Assertiveness in Marital Relationships Among Asian Indians in the United States

Abstract

The article is aimed at a clarification and psychometric treatment of the concept of assertiveness in marital relationships among Asian Indians in the United States by reporting a study that attempted to operationally define the concept of assertiveness through indicators grouped under courage, authenticity, and autonomy. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on identifying a scale of assertiveness consisting of items under the three indicators through a review of selected literature and having them evaluated and ranked by a set of judges who were knowledgeable in the field. The scale was then empirically tested during the second phase in a setting consisting of Asian Indian couples to check its reliability and validity. The study provided a meaningful understanding of how couples in a cross-cultural context express assertiveness in various ways. The study has implications for marriage and family counseling and for future research on assertiveness.

The Effect of Assertiveness-Based Sexual Counselling on Sexual Function among Married Female Students

“…According to some studies, one of the most important factors affecting sexual satisfaction, sexual function and marital satisfaction is sexual assertiveness, or the ability to express sexuality (19,20). Self-efficacy or assertiveness is one of the major variables in Bandura's socio-cognitive theory (21), and it means providing different responses and flexible decisions in unpredictable situations and situations that lead to creating insecurity, hesitation and anxiety in the individual (22).…”

Infidelity in Asian Indian Marriages: Implications for Counseling and Psychotherapy

“…Asian Indians in the United States are ethnically diverse in terms of cultural backgrounds related to multiple languages, regionalism, food habits, dress codes, and religions (Abbassi & Singh, 2006). This is one of the fastest growing ethnic populations in the United States (U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 2000).…”

“…In a study of 205 Asian Indians in the United States, Abbassi and Singh (2006) found that Asian Indians who were younger or had been married for fewer years were more courageous in expressing assertiveness in the marriage than the ones who had been married longer. They also found that those individuals who were married through traditional custom of arranged marriages by their parents or significant others lacked assertiveness compared with those individuals who had followed a lower degree of traditionalism.…”

The Effectiveness of Sexual Enrichment Counseling on Sexual Assertiveness in Married Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…One of the important factors in marital and sexual satisfaction in females towards their husbands is sexual assertiveness (5). Assertiveness is a mental and social sense to the personal perceptions or interpretation concerning how to show emotions in sexual relations (6) and includes the ability of individuals in commencing the required sexual activity, refusing unwanted sexual activity, and protecting one from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (7). divorce, and even in Iran, the divorce statics indicate the significant role of sexual disputes and problems on disintegration of families (9).…”