Relationship between Extraversion and Assertiveness and Related Personality Characteristics

Abstract

103 college students were assessed for extraversion level on the Eysenck Personality Inventory and for assertiveness on the Adult Self-expression Scale. A significant correlation of .46 indicated a substantial positive relationship between these characteristics. Subjects were classified as being low, medium, or high on both characteristics, and it was determined that those scoring at either extreme on one variable were about equally distributed between the same extreme and the medium level on the other variable. Nine subjects scoring congruently at each level on both extraversion and assertiveness were also given the California Psychological Inventory to explore general personality trait differences between the two extreme groups. Low extraversion—low assertiveness subjects scored significantly lower than high—high subjects on scales measuring poise, ascendancy, self-assurance, and interpersonal adequacy but significantly higher on scales measuring socialization, maturity, responsibility, and intrapersonal structuring of values.