Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:09:15.904Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Children Assertive Behavior Scale

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2013

Juani Mesa
Affiliation:
Universidad de La Laguna (Spain)
Dolores García*
Affiliation:
Universidad de La Laguna (Spain)
Moisés Betancort
Affiliation:
Universidad de La Laguna (Spain)
Manuel Segura
Affiliation:
Universidad de La Laguna (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dolores García. Universidad de La Laguna. Department of Educational Psychology. Campus de Guajara, s/n, 38071. La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Cuestionario para Evaluar la Asertividad (CEA-ESO). This questionnaire is the Spanish version of the Children’s Assertive Behavior Scale (CABS) on which students self-rate their inhibited, assertive, and aggressive relational styles. The questionnaire was administered to 640 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) aged between 11 and 16 years old, from various schools of the province of Barcelona, Spain. The homogeneity analysis carried out suggests a bidimensional structure in contrast to the tridimensional structure proposed for the original version of the CABS, that is, the CEA-ESO is effective for the discrimination of students’ assertive and aggressive behaviors, but inhibition is weakly represented. The reliability analyses of the questionnaire reveal a scale originally targeting students over 15 years of age, but with adequate internal consistency also for age groups between 12 and 14 years. The advantages of using a single instrument for the entire period of CSE are commented on. The Spanish adaptation of the CABS is considered an adequate instrument to assess assertiveness at school, but further research is required to confirm its capacity to discriminate students’ three interpersonal relational styles.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

The authors wish to thank the Departament d’Ensenyament de la Generalitat de Catalunya [Teaching Dept. of the Generalitat of Catalonia] and the Fundación de Escuelas Cristianas de Catalunya [Christian Schools Foundation of Catalonia] for their invaluable aid in the development of this investigation, as well as the school management teams, tutors, families, and students who participated in this investigation.

References

Caballo, V. (2006). Manual para la evaluación clínica de los trastornos psicológicos. Trastornos de la edad adulta e informes psicológicos [Manual for the clinical assessment of psychological disorders. Disorders of adulthood and psychological reports] . Madrid, Spain: Pirámide.Google Scholar
De la Peña, V., Hernández, E., & Rodríguez, F. (2003). Comportamiento asertivo y adaptación social: Adaptación de una escala de comportamiento asertivo (CABS) para escolares de enseñanza primaria (6–12 años) [Assertive behavior and social adjustment: Adaptation of a scale of assertive behavior (CABS) for students of primary education (6–12 years)]. Revista Electrónica de Metodología Aplicada, 8, 1125.Google Scholar
De Los Reyes, A., & Kazdin, A. (2005). Discrepancies in the assessment of childhood psychopathology: A critical review, theoretical framework, and recommendations for further study. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 483509. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037%2F0033-2909.131.4.483 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dirks, M., Treat, T., & Weersing, R. (2010). The judge specificity of evaluations of youth social behavior: The case of peer provocation. Social Development, 19, 736757. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2009.00559.x Google Scholar
Eurydice (2002). Key Competencies: A developing concept in general compulsory education. Series: Survey (Vol. 5). Brussels, Belgium: European Unit of Eurydice.Google Scholar
Galen, B., & Underwood, M. (1997). A developmental investigation of social aggression among children. Developmental Psychology, 33, 589600. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0012-1649.33.4.589 Google Scholar
Gardner, H. (1991). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York, NY: Basic Books Google Scholar
Garaigodobil, M. (2004). Intervención psicológica en la conducta agresiva y antisocial con niños [Psychological intervention in aggressive and antisocial behavior in children]. Psicothema, 16, 429435.Google Scholar
Gifi, A. (1981). Nonlinear multivariate analysis. Leiden, The Netherlands: DSWO-press,Google Scholar
Gifi, A. (1990). Nonlinear multivariate analysis. West Sussex, UK: Wiley & Son.Google Scholar
Goldstein, A., Sprafkin, R., Gershaw, N., & Klein, P. (1980). Skill-streaming the adolescent: A structured learning approach to teaching prosocial skills. Champaign, IL: Research Press.Google Scholar
Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. New York, NY: Bantum Books.Google Scholar
Groot, M., & Prins, P. (1989). Children´s social behavior: Reliability and concurrent validity of two self-report measures. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 11, 195207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00960492 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hobbs, S., & Walle, D. (1985). Validation of the Children’s Assertive Behavior Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 7, 145153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00961080 Google Scholar
Hundert, J. (1995). Enhancing social competence in young students. Austin, TX: Pro-ed.Google Scholar
Hudley, C. (1993). Comparing teacher and peer perceptions of aggression: An ecological approach. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 377384. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-0663.85.2.377 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inglés, C. (2009). Programa PEHIA. Enseñanza de habilidades interpersonales para adolescentes [PEHIA Program. Teaching interpersonal skill for adolescents] (3 rd Ed.). Madrid, Spain: Pirámide.Google Scholar
Kenrick, D., & Stringfield, D. (1980). The role of poor peer relationship in the development of disorder. In Asher, S. R. & Coie, J. D. (Eds.). Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 274305). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Kohlberg, L., Power, F. C., & Higgins, A. (1989). Lawrence Kohlberg’s approach to moral education. New York, NY: Columbia University Press Google Scholar
LOE (2006). LEY ORGÁNICA 2/2006, de 3 de mayo, de Educación [ORGANIC LAW 2/2006, of May 3, of Education]. Boletín Oficial del Estado , 106, 1715817207. Madrid, Spain.Google Scholar
López, M., Garrido, V., Rodríguez, F., & Paíno, S. G. (2002). Jóvenes y competencia social: Un programa de intervención [Youth and social competence: An intervention program]. Psicothema, 14, 155163.Google Scholar
Mesa, J. (2010). Resultados del programa de competencia social “Ser persona y relacionarse” con alumnado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria [Results of the program of social competence “Being a person and relating” with students from Compulsory Secondary Education] . Tenerife, Spain: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de La Laguna.Google Scholar
Michelson, L., & Wood, R. (1982). Development and psychometric properties of the Children’s Assertive Behavior Scale. Journal of Behavioral Assessment, 4, 313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01321378 Google Scholar
Michelson, L., Sugai, D., Wood, R., & Kazdin, A. (1983). Social skills assessment and training in children: An empirically based handbook. New York, NY: Plenum Press Google Scholar
Monjas, M., García, B., Elices, J., Francia, M., & de Benito, M. (2004). Ni sumisas ni dominantes. Los estilos de relación interpersonal en la infancia y adolescencia [Neither submissive nor dominant. Interpersonal relational styles in childhood and adolescence] . Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales.Google Scholar
Ortega, R., & Del Rey, R. (2003). La violencia escolar. Estrategias de prevención [School violence. Prevention strategies] . Barcelona, Spain: Graó.Google Scholar
Richen, D., & Tiana, A. (2004). Developing key competencies in education: Some lessons from international and national experience. París, Francia: UNESCO: International Bureau of Education (IBE).Google Scholar
Ross, R., & Fabiano, E. (1985) Time to think. A cognitive model of delinquency prevention and offender rehabilitation. Jonson City, TN: Institute of Social Sciences and Arts.Google Scholar
Segura, M. (2002) Ser persona y relacionarse. Materiales 12–16 para Educación Secundaria [Being a person and relating. Materials 12–16 for Secondary Education] . Madrid, Spain: Narcea.Google Scholar
Segura, M., Mesa, J., & Arcas, M. (1997). Programa de competencia social Decide tú (A, B, C) y habilidades cognitivas. Educación Primaria [Program of social competence you decide (A, B, C) and cognitive skills. Primary Education] . Islas Canarias, Spain: Consejería de Educación, Cultura y Deportes del Gobierno de Canarias. Materiales Curriculares Innova.Google Scholar
Segura, M., & Mesa, J. (2011). Enseñar a los hijos a convivir. Guía práctica para dinamizar escuelas de padres y abuelos [Teaching children how to get on with others. Practical guide to dynamize parents’ and grandparents’ schools] . Bilbao, Spain: Desclée de Brouwer.Google Scholar
Segura, M., Mesa, J., & Arcas, M. (1998). Programa de Competencia Social. Primer y Segundo Ciclo de Educación Secundaria. [Social Competence Program. 1 st and 2 nd Cycle of Secondary Education] . Gobierno de Canarias, Spain: Materiales Curriculares INNOVA.Google Scholar
Seligman, M. E. P. (1990). Learned optimism. New York, NY: Knopf.Google Scholar
Spivack, G., & Shure, M. B. (1974). Social adjustment of young children: A cognitive approach to solving real life problems. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Trianes, M., Blanca, M., Muñoz, A., García, B., Cardelle-Elawar, M., & Infante, L. (2002). Relaciones entre evaluadores de la competencia social en preadolescentes: Profesores, iguales y autoinformes [Relations between assessors of social competence in preadolescents: Teachers, peers and self-reports]. Anales de Psicología, 18, 197214.Google Scholar
Wood, R., Michelson, L., & Flynn, J. (1978, November). Assessment of assertive behavior in elementary school children. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Chicago, CA. In Michelson, L., Sugai, D., Wood, R., & Kazdin, A. (1983). Social skills assessment and training in children: An empirically based handbook. New York, NY: Plenum Press.Google Scholar