAS with the college population.
Behavior Therapy, 9, 675.

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