Assertiveness Factors and Depression in a Sample of College Women

This investigation examined the relationships between measures of depression and factors of assertiveness in college women and tested the moderating effects of anxiety and locus of control on these relationships. A factor analysis of the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule was done, and the factor scores were correlated with three depression scales. After controlling for possible moderator effects, only one factor, Inhibited Verbal Expression, was significantly related to depression scores. The relevance of these findings for social skills in depression and for assertiveness training in depression is discussed as is the desirability of replications with larger samples including men. </jats:p