ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the general topic of “contexts”—how place, atmosphere, situation, how we feel, and our histories influence the manner in which we behave. I have divided this chapter into two main topics-the first is about our histories-how we learned to behave assertively or not, and second I focus on the importance of place, situation, and location in determination of behavior. You could call it the “environment” of a situation. The focus will be on the academic situation as a context. There are, too, several small sections. The first is on the influence of the emotional context of an interaction and then there is a small section that relates to the whole chapter. It is on “triggers and barriers” to behaving assertively, nonassertively, or aggressively. I refer here to triggers that set off a sense of power or weakness in us, and barriers that can bar assertive behavior in a person in particular situations. Barriers and triggers are important both in looking at the history of your behavior and the way in which you currently behave.
