1. “Goodness of Fit” The FIRO-B can help to determine how good one fits in various situations and work environments and with various people
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2. Theory
Beyond our survival needs (food, safety, warmth, shelter) we have unique interpersonal needs that motivate us
We become uncomfortable and anxious when our “set point” is not being met
Schutz identified three needs (inclusion, control, and affection), and two levels (expressed and wanted)
The Six-Cell Model
Before Slide
History:
The FIRO-B was originally developed to predict how military personnel would work together in groups. It’s creator, William Schutz, was specifically studying teams working in the control rooms on submarines.
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3. Results can be used to…
Show current interpersonal behavior and expectations
Raise questions about your satisfaction with these behaviors
Suggest alternative ways of behaving to increase your effectiveness
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4. Caution about Results….
There are no good or bad results
Not a comprehensive personality test
Not a measure of abilities, career interests, or achievement
Hypotheses to be explored
You are responsible for interpreting the meaning
Must be considered in the overall context of your life
Results CAN be influenced significantly by situational variables, cultural differences, misunderstanding the terms, trying to avoid extreme responses, other pressures from the environment
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5. Assumptions You’re not bound by your typical behaviors
Awareness of your tendencies allows you to choose whether a particular behavior is or is not appropriate at a certain time
Scores can change as you work to form new behaviors
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6. FIRO-B Stage I Interpretation
Application to Your Personal and Work Life
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7. Three Interpersonal Needs
The Six-Cell Model
Three Interpersonal Needs
INCLUSION (I)
CONTROL (C)
AFFECTION (A)
Expressed Needs
Expressed Inclusion (eI)
Expressed Control (eC)
Expressed Affection (eA)
Wanted Needs
Wanted Inclusion (wI)
Wanted Control (wC)
Wanted Affection (wA)
Before Slide
Briefly turn to page 3 and look at the shaded area of the table
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8. Interpersonal Need One: Inclusion
Relates to forming new relations and associating with others in your life
How much attention, recognition, and contact you seek from others
Your relationships with groups, both small and large
Before Slide
Turn back to page 2.
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9. Interpersonal Need Two: Control
Relates to decision-making, influence and responsibility, and persuasion
The extent of power or dominance a person seeks
How much you want to lead others or want others to lead and influence you
Refers to one-on-one relationships and your behavior in groups
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10. Interpersonal Need Three: Affection
Relates to emotional ties and warm connections between people
The extent of closeness that a person seeks
Your need to establish comfortable, warm one-on-one relationships with others
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11. Characteristics Associated with the Three Needs
Inclusion
Control
Affection
Association
Power
Being personal
Interaction
Authority
Closeness
Distinction
Influence
Openness
Prominence
Responsibility
Supportiveness
Attention
Leadership
Being Affirmed
Participation
Consistency
Warmth
Involvement
Decisiveness
Empathy
Contact
Dominance
Encouragement
Belonging
Competitiveness
Appreciativeness
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12. Two dimensions Measured for Each Need
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13. behavior What you actually do Can be observed
Expressed
Preference for
initiating
behavior What you actually do Can be observed
by others
Wanted
Preference for having
others initiate
What you really want
May not be shown
openly
Expressed Wanted
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14. Three Interpersonal Needs
The Six-Cell Model
Three Interpersonal Needs
INCLUSION (I)
CONTROL (C)
AFFECTION (A)
Expressed Needs
I make an effort to include others in my activities. I try to belong, join social groups – to be with people as much as possible (0-9)
I try to exert control and influence over things. I enjoy organizing things and directing others (0-9)
I make an effort to get close to people. I am comfortable expressing personal feelings and I try to be supportive of others (0-9)
Wanted Needs
I want other people to include me in their activities and to invite me to belong. I enjoy it when others notice me (0-9)
I feel most comfortable working in clear situations with clear instructions. I prefer letting others have control of my work (0-9)
I want other to act warmly toward me. I enjoy it when people share their feelings with me and when they encourage my efforts. (0-9)
Page 3 – Six shaded cells
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15. For these Six Shaded Cells…
Low scores (0-2) suggest you do not prefer this behavior
Medium scores (3-6) suggest your preference for this behavior is moderate
High scores (7-9) suggest you have a strong preference for this behavior
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16. Expressed
Expressed Inclusion: How often do you act in ways that encourage your participation in situations?
Expressed Control: How often do you act in ways that help you direct or influence situations?
Expressed Affection: How often do you act in ways that encourage warmth and closeness in relationships?
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17. Wanted
Wanted Inclusion: How much do you want others to include you in their activities?
Wanted Control: How much leadership and influence do you want others to assume?
Wanted Affection: How much warmth and closeness do you want from others?
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18. Total Needs and Total Behavior Scores
Three Interpersonal Needs
Inclusion
Control
Affection
Expressed Needs eI eC eA
Total Expressed Behavior (0-27)
Wanted Needs wI wC wA
Total Wanted Behavior (0-27)
Total Need for Inclusion (0-18)
Total Need for
(0-18)
Total Need for Affection (0-18)
Total Inter-personal Need Score (0-54)
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19. Low Overall Interpersonal Needs Score (0-15)
Need for interaction with others (I, A, C) is low
Interpersonal style is “cool”
Need privacy to do your best work
Work involves intense concentration and ideas
Prefer your own company, independent decision-making, small circle of friends, more “introverted” style
How well do these descriptors fit?
Begin to think in terms of commonalities suggested by the several tests – do the other tests point in the same directions?
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20. Medium-Low Overall Interpersonal Needs Score (16-26)
Interaction with others (A, I, C) appeals to you on a select basis
Depends on the people and the context
Work effectively alone, or with others when objectives are focused
Concentrate on data and ideas with occasional discussions, presentations
More “introverted” than “extroverted”
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21. Medium-High Overall Interpersonal Needs Score (27-38)
Interacting with others is generally satisfying in all areas (A, I, C)
Work best with small groups and regular contacts
Consult others without relying on them for decision-making
Value teamwork & one-on-one relationships
Occasionally need alone time to think and reflect
More “extraverted” than “introverted”
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22. High Overall Interpersonal Needs Score (39-54)
Enjoy engaging frequently with others in all areas (A, I, C)
Seek out, work on, and enjoy warm interpersonal relationships
Work best in groups with interaction
Prefer shared decision-making
Very social, may not enjoy being alone
Extravert
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23. Total Needs and Total Behavior Scores
Three Interpersonal Needs
Inclusion
Control
Affection
Expressed Needs eI eC eA
Total Expressed Behavior (0-27)
Wanted Needs wI wC wA
Total Wanted Behavior (0-27)
Total Need for Inclusion (0-18)
Total Need for
(0-18)
Total Need for Affection (0-18)
Total Inter-personal Need Score (0-54)
Your total expressed score indicates how much you act toward others to get what you need. In general, you can think of it as comfort level with taking action or being proactive.
You total wanted score indicates how much you rely on others to get what you need. In general, you can think of it as comfort level with being reactive or responsive.
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24. Low Total Expressed and Low Total Wanted Interpersonal Behavior (0-7)
Low Expressed: you usually do not initiate activities with others; wait before speaking
Low Wanted: you usually do not want others to initiate activities; Value independence and want to rely on yourself; You do not expect much from others
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25. Medium Total Expressed and Medium Total Wanted Interpersonal Behavior (8-19)
Medium Expressed: sometimes you initiate activities with others, sometimes you don’t; it depends on the context and people involved
Medium Wanted: Sometimes you want others to initiate activities, sometimes you don’t; it depends on the context and people involved
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26. High Total Expressed and High Total Wanted Interpersonal Behavior (20-27)
High Expressed: You usually enjoy initiating activities with others; take action easily and social settings are great opportunities to express yourself
High Wanted: You usually like others to initiate activities; you rely quite a bit on others and are comfortable accepting their behaviors
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27. Comparing your Total Expressed and Total Wanted Behavior
Like taking initiative more than having others do so; may keep distance
Total Wanted >
Total Expressed
Prefer that others take the initiative more than you; may feel inhibited
Total Expressed =
You are cautious about expressing a behavior before you are sure how the person will respond; situation - dependent
Before slide:
Total expressed and total wanted scores are best interpreted in relation to one another, since they describe the general pattern you go about in satisfying your personal needs
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28. Low Total Need Scores (0-5) for Inclusion, Control, and Affection (bottom row)
For Inclusion: Indifferent to being with others, no matter who initiates it
For Control: Prefer less-structured situations and have a laid-back attitude toward authority – needing to neither give nor take orders
For Affection: prefer formal, business-like relationships
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29. Medium Total Need Scores (6-12) for Inclusion, Control, and Affection (bottom row)
For Inclusion: prefer balance between time alone and time with others, no matter who initiates it
For Control: prefer moderate amount of structure and clarity around authority
For Affection: prefer a realistic amount of warmth and closeness in 1-on-1 relationships, no matter who initiates
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30. High Total Need Scores (13-18) for Inclusion, Control, and Affection (bottom row)
For Inclusion: prefer being involved socially, no matter who initiates it
For Control: prefer structured situations with clear lines of authority and responsibility
For Affection: Like a lot of warmth and closeness in 1-on-1 relationships
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31. Look at the Highest and Lowest Total Need Score
Highest may be most important interpersonal need, and thus predominates your behavior and has the greatest impact on your relationships
Lowest may be the need you try most to ignore or are the most indifferent about
After slide:
For example, if your strongest need is for Inclusion, what will be your focus when starting a new job or a new project?
(Fitting In)
For Control, what will your focus be?
(Understanding the order and structure of a the situation; who is in charge, who has authority, what are the rules and policies, etc.
For Affection, what will your focus be?
(Establishing trust, exchanging ideas, reactions, and opinions, building loyalty, developing meaningful relationships
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32. Impressions You Create – How Do Others Perceive You?
High
Impressions
Low eI
Engaging, connected, fair, social
Difficult to know, isolated, quiet wI
Center of attention, humorous, light-hearted
Private, selective, low-profile eC
Structured, confident, high-strung, intense
Easy-going, flexible, disorganized wC
Demanding, dependent, responsive, critical
Confrontational, independent, difficult eA
Warm, reassuring, open, intimate
Aloof, tentative, rational, business-like wA
Approachable, sensitive, considerate
Distant, cautious, tough, intimidating
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33. Impressions Others Make on You
If You Have High
You May Perceive
If You Have Low wI
Most rejections as devastating;
“Missing the action” if away;
Lack of acknowledgement is negative
Most invitations as obligatory
Being single-minded as threatening
Group time as wasteful wC
Any structuring as inadequate
Standard procedures as important
Sole responsibility as burdensome
Any control you have as too much
Plans and structures as pressure
Competitive behavior as annoying wA
Lack of expressed concern as insensitive
Infrequent feedback as frustrating
Distance from others as personal loss
Reassurances as superficial
Personal questions as intrusive
Emotions as distracting and trying
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34. Questions for Self-Exploration
Do these scores seem to represent an accurate picture of who you really are?
Can you think of specific examples of the behavior described?
In what ways do the scores not represent important ways you behave?
Do the results suggest ways that others see you that you might want to change?
What can the results tell you about the way you act in trying to fulfill your needs for being part of a group? For control? For close relationships?
Discussion
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