Assertiveness Scale for Adolescents (ASA)

Your best friend sells your extra ticket but doesn't give you your share of the money. Would you: A. Accept it because they earned it by selling it. B. Say calmly, 'Give me my money.' C. Say 'You crook, give me the money or it's the end of our friendship.'

A woman pushes her shopping cart ahead of you in a busy line and asks to go first. Would you: A. Calmly say 'Okay' and let her go first. B. Push her cart back, call her out, and refuse. C. Say 'I see you're in a hurry, but I am too. Please wait your turn.'

A friend who spread lies about you greets you in the cafeteria as if nothing happened. Would you: A. Talk with them and pretend you don't know about the lies. B. Call them a liar and say you have a matter to settle. C. Express that you are hurt by the rumors and ask to sort it out.

A friend who asks for too many favors requests another unreasonable favor. Would you: A. Do the favor because friendship is important. B. Make up an excuse that you are too busy. C. Say that they ask for too many favors and say no this time.

The basketball coach promised everyone would play, but there are only 5 minutes left and you haven't played. Would you: A. Get up, swear at the coach, and stomp out. B. Stay on the bench and watch. C. Approach the coach and remind him you haven't played yet.

You feel a test answer was graded unfairly and meet your teacher in the corridor. Would you: A. Ask if you can go over the graded answer together. B. Tell the teacher they have been very unfair to you. C. Say 'Hi' and keep walking without bringing it up.

A classmate asks to borrow your test paper to study for a makeup test. Would you: A. Refuse and tell them you are no longer friends. B. Refuse and explain why you think it would be wrong. C. Give them the paper to keep them as a friend.

Your favorite teacher asks you to volunteer, but you are behind in other subjects and afraid of failing. Would you: A. Say you'll think about it and then avoid the teacher. B. Agree to do it anyway to avoid hurting their feelings. C. Say 'No' and explain you need the time to catch up.

At a friend's house, you are served a vegetable you hate that makes you sick, and their mother says you must eat everything. Would you: A. Force yourself to eat it to avoid embarrassment. B. Explain that the vegetable makes you sick and it's not wise to eat it. C. Say nothing, leave the table, and go home.

You are next in line at a movie theater popcorn booth when a man pushes in and orders first. Would you: A. Say 'Sorry, I was next' and order. B. Confront the man and the cashier angrily. C. Wait silently but decide never to return to that theater.

You return a defective game to a store, but the cashier says 'That's too bad' and does nothing. Would you: A. Say nothing, leave, and never return. B. Get angry, throw the game on the floor, and walk out. C. Insist that the game be replaced or refunded.

Your teacher falsely accuses you of cheating in front of the class. Would you: A. Say nothing and pretend you weren't spoken to. B. Say 'I didn't cheat, and I resent the suggestion.' C. Say nothing but plan to get back at the teacher later.

A passenger next to you in the no-smoking section of a bus is smoking and making you sick. Would you: A. Do nothing and hope the driver notices. B. Stare at him angrily hoping he gets the message. C. Ask him to stop smoking because it is a no-smoking section and makes you sick.

You want to play with friends, but your mother tells you to babysit your sister for the afternoon. Would you: A. Say 'I would like to go out and play with my friends.' B. Say 'Yes, mother' despite not wanting to. C. Ignore her request and walk out of the house.

The teacher falsely accuses you of cheating after you passed a Kleenex to a classmate. Would you: A. Say 'I'm sorry' and continue working. B. Explain that you were only passing a Kleenex. C. Look at your friend hoping they will speak up for you.

A friend who owes you money refuses to lend you a dollar for lunch. Would you: A. Say nothing but decide the friendship is over. B. Sarcastically tell them they can forget about borrowing from you again. C. Say 'I've lent you money for days and it bugs me that you won't return the favor.'

A customer in front of you is chatting with the cashier while you are in a hurry. Would you: A. Say nothing and leave the store without your items. B. Angrily tell them to shut up and stop making you wait. C. Say 'Excuse me, I have waited quite some time and would like to be served now.'

A friend asks to borrow your notebook to catch up, but you still need to work on it before it's due. Would you: A. Lend it anyway for the sake of friendship. B. Say 'No, I still have work to do on it.' C. Say 'Let me think about it' and then avoid them.

You leave your bus seat briefly to pick up a dropped package and someone else takes it. Would you: A. Say nothing and stand in the aisle. B. Say 'Excuse me, that's my seat.' C. Stare angrily hoping they will give it up.

A classmate takes sole credit for a joint project where you did most of the work. Would you: A. Say 'That's not true. I did the drawings.' B. Say nothing to avoid embarrassing them. C. Call them a liar and refuse to work with them again.

Your teacher promised your grade would go up to an A, but your report card still shows a B. Would you: A. Ask the teacher why you were given a B. B. Accept it, assuming you did something to change their mind. C. Say nothing but tell friends the teacher lied.

Your neighbor pays you less than the agreed hourly rate for babysitting. Would you: A. Say nothing, take the money, and never babysit for them again. B. Say 'You promised the agreed rate. It is only fair that you give it to me.' C. Accept the lower pay and go home unhappy.

A neighbor blames you for a window broken by your friend. Would you: A. Explain that it was an accident but you didn't do it. B. Say nothing but intentionally break another window later. C. Accept the blame so your friend doesn't get in trouble.

Your mother supports her friend's request for you to run an errand that will make you late for a swimming lesson. Would you: A. Refuse and tell the friend to do it herself. B. Say nothing and run the errand anyway. C. Explain that you have a swimming lesson and will be late if you run the errand.

A waitress serves you a hamburger with onions despite you ordering it without. Would you: A. Say nothing and scrape the onions off. B. Call her over, state your order, and ask for a replacement. C. Get angry and call her dumb.