Assessing Your Social Style and Adaptability

(Original Social Style formulation from Merrill and Reid, Personal Styles and Effectiveness,1984).

Directions:
1. On the following two pages, ask 1-2 people that know you in a work or school work
setting to rate your social style by filling out one of the forms. Try to select people
who know you well enough to have observed your behavior and people that you
think will give you their honest opinion.
2. After those rating, complete the next two pages to rate yourself.
3. For each person who rated your social style, including yourself, give yourself a 1 for
every “a”, 2 for every “b”, 3 for every “c” and 4 for every “d”. Total your scores on
assertiveness and responsiveness separately and divide each by 15. The average
score translates into the following rating.

Average Rating Rating on Assertiveness Rating on

Responsiveness
1.00-1.49 A 1
1.50-2.49 B 2
2.50-3.49 C 3
3.50-4.00 D 4

Plot your score, and the score of each other person that rated you on the chart that
follows the questionnaires. Note who each plot represents and how the others’ scores
compare to your score.

4. For the adaptability scale, reverse the score you put for items 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 16
(5=1, 4=2, 3=3, 2=4, and 1=5). Then add up the items on the scale and divide by
16. A higher score represents higher levels of adaptability.

Note: For additional accuracy, you may wish to have more than 2 others complete the
social style scale and then take an average (5 is suggested) to get a composite of how
you are viewed. You may also wish to ask the people who rate your social style to
complete the adaptability scale on you, in order to perceive how adaptable others see
you.
Please complete the following scale about ____________________. This is a
developmental activity to help this person in a selling class so please be completely
honest. Circle the letter that falls the closest to the place on the continuum of complete
one way versus complete the other way.
For example,
Dark hair…………………………………..Blond
D C B A

If the person is very blond, you would circle A. If the person is slightly more dark hair
than blond, you would circle C and so on.

Assertiveness Responsiveness
I perceive this person as: I perceive this person as:
Quiet Talkative Open Closed
D C B A D C B A

Slow to decide Fast to decide Impulsive Deliberate

D C B A D C B A

Going along Taking charge Using opinions Using facts

D C B A D C B A

Supportive Challenging Informal Formal

D C B A D C B A

Compliant Dominant Emotional Unemotional

D C B A D C B A

Deliberate Fast to decide Easy to know Hard to know

D C B A D C B A

Asking questions Making Warm Cool

statements
D C B A D C B A

Cooperative Competitive Excitable Calm

D C B A D C B A

Avoiding risks Taking risks Animated Poker-faced

D C B A D C B A

Slow, studied Fast-paced People-oriented Task-oriented

D C B A D C B A

Cautious Carefree Spontaneous Cautious

D C B A D C B A

Indulgent Firm Responsive Nonresponsive

D C B A D C B A

Nonassertive Assertive Humorous Serious

D C B A D C B A

Mellow Matter-of-fact Impulsive Methodical

D C B A D C B A

Reserved Outgoing Lighthearted Intense

D C B A D C B A
Please complete the following scale about ____________________. This is a
developmental activity to help this person in a selling class so please be completely
honest. Circle the letter that falls the closest to the place on the continuum of complete
one way versus complete the other way.
For example,
Dark hair…………………………………..Blond
D C B A

If the person is very blond, you would circle A. If the person is slightly more dark hair
than blond, you would circle C and so on.

Assertiveness Responsiveness
I perceive this person as: I perceive this person as:
Quiet Talkative Open Closed
D C B A D C B A

Slow to decide Fast to decide Impulsive Deliberate

D C B A D C B A

Going along Taking charge Using opinions Using facts

D C B A D C B A

Supportive Challenging Informal Formal

D C B A D C B A

Compliant Dominant Emotional Unemotional

D C B A D C B A

Deliberate Fast to decide Easy to know Hard to know

D C B A D C B A

Asking questions Making Warm Cool

statements
D C B A D C B A

Cooperative Competitive Excitable Calm

D C B A D C B A

Avoiding risks Taking risks Animated Poker-faced

D C B A D C B A

Slow, studied Fast-paced People-oriented Task-oriented

D C B A D C B A

Cautious Carefree Spontaneous Cautious

D C B A D C B A

Indulgent Firm Responsive Nonresponsive

D C B A D C B A

Nonassertive Assertive Humorous Serious

D C B A D C B A

Mellow Matter-of-fact Impulsive Methodical

D C B A D C B A

Reserved Outgoing Lighthearted Intense

D C B A D C B A
Self-Assessment of Social Styles

Assertiveness Responsiveness
I perceive this person as: I perceive this person as:
Quiet Talkative Open Closed
D C B A D C B A

Slow to decide Fast to decide Impulsive Deliberate

D C B A D C B A

Going along Taking charge Using opinions Using facts

D C B A D C B A

Supportive Challenging Informal Formal

D C B A D C B A

Compliant Dominant Emotional Unemotional

D C B A D C B A

Deliberate Fast to decide Easy to know Hard to know

D C B A D C B A

Asking questions Making Warm Cool

statements
D C B A D C B A

Cooperative Competitive Excitable Calm

D C B A D C B A

Avoiding risks Taking risks Animated Poker-faced

D C B A D C B A

Slow, studied Fast-paced People-oriented Task-oriented

D C B A D C B A

Cautious Carefree Spontaneous Cautious

D C B A D C B A

Indulgent Firm Responsive Nonresponsive

D C B A D C B A

Nonassertive Assertive Humorous Serious

D C B A D C B A

Mellow Matter-of-fact Impulsive Methodical

D C B A D C B A

Reserved Outgoing Lighthearted Intense

D C B A D C B A
Self-Assessment of Adaptability

Use the following scale to indicate the degree that you agree or disagree with each of
the following statements.

1=Strongly disagree
2=Disagree
3=Neither agree nor disagree
4=Agree
5=Strongly agree

1. _____ Each person I deal with requires a unique approach.

2. _____ If I feel that my approach with another person is not working, I can easily
change to another approach.
3. _____ I like to experiment with different approaches for dealing with people.
4. _____ I am very flexible in the approaches I use for dealing with people.
5. _____ I feel that most people can be dealt with in pretty much the same manner.
6. _____ I don’t change my approach form any one person to another for specific
situations.
7. _____ I can use a wide variety of people approaches.
8. _____ I use a set approach for dealing with people in any given situation.
9. _____ It is easy for me to modify my self-presentation if the situation calls for it.
10. _____ I use the same approach with most people.
11. _____ I am very sensitive to the needs of others.
12. _____ I find it difficult to adapt my presentation style to certain people.
13. _____ I vary my personal style from situation to situation.
14. _____ I try to understand how one person differs form another.
15. _____ I feel confident that I can effectively change my planned presentation
when I am dealing with someone.
16. _____ I treat everyone pretty much the same.
 LOW RESPONSIVENESS
Rational, Disciplined, Task-Oriented
Formal, Independent, Businesslike

ANALYTICALS DRIVERS
D C B A

1
1

LOW ASSERTIVE 2 2 HIGH ASSERTIVE

Cooperative, Competitive,
Lower acting, Fast-Acting,
Avoids risk, Risk-Taking,
Go-along Person, Take-Charge Person,
Non-Directive Directive
3 3

4 4
D C B A
AMIABLES EXPRESSIVES

HIGH RESPONSIVENESS
Friendly, Informal, Open, Emotional,
Undisciplined, Relationship-Oriented