Abstract
Speed, Goldstein, and Goldfried revisit assertiveness training — once a major area of study, now neglected — and marshal evidence that assertiveness relates to many clinical problems and that training is a valuable transdiagnostic intervention, mapping the variables behind unassertiveness onto current research priorities.
Speed, B. C., Goldstein, B. L., & Goldfried, M. R. (2018). Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 25(1), e12216. DOI
Key findings
- Transdiagnostic value — Assertiveness is implicated across diverse clinical problems and contexts.
- Evidence base — Early and ongoing research supports assertiveness training as a standalone treatment.
- Neglected, not disproven — Decline in study reflects fashion, not a lack of demonstrated importance.
When to open this
Open alongside Self-assertiveness when you need the clinical evidence that honest, direct expression can be trained.