Assertiveness and Aggression in Marketplace Exchanges Testing Measure Equivalence

Abstract

Assertive and aggressive behaviors may occur in marketplace exchanges, and measures of these behaviors have been developed in the United States. The appropriateness of these measures for use in other developed Western cultures was studied by examining functional/ conceptual and scalar equivalence of the measures in the Netherlands. An acceptable level of equivalence was found for the aggression construct and measure; however, some inequivalence for assertiveness was demonstrated. Assertive behaviors that involve seeking redress for marketplace problems were seen as more aggressive in the Netherlands than in the United States, and data suggested that assertive behaviors may be more location-specific in the Netherlands.