FIRO: The Fundamental

Interpersonal Relations
Orientation

Shailendra Singh, Ph.D.

 Dr. Will
Schutz
Psychologist
1925-2002

Originator
of FIRO-B
(1958)

Overview of FIRO-B

Developed by Will Schutz.

Was originally created as a means to select
submarine crews.
Concerned about motivation to engage in social
behavior.
Decided that these motivations were derived
from needs.
Instrument owned and published by Consulting
Psychologist Press.
FIRO -B
The FIRO - B examines the way
you typically act with other people .
Helps you become more aware of
your interpersonal behavior habits
FIRO - B
When you are aware of the behavior
patterns you can better decide when to act
in your normal way and when it seems
more appropriate to act differently.
As you change your habits by making
different choices in your behavior , your
FIRO scores will also change
FIRO - B
Your FIRO - B scores can change .
The scores and descriptions are a
guide to how you view interpersonal
relationships at this point of time and
will help you to think about your
strengths and weaknesses
FIRO: Theory and Behaviour

Inclusion Control Affection/ Openness

E
Do

W
Get
FIRO Dimensions
Inclusion: Having contact with others. The
issue is acceptance or rejection by others
Control: Having control/influence over others.
The issue is power/authority over others
Affection/Openness: Giving and receiving
love,affection and friendship,etc.
Schutz(1982) opted for openness-meaning
degree of comfort in sharing ones thoughts
and feelings

The FIRO-B Model

Not simply the need but what you do with it. There are
two types of need:

Those you show to others, that can be observed by

people watching you
expressed

Those that you are aware of but typically do not show -

Need to be in control of the situation and others
wanted
Groups Evolve Through Particular
Stages Along the Dimensions of:

Inclusion Control Affection

Inclusion early formation stage
Where do I fit in?
Do I want to be in or out?
How committed will I become?
How committed is our leader?

Control mid-development
Competition for leadership.
What is the method for decision making?
How will power be distributed?

Affection How close shall I get if the group exists over long period of time?
 Who is incharge here?
How much power do
I have?
Will I get direction? Are they warm
Will I be accepted? or cold?
Am I important? Will they like me?
Do I belong? May I express my
Control
affection?

Inclusion Affection
Inclusion Need
Need to establish & maintain satisfactory relation with
respect to interaction & association
Need to feel self is significant/worthwhile
Positive words associate, interact, mingle, belong
Negative exclusion, isolate, outsider, withdrawn
Signs seeking fame, prominence, recognition, and
participation
Control
Need to establish & maintain satisfactory relation
with respect to control & power
Need to feel self is competent & responsible
Positive words power, authority, influence
Negative words rebellion, resistance, follower
Signs seeking respect
Affection
Need to establish & maintain satisfactory
relation with respect to love & affection
Need to feel self is loveable
Positive words love, like, emotionally
close
Negative words cool, emotionally distant
Signs touching, close emotional
relationships
 Scheme of Interpersonal Behaviours

Expressed Behaviour Dimensions Wanted Behaviour

I initiate interaction
I want to be
with people INCLUSION included

I control people CONTROL I want people to

control me

I act close & personal I want people to

AFFECTION/ get close &
toward people OPENNESS personal to me
Essentially, FIRO-B measures:
Frequency

Selectivity
 EXTREME TYPES OF 3 INTERPERSONAL
DIMENSIONS

EXPRESSED DIMENSION WANTED

Low High Low
High
Over Under Counter
Social
INCLUSION Social
Social Social Compliant

Autocrat Abdicrat CONTROL Submissive Rebellious

Under AFFECTION Personal Counter

Over
Personal Compliant Personal
Personal
Typical Behavior for:

eI

HIGH LOW
Initiates contact Appears reserved
Shows interest in others Seems restrained
Likes to socialize Fact-oriented
Group-oriented Doesnt like to chit-chat
Communicative
Outgoing
Typical Behavior for:

wI
HIGH LOW
Fears being ignored or left out Seems self-sufficient
Likes to be included Appears self-reliant
Is easily slighted Likes to be alone
Wants attention Doesnt care to socialize
Concern for recognition
Desires status
Typical Behavior for:

eC

HIGH LOW
Likes to direct people Not power-oriented
Makes decisions readily Non-directive
Organizes self and others Prefers not to supervise others
Seems confident Wants others to make their
own decisions
Wants challenges
Typical Behavior for:

wC
HIGH LOW
Wants direction or guidance Appears independent
Concerned about rules Works with, not for others
Supports others Follows through on decisions
Cooperative Rejects structure
Methodical and orderly
Wants structure
Typical Behavior for:

eA

HIGH LOW

Open and trusting Appears unfeeling

Warm and friendly Seems calm and aloof

Expresses feelings Appears objective and formal

Gives acknowledgment Appears unemotional

Shows support
Shows encouragement
Typical Behavior for:

wA
HIGH LOW

Wants to be liked Appears guarded

Wants others trust Not easy to know

Concern for approval Can be direct and blunt

Responds well to praise Seems invulnerable

Easily hurt Appears cool and rational

Takes criticism hard

Self-assessment
0-2 (Low) the behaviours are rarely
displayed by you.

36 (Medium) the behaviours will be a

noticeable characteristic of
you but only some of the time.

79 (High) the behaviours are noticeably

characteristic of you in most
situations.
 Rate Yourself
Low Need; Moderate Need; High Need
Expressed Inclusion
Wanted (from others) Inclusion
Expressed Control
Wanted (from others) Control
Expressed Affection
Wanted (from others) Affection
 I C A

W
 I C A

E
M H M
W H L H
 FIRO-B Profile

Inclusion Control Affection Total

.
M=5.4 M=3.9 M=4.1 M=
E
(4 - 7) (3 -6) 13.4
(2 -5)
(9 - 18)

M=6.5 M=4.6 M=4.8 M = 15.9

W
(5 - 8) (3 - 6) (3 - 6) (11 - 20)

M=11.9 M = 8.9 M=29.3

T M=8.5
(9 -15) (6 - 12) (20 -38)
(5 -11)
 Social Interaction Index

I C A
=Activity
E Level (AL)

W =Need
Level (NL)
II II II II
Importance Assuming Social
Importance
of people Responsibility of Affection = Interaction
Index
Activity Level
More than 18.. is more outgoing and
active than average
Less than 9.. is seldom an initiator, is
more passive than average or is
getting all the interpersonal contact
he needs
Need Level
More than 20 ..a high desire for people to
make contact with him
Less than 11 .. Low desire for people to
relate to him possibly because of
Indifference to people or
Distaste for the role of a relatively passive receiver
or
Greater involvement in some other activity like work
Getting all the interpersonal contact he needs
Importance of people
More than 15 .. Being with people
is very important to him and worth
effort on his part
Less than 9.. Being with people is
not something he particularly
wants or seeks
Assuming Responsibility
More than 11 .. More than average
willingness to be held responsible and
hold others responsible
Less than 5 .. Tendency to avoid task
responsibility, preferring to live and
let live and to value freedom over
responsibility
Importance of Affection
More than 12 .. Regularly prefers and
seeks closeness and human warmth
Less than 6.. Tends either to avoid
close relations in general or he is
quite selective about those with whom
he becomes intimate
Social Interaction Index
More than 38.. for him people are
important he desires and seeks out
relations with them
Less than 20 .. Low people needs
because he is interested in other things ,
people make him nervous . Being with
people is a lower priority than success at
work.
 The Rock
Inclusion Control Affection

Expressed
Behavior
0 0 0

Wanted
Behavior
0 0 0
Party Time

Inclusion Control Affection

Expressed
Behavior 9 0 9

Wanted
Behavior 9 0 9
 High Expectations
Inclusion Control Affection

Expressed
Behavior
0 0 0

Wanted
Behavior
9 9 9
 Controller
Inclusion Control Affection

Expressed
Behavior
0 9 0

Wanted
Behavior
0 0 0
 FIRO-B Incompatibilities

Reciprocal Difference between one

persons expressed behavior and another
persons wanted behavior
Originator Match between expressed
scores of two individuals
Interchange Extent to which two people
emphasize the same interpersonal needs
Reciprocal Compatibility

Is an index of whether As expressed

behavior matches what B wants and
whether Bs expressed behavior matches
what A wants
RC = ( Ae - Bw ) + ( Be - Aw )
Scores 0 = Complete Compatibility
18 = Extreme Incompatibility
Equal to & greater than 6 = Indicates
Incompatibility
Originator Compatibility
The extent to which there may be conflict
between two people because both want to
initiate in one area , or because neither
wants to initiate

OC = ( Ae - Aw ) + ( Be - Bw )
Scores 0 to 6 = Complete Compatibility
-6 to -18 = Apathetic incompatibility
+ 6 to + 18 = Competitive Incompatibility
Interchange Compatibility
Measures compatibility in involvement
in any one area

IC = ( Ae + Aw ) - ( Be + Bw )
Scores 0 = Complete Compatibility
18 = Extreme Incompatibility
Equal to & greater than 6 = Indicates
Incompatibility
 p1 Compatibility Analysis p2
I C A T I C A T
E 9 9 1 19 6 17
E 3 8
W 8 4 3 15 8 12
W 2 2
Receiver Only 9 High Interchange

E0 9
* P1(c)

* P2(c)

Low Interchange Originator Only

0 W
 p1 Compatibility Analysis p2
I C A T I C A T
E 9 9 1 19 6 17
E 3 8
W 8 4 3 15 8 12
W 2 2
Receiver Only 9 High Interchange

* p1
(I)
E0 9

*
P2
Low Interchange Originator Only
(I)
0 W
 Build and Maintain Effective
Relationships
A person with matched with a person with
High Expressed In High Wanted In
Low Expressed In Low Wanted In
High Expressed Co High Wanted Co
Low Expressed Co Low Wanted Co
High Expressed Aff High Wanted Aff
Low Expressed Aff Low Wanted Aff
 Seldom do Relationships Match, these
would need work
A person with matched with a person with
High Expressed In Low Wanted In
Low Expressed In High Wanted In
High Expressed Co Low Wanted Co
Low Expressed Co High Wanted Co
High Expressed Aff Low Wanted Aff
Low Expressed Aff High Wanted Aff
 Commitment Climate of Access to powerful
& loyalty to openness decision makers
relationships & fairness

Inclusion
Free exchange
Widespread of information
involvement
& recognition

Informal
individual Acceptance of
connections new employees
 Decisiveness & Over dependence on
Dominance staff & managers
accountability

Control Blind obedience

Consistency &
clear policy &
procedures

Win / lose
competition between
individuals &
departments
 Performance General level of
Trust between optimism
beyond
managers & staff
obligations

Warmth & family

Affection feeling

Encouragement
& support given
& received

Frankness &
candour of
feedback
 If you
want to see
change

be the
change
you want
to see