Assertiveness and aggressiveness as potential moderators of verbal behaviors following unsatisfactory service.

This research is an extension of earlier studies that examined Assertiveness and Aggressiveness as potential moderators of verbal intentions. A sample of 127 women and 137 men participated in the survey which used random residential telephone numbers. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 71 years (M=33.2, SD= 12.4), with men making up 51.9% of the total sample. Those respondents classified as having an Aggressive interaction style were least likely to have discussed their unsatisfactory service encounters. The nature of the verbal communications was negative for all four interaction styles investigated. Similar to previous findings, men and women were equally Assertive, but men were more likely to be Aggressive when engaging in marketplace interactions.