A measure of cognition within the context of assertion.

Described the development and evaluation of a measure of cognitive belief systems and thinking styles within the context of assertion. The Cognition Scale of Assertiveness comprises eight items and is scored on a 7-point (disagree-agree) scale. In a series of studies, normative, reliability, and validity data were obtained for junior college, university, and nonstudent samples (N = 482). Reliability and validity results were poor for junior college students, but impressive data obtained for university and nonstudent populations. Further, cognition scores for these latter two groups discriminated high vs. low social anxiety, a factor often linked to assertion. Finally, the instrument was sensitive to change via assertion training. Overall, the present findings recommend the use of the Cognition Scale of Assertiveness as a reliable and valid measure of cognitive assertion for university students and for nonstudent samples.