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Assertive, Aggressive, and Shy Behavior Test

After 18 questions and about four minutes, the Assertive, Aggressive, and Shy Behavior Test helps you explore how you respond to everyday conflicts. Your result can support self-reflection about communication, boundaries, and the ways you pursue your needs in challenging interpersonal situations.

Questions: 184 minutes

Assertive, Aggressive, and Shy: test ticket with numbers

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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2,475 completions

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

IgnoringI

Measures the tendency to cope with stressful or conflict situations by disengaging and not addressing the issue directly.

example score7/18

7/18Moderateexample score

0 – 6Low

7 – 12Moderate

13 – 18High

A score of 7 indicates a moderate tendency to ignore or step back from problems, suggesting you may sometimes avoid direct engagement while still addressing issues at other times.

Shy BehaviorSB

Measures the tendency to respond to stress and conflict with worry, passivity, and avoidance of direct self-expression.

example score9/18

9/18Moderate shynessexample score

0 – 6Low shyness

7 – 12Moderate shyness

13 – 18High shyness

A score of 9 indicates a moderate level of shy behavior, suggesting you may sometimes hold back or avoid direct discussion in tense situations.

Aggressive BehaviorAB

Measures how strongly a person tends to assert their goals in stressful situations through hostile or confrontational actions toward others.

example score10/18

10/18Moderateexample score

0 – 7Low

8 – 13Moderate

14 – 18High

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting an occasional tendency to respond with irritation or confrontation under pressure that may sometimes escalate interpersonal tension.

Assertive BehaviorAB

Measures the tendency to respond to stressful or conflict situations with calm, assertive self-expression while respecting others.

example score11/18

11/18Moderate confidenceexample score

0 – 6Low confidence

7 – 12Moderate confidence

13 – 18High confidence

A score of 11 indicates a moderate level of confident behavior, suggesting the person often defends their position calmly but may not do so consistently in more challenging situations.

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

School psychologists and counselors

41%OF USERS

Use it to quickly understand how a student reacts under pressure and choose support or correction strategies.

Teachers and homeroom leaders

34%OF USERS

Take it to spot confident, aggressive, or shy patterns that affect classroom behavior and conflict situations.

Concerned parents of teens

25%OF USERS

Use it to better grasp a teenager’s typical responses in tense moments and how to communicate more effectively.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

IgnoringI

You?

Average10.3

Typical rangeTypical8.1 – 12.5

Possible0 – 18

Shy behaviorSb

You?

Average11.2

Typical rangeTypical8.1 – 14.2

Possible0 – 18

Aggressive BehaviorAB

You?

Average9.8

Typical rangeTypical7.3 – 12.4

Possible0 – 18

Confident BehaviorCB

You?

Average6.3

Typical rangeTypical3.9 – 8.6

Possible0 – 18

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Below are descriptions of several conflictual, stressful situations that people your age may encounter in everyday life, along with four possible ways of responding to each situation. For each set of four responses, please select two that you believe are more characteristic of you. Assign 2 points to the response that is most characteristic of you and 1 point to the second. In the online version, each item will be presented twice: the first time, select the response worth 2 points; the second time, select the response worth 1 point. It is technically possible to select the same response twice in a row, but this should not be done, as it will invalidate the test results.

- A. I would ask the teacher to look for the notebook again; if it still cannot be found, I would suggest proving what I know by completing another version of the test in front of the teacher.
- B. If the teacher gives an "F," I would get angry, say that I turned in the notebook with witnesses, and think about reporting this teacher to the principal.
- C. I would timidly remind the teacher that I think I did turn in the notebook. If it is not found and an "F" is given anyway, I would be upset and worry, but I would probably not be able to change the situation.
- D. I would be indifferent: let the teacher give whatever grade they want—I do not really need that number from "F" to "A"...
- I would ask the teacher to look for it again and, if it is not found, I would suggest proving what I know by doing another version of the test in front of the teacher.
- If the teacher gives me an “F,” I would get angry, say I turned it in and that there were witnesses, and think about reporting this teacher to the principal.
- I would timidly remind the teacher that I think I did turn it in. If it is not found and the “F” is given anyway, I would feel upset and worry, but I would probably not be able to change the situation.
- I would be indifferent: let the teacher give whatever grade they want—why do I need that number anyway, whether it is an F or an A?
- I would get up, go over to the cyclist who fell, help them up, and ask if they are okay.
- I would tell the other cyclist that he cannot ride and that he must have left his eyes at home.
- I would apologize to the other cyclist; it was probably my fault.
- Falling is falling—there is no point in fighting over it. I would get up silently, brush myself off, and ride on.

These are 3 of the 18 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Assertive, Aggressive, and Shy Behavior Test - Description and methodology of the test

behavior in conflict

self-confidence

shyness

People seeking to understand responses to disagreement, pressure, or unfair treatment may find the Assertive, Aggressive, and Shy Behavior Test useful for self-reflection. It focuses on interpersonal choices rather than fixed labels, helping you consider whether you defend your position calmly, react against others, become worried and passive, or step away. The questionnaire's assertive behavior test dimension shows whether calm, respectful self-expression is a familiar way to pursue your needs.

What This Assessment Explores

Scenarios involve grades, books, criticism, money, or unwanted pressure. Four alternatives show whether you assert a need, attack, worry and yield, or disengage. Aggressive behavior test items distinguish forceful pursuit from respectful self-advocacy; aggression is one of four patterns.

The result is organized across four dimensions:

Ignoring (0-18) reflects withdrawal without active assertion or pronounced distress; Low 0-6, Moderate 7-12, High 13-18. It may preserve equilibrium while leaving important issues unresolved.
Shy Behavior (0-18) reflects worry, passivity, and restrained self-expression; Low shyness 0-6, Moderate shyness 7-12, High shyness 13-18.
Aggressive Behavior (0-18) reflects hostile or demanding goal pursuit; Low 0-7, Moderate 8-13, High 14-18.
Assertive Behavior (0-18) reflects calm, persistent self-expression with respect for others; Low confidence 0-6, Moderate confidence 7-12, High confidence 13-18.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each item uses an everyday vignette with four response options. The alternatives model a clear request, hostility, worried compliance, or disengagement in the same situation, keeping interpretation tied to interpersonal behavior.

The catalogue reports each scale's score. Since no point-by-point weighting rule is stated, the ranges should not be used to infer one. The shy behavior test dimension is best read as one response pattern, not a global label.

Conceptually, the questionnaire is consistent with UAZ, which contrasts assertive, aggressive, shy, and ignoring responses; its relationship to that instrument is conceptual rather than an established adaptation. The Aggression Questionnaire (Buss and Perry, 1992) is a separate, narrower measure for conceptual comparison; it does not establish that this questionnaire is adapted from it or validated against it.

Self-report is sensitive to current stress, memory, self-awareness, and social desirability. The online result displays the listed bands, but population norms and standardization data are not provided for this version. These results cannot by themselves establish a clinical condition or explain its causes.

Author: Arnold H. Buss, Manuel J. Smith

Literature:

Gretsov, Andrey Gennadyevich. (2011). Developmental Training with Adolescents: Creativity, Communication, Self-Knowledge. Saint Petersburg: Piter. ISBN 978-5-459-00887-6.
Gretsov, Andrey Gennadyevich, and Anastasia Anatolyevna Azbel. (2012). Psychological Tests for High School Students and College Students. Saint Petersburg: Piter. ISBN 978-5-459-01074-9.
Buss, Arnold H., and Mark Perry. (1992). The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(3), 452-459. 10.1037/0022-3514.63.3.452.

Updated: 2025-10-02