NETWORKING AND SOCIAL COLLABORATION TOOLS AS A DETERMINANTS OF ASSERTIVE BEHAVIOUR AMONG YOUNG ADOLESCENTS IN ENUGU METROPOLIS

Abstract

This study investigated social anxiety and social facilitation as determinants of assertive behavior among teenagers in Enugu metropolis. Three hundred and ninety three (393) teenagers comprising of two hundred and fifty (250) males and one hundred and forty three (143) females were purposively recruited. The research utilized a cross sectional survey. In this study, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Assertiveness Inventory and Social Facilitation questionnaire were used to collect data and two research hypotheses were stated to guide the study. Findings revealed that teenagers who are high on social anxiety reported less assertive behaviour while teenagers who were low on social anxiety reported more assertive behaviour. Results also showed that teenagers who are high on social facilitation reported more assertive behaviour than teenagers who were low on social facilitation. In line with the findings, it was concluded that social facilitation influences assertive behavior among teenagers than social anxiety and it was recommended that efforts should center more on school guidance and counseling student-centered programs that should be designed to teach teenagers on positive ways of being assertive. Implications for policy direction were also made.