Gordon Assertiveness Test

The Gordon test is used to assess how each individual approaches and manages conflicts. There are four possible attitudes in such a situation: flight or avoidance, aggression, manipulation or assertiveness.

Flight (avoidance or passivity): The person exhibits behaviors that involve actively avoiding conflict. There may be a tendency to minimize problems, delay decision-making, and be reluctant to express opinions or disagreements. They put the needs of others before their own and may have difficulty defending their own interests or clearly expressing their expectations. While at first, it may seem as though they are achieving their goal by avoiding conflict, this is only delayed, and the accumulation of small dissatisfactions can sometimes result in anxiety, resentment, and self-deprecation.

Aggression: Aggressive behavior is characterized by asserting oneself, wanting to forcefully make one's point of view heard or firmly refusing what we find unacceptable. However, the person's aggressiveness can have a negative impact on their interpersonal relationships. Interlocutors may feel insecure, apprehensive and may avoid confrontations.

Manipulation: This behavior involves skillful persuasion, the search for influence, and the ability to adapt one's behavior according to people and situations. The person adopts indirect or non-explicit means to achieve their goals and meet their needs. The problem is that there is a risk of generating a negative impact on interpersonal relationships, because the interlocutors can lose trust and feel used.

Assertiveness: This behavior involves clearly expressing one’s needs and expectations in a respectful manner. It involves listening to the arguments of others, while making one’s point of view known through transparent communication. This allows one to understand where the conflict lies and what would be the best way to resolve it, taking into account the needs of each party. This behavior promotes greater trust and the establishment of positive and lasting interpersonal relationships.

To interpret your results, you must first observe the type of profile that your test reveals. For example, you could show a preference for manipulation or perhaps a tendency to avoid conflict. There is no bad attitude in the face of conflict, each can be useful at a given time, but assertiveness is often preferable to definitively resolve the opposition without damaging the relationship.

Beyond the profile that your test reveals by indicating the attitudes that you most naturally resort to, you must focus especially on the high values ​​(between 10 and 15) and the low values ​​(below 5), to conduct your reflection. A high value indicates that this is an attitude that is anchored in you, conversely a low value means that you will almost never resort to this way of managing a conflict. You must work to reach the maximum value in assertiveness.

For the rest, a person who is able to modulate his approach according to the circumstances can be considered more effective in conflict management. Thus, a balanced profile can highlight your ability to adapt.