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Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 (2010) 137–141

WCLTA 2010

Relationships between assertiveness and the power of saying no

with mental health among undergraduate student
Fariba Pourjalia *, Maryam Zarnaghashb
a
M A in Educational Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71946, Iran
b
M A in Educational Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71946, Iran

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to study the relationships between Assertiveness, The power of saying no with mental health
on a group of undergraduate students in Shiraz University. In order to achieve this goal, 120 undergraduate students participants
including (62 women) and (58 men) with using random cluster sampling were chosen. The measurement tools were General
Health Questioner (GHQ), Ratous Assertiveness Questioner (RAS) and Power of saying No Questioner (self designed). The data
were analyzed by Pearsonian coefficient and independent T-Test. The results revealed:

1- There was a significant relationship between assertiveness and mental health.

2- There was a significant Relationship between The power of saying no and mental health.
3- There was no significant difference between the assertiveness of women and men.
4- There was no significant difference between the power of saying no, of women and men.
© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Keywords: assertiveness; the power of saying No; mental health.

1. Introduction

Assertiveness (Assertion) is typically defined in terms of the legitimate and honest expression of one’s personal
rights, feelings, beliefs and interest without violating or denying the rights of others (Delamater, 1986).
It is the ability to express one’s feelings and assert one’s rights while respecting the feelings and rights of others.
Assertive communication is appropriately direct, open and honest, clarifies one’s needs to the other person.
Assertiveness comes naturally to some, but is a skill that can be learned. People who have mastered the skill of
assertiveness are able to greatly reduce the level of interpersonal conflict in their lives, thereby reducing a major
source of stress (Elizabeth Scott, 2006).
In Japan, relationship between self- esteem and assertiveness training among Japanese hospital nurses was
investigated by Takashi Shimizu (2004). They found that the nurses’ SE had improved at six months after the AT. In
another study, they investigated the relationship between Burnout and Communication Skill Training to improve the
mental of human service workers. Their results implied that communication skill training might have a favorable
effect on Burnout among Japanese hospital nurses (Shimizu, 2003).

* Fariba Pourjali. Tel.: +98-711-631-6591

E-mail address: pourjali@yahoo.com

1877-0428 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.126
138 Fariba Pourjali and Maryam Zarnaghash / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 (2010) 137–141

Based on the concept of assertiveness (Lindenfield, 1992) has shown a favorable effect on mental health status
such as stress reaction and depressive state in previous studies (Hayman, 1980; Lee, 2003). It was also thought to
enhance one’s self-esteem, self-confidence, interpersonal relationships, personal fulfillments and internal locus of
control (Williams, 1984). A sense of coherence (SOC) has been proposed as a psychological factor that predicts
good health and positive adjustment (Antonovsky, 2001). Japanese men with a low SOC have a tendency to be
affected by stressful life events (Takayama, 1999).
Self esteem (SE) refers to whether one accepts oneself, respects oneself, and considers oneself a person of worth
(Rothenberg, 1982), and is an important factor in mediating the process between stressors and stress reaction in
the model of job stress and health, suggested by the (NOSH) National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
(Hurrell, 1988). Enhancing one’s self-esteem reduces one’s stress levels.
In addition, there are many people who find it difficult to say No when asked to do something. Somewhere along
the line they have become conditioned to do what others ask, for any number of reasons. Some people will never say
NO and move through life with some sort of clear understanding that they are here to serve and that in some way
they are helping others and raising their spiritual level by doing so (Archives, 2003).
It would appear that there are certain soul groups that have come in with karma to serve and rarely assert
themselves. This usually involves minorities and often women. It is about one group of people saying they have
control over the other and claiming it while the others ‘cave-in’ to their demands which is easier than saying NO, or
what they are supposed to do (Archives, 2003).
For most people, whose souls may have been abused in childhood, this is simply not the case. Childhood leaves
many people scarred from their lifetime placing them in depression or causing any number of mental illnesses as the
soul has lost its ability to create balance. It not only cannot find balance, it does not know what will create this
balance (Archives, 2003).
As always this goes back to self-esteem issues and respect for other person in the interaction. Assertiveness is a
way to ask for what a person needs, state difficult feelings such as anger and disappointment and negotiate well with
others. Someone who is strong knows what their limitations are, will evaluate what is asked of them and whether
they should say YES or NO (Archives, 2003).
In Iran, only a few studies have investigated the relationship between assertiveness (assertion) and the power of
saying No with mental health and psychological well-being, whereas, it has been widely studied in other countries.
With references to above studies, it was hypothesized that assertiveness and the power of saying NO would have a
positive effect on mental health.

2. Materials and Method

The subjects were 120 undergraduate students including (62 women) and (58 men) from Shiraz university. They
were selected by using randomly cluster sampling. They were from 4 classes. The measurement tools for variables
were General Health questioner (GHQ) and Ratous Assertiveness Questioner (RAS) and the Power of saying No
Questioner (self designed).

3. Results

The first and the second hypothesis by Pearsonian correlation and the third and fourth hypothesis by independent
T-Test were analyzed.

3.1. Analysis 1

In the first analysis it was aimed to find the relationship between assertiveness and mental health of the
undergraduate students. A Pearson co-relational procedure was conducted. The results are presented in Table1.
 Fariba Pourjali and Maryam Zarnaghash / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 (2010) 137–141 139

Table 1. correlation of assertiveness & mental health

Variables R p<
Assertiveness & Mental 0.234 0.01
health

As the Table 1 shows, there is a positive significance correlation between assertiveness and mental health at the
0.01 level

3.2. Analysis 2

In order to test the second null hypothesis which states that “there is no relationship between the power of saying
No and mental health of the undergraduate students”, A Pearson co-relational procedure was conducted. The results
were presented in Table 2.

Table 2. correlation of the power of saying NO & mental health

Variables R p<
The power of saying no 0.80 0.01
& Mental health

The results shown in Table 2, revealed that a positive significance correlation between the power of saying NO
and mental health was existed at the 0.01 level.

3.3. Analysis 3

In the third analysis it was aimed to compare the power of Saying NO between women and men. Therefore
independent T-Test procedure was carried out. The results are presented in Table3.

Table 3. Comparison of the power of Saying NO between women & men

Variables N M SD T p<
The power of saying no 62 (women) 2.33 0.33 0.174 no
58 (men) 5.23 2.60

The results shown in Table 3 indicated that a significant difference between women and men are not existed.

3.4. Analysis 4

In the fourth analysis it was aimed to compare the assertiveness between women and men. In this case an
independent T-Test procedure was conducted and the results were presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Comparison of assertiveness between women & men

Variables N M SD T p<
Assertiveness 62 (women) 4.89 2.57 0.72 no
58 (men) 5.23 2.60
140 Fariba Pourjali and Maryam Zarnaghash / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 9 (2010) 137–141

The results shown in Table 4 indicated that a significance difference between women and men are not observed.

4. Discussion

The relationship between assertiveness, the power of saying No with mental health among undergraduate
students from Shiraz University was studied.
It was found that a relationship between assertiveness and mental health was existed and the importance of being
assertiveness, and saying no, in psychological well-being. When there is higher assertiveness, then there would be
better mental health and conversely. This corresponded to the previous studies which indicated that assertiveness
contributed to self-esteem among American firefighters (Petrie, 2004) and that assertiveness reduced stress reaction
among Taiwanese hospital nurses (Lee, 2003). This was also compatible with the finding that the communication
skill training improved two communication skills, negotiation and accepting valid criticisms (Shimizu, 2003). Suga,
(1984) suggested that a person with high self-esteem was more likely to negotiate with an opponent successfully and
to suitably accept valid criticisms and this was also compatible with the finding of a pilot study carried out by
Shimizu, (2003), who concluded that there was a relationship between burnout and communication skill training
among Japanese hospital nurses and also with the finding of the research done by Shimizu, (2004) that found a
relationship between self-esteem and assertiveness and also with the finding of Keramaty (2000) that showed a
relationship between assertiveness and anxiety was existed, it means that assertive people have less anxiety.
In this work, it was found that those who have the power of saying No, have less stress in their lives and they get
their needs met (which also means less stressing over unmet needs), and help others get their needs met, too. Having
stronger, more supportive relationships virtually guarantees that, in a bind, they have people they can count on,
which also helps with stress management, and even leads to healthier body and mentality.
It was also found that there was no significance difference between women and men from the point of
assertiveness and the power of saying No, which was compatible with researches done by Keramaty (2000) and
Ahmadian (2007), which may be due to the same cultural and peripheral factors. The present study had limitations
of a correlation design and also it needs to other designs.
In conclusion, the results implied that assertiveness and the power of saying No had the potential effects on
mental health among undergraduate students in Shiraz University.

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