About FIRO-B®

The Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation–Behavior™ (FIRO-B®) instrument was created in the late 1950s by William Schutz, Ph.D.  who was influenced by his own observations of group behavior and the psychological literature, including the works of Freud, Adler, and Jung, among others.  Schutz original theory was used to aid in the understanding and predicting of how high-performance military teams would work together.

In developing the FIRO-B theory, Schutz began with the premise that “people need people.” And, he proposed that interpersonal needs could be grouped into three categories: Inclusion, Control, and Affection.  The term need was used to describe a psychological condition that, if not satisfied, led to a state of discomfort or anxiety.  And, the term interpersonal was used to reflect any interaction, real or imagined, occurring between people.

The FIRO-B model describes the interaction of these three categories of interpersonal need along two dimensions: expressed and wanted.  The FIRO-B model is based on the theory that fulfillment of these interpersonal needs serves as motivation in people’s daily functioning. The FIRO-B instrument also measures overall needs (e.g., Total Inclusion) and overall behaviors (e.g., Total Expressed), and provides an Overall Interpersonal Need Score.  Thus, respondents receive a numerical score as well as a categorical score (low, medium, or high) for each measure.

The FIRO-B assessment is used in a wide variety of business applications including:

• Leadership development

• Team building

• Individual interpersonal effectiveness

• Retention

The FIRO-B instrument can also be used in conjunction with the MBTI® instrument for leadership development and in team-building workshops.  Based on a national sample of 3,091 individuals, the FIRO-B® instrument has been shown to be both reliable and valid when administered and interpreted by a qualified individual such as our Dr. Boyce.

Proper Delivery and Added Benefit to Your Organization

Dr. Boyce is one of only a few qualified FIRO-B® practitioners working with organizations that also have a Ph.D. in psychology from and American Psychological Association-accredited graduate program in psychology.  His unique blend of skills will ensure that your FIRO-B® experience will be positive and treated with the utmost integrity.

By now you should be asking: how do I get started?  Please contact us to discover the benefits you can achieve with FIRO-B® to improve communication and resolve conflict, develop leaders and interpersonal effectiveness, and for team building.

Phone: 775.232.3099

E-mail: ted.boyce@cbsafety.com

Typical FIRO-B® Users/Clients

Our typical client will comes from a variety of different industries, including manufacturing and mining and uses the FIRO-B® with a leadership group or employee team.