Introduction
People are social creatures, meaning they cannot avoid communicating with others. Moreover, in our daily activities, we meet other individuals and interact with them. This can happen in both home and work environments; however, the degree of success and the ability to attain particular goals during this process depends on interpersonal skills and preferences (Giddens et al., 2021). For this reason, it is vital to realize your peculiarities and avoid situations that might be stressful. FIRO Test helps to outline the major characteristics of personality and understand areas that might need development or additional attention or regulation. Having conducted this assessment, I acquired the following results.
FIRO Test Results
Inclusion
First of all, I want to focus on the inclusion area. The expressed inclusion is determined as 7, which is higher than average. It means I am a social person preferring to include other people in my activities, communicate with them, and interact with them to attain various goals. This high level of socialization might be helpful when working on group projects or organizing teams to achieve particular goals and move forward (Kenrick et al., 2014). At the same time, inclusion scores higher than average show strong preferences for socialization and avoiding being or working alone.
Wanted inclusion rates are different and count 5, which is indicates the medium level. This number implies that I do not mind being included in the work of other groups, want to be noticed by others, and have a desire to assist others in their tasks. It also means that I remain involved in the collective’s work and share my vision or experiences. The total inclusion score is 12, which describes me as a social person who prefers to play an active role in different social situations and interact with people surrounding me. It also indicates that inclusion is my strength as I feel comfortable with others and cannot be stressed or feel anxious during group work.
Control
Control is another area analyzed by applying the FIRO Test and helping to understand my peculiarities. It implies the decision-making area, areas of power, influence, and authority, which play a critical role in interpersonal communication (Schnell & Hammer, 2004). The expressed control is 5, meaning that I can influence others in some situations, take responsibility for organizing groups, and introduce goals that might help to evolve. This number is medium, which also describes me as a person who wants to be sure that things are correctly done by others and take an active part in decision-making and discussion.
Wanted a control score 2, which helps to understand my readiness to be controlled, follow specific instructions, and be led. This number means that I might feel less comfortable in well-defined situations with clear instructions; however, I can still attain existing goals and meet expectations (Nordgren & Schonthal, 2021). At the same time, this rate shows that I feel less pressure and am flexible in cases when less authority and control are present and demonstrate some creativity in acting on my own and selecting the most appropriate option. The total control score is 7, implying that I like interaction with few instructions and structure. I do not like following strict commands or leaders with a high level of authority as it makes me feel stressed or too excited.
Affection
Finally, affection is another area assessed by using the FIRO framework. It shows the degree to which warm feelings and emotional attachment are required in relations or everyday communication (Schnell & Hammer, 2004). First, my expressed score is 8, which is high and helps to acquire an improved vision of my personality. It means that usually, I build close relations with people and feel free when they demonstrate their attachment by using gestures or other nonverbal tools (Hanh, 2014). I also can express my emotions freely, support others, and feel relaxed in groups presupposing close interaction and sharing. In other words, I am an open person who enjoys close communication and friendly relations.
As for the wanted affection, it scores 7, which is also high. This category describes a person’s expectations of others’ behaviors and their readiness to demonstrate emotions. As for me, I prefer others to act warmly and show their attachment. Indifference expressed by other individuals can be stressful as it will confuse me. At the same time, I also prefer being encouraged and supported during some complex periods or when working on a hard task. It characterizes me as an emotional person who is not ashamed of being open. The overall score in this field is 15, which means that I will always prefer close and warm relations with clearly indicated emotions and mutual support.
Total Scores
The total expressed score is 20, which can help to understand my attitude to others and my typical behaviors. Usually, I am an active member of any relationships who feel comfortable working in groups and distributing tasks. Moreover, I am ready to accept responsibilities and control others to achieve particular goals. I also can influence others if it helps them to make the right choices or move in the right direction. At the same time, the high affection numbers show the way how I do it. I prefer building emotional bonds, sharing patterns, and readiness to support people in complex situations. The high expressed score proves my involvement in social interactions and my desire to continue building new bonds.
The highest expressed score is 27, while I have 20, meaning that there are still some situations when I might use behaviors not typical for me. Control has the lowest point, which means that I can still be less comfortable when the group or a person acts differently from my expectations (Tuhovsky, 2015). However, in most situations, I am satisfied with social interactions. It characterizes me as an open, emotional, and involved person who can always play an active role in different processes and make a significant contribution. Being isolated or working alone might be complex for me as I need support and a feeling of attachment and friendly relations with others to succeed.
From another hand, the total wanted score is 14, which also correctly reflects my expectations from others. First of all, I am comfortable with others being active and playing a leading role in various processes. I can also easily engage in the activity initiated and organized by others, which I think is my strength. Additionally, this score shows that I can work in collectives characterized by emotional relationships between their members and benefit from being supported by others. Expressed affection has the highest score, representing me as an open and passionate person. In general, the average wanted score shows that being a socially active person, I can rely on others and help them to succeed by making my contribution and following instructions. It is essential to be an active member of any social group.
However, it is vital to consider that the highest wanted score is 27, while I have 14. It means that some situations can make me feel stressed or nervous. In other words, my social interactions still depend on the people involved in them, their qualities, and planned activities. Too strict control and frames limiting my creativity and freedom can reduce my effectiveness and performance (Hegverdt & Johnson, 2017). Additionally, the framework for cooperation established by others might be pressing for me, which can be a problem in specific situations typical to the existing environment (Guffey & Loewy, 2018). In such a way, the total waned score shows that in most cases, I am ready to take part in group activities led by others; however, I demand a certain level of freedom to avoid feeling anxious or nervous.
Finally, the FIRO test shows that my total score is 34, while the highest is 54. It is a medium-range describing my specific characteristics. In most situations, involvement and interaction with others can be pleasant and rewarding for me. I can work in teams and be their active member. At the same time, I do not mind being included in other groups and contributing to their development. However, I require some degree of freedom and creativity to feel less stressed and show my best qualities. The emotional aspect of interpersonal relations is also rewarding for me, as I prefer to demonstrate my attachment and expect the same behavioral patterns from others (Pickering, 2021). This assessment helps me to realize my peculiarities in social interaction and recognize the need for developing specific areas which can help to become more effective in social interactions.
Development Plans
In such a way, the FIRO test is an effective tool to examine your behaviors and how you feel in different social situations. Additionally, it promotes a better vision of development areas and things that should be improved. In my case, the control field has the lowest score, meaning that I should focus on this area. I think a good specialist should be able to work in structured environments as it is one of the central characteristics of modern organizations (Griffith et al., 2015). For this reason, following the results of FIRO, I plan to focus on developing my ability to follow instructions as it will make me more comfortable when working in units with hierarchy. I will also increase my value as a team player and help to align better relations with colleagues.
Conclusion
Altogether, the FIRO test can be viewed as a potent tool individual can employ to understand the peculiarities of their social interactions. Using these methods, a person can assess inclusion, control, and affection areas and create a complete image of their personality. Analyzing acquired scores, I realized that I feel comfortable with social interactions, and they can be rewarding for me in most cases. At the same time, some situations can be difficult for me, and usually, they imply strict control and frames limiting my creativity. Using FIRO results, it is also possible to outline development areas and focus on improving some aspects to become more involved in social processes, which is vital for future success and career-building.
References
Giddens, A., Duneier, M., Appelbaum, R., & Carr, D. (2021). Introduction to sociology (12th ed.). W.W. Norton & Company.
Griffith, H., Keirns, N., Strayer, E., Cody-Rydzewski, S., Scaramuzzo, G., Sadler, T., Vyain, S., Bry, J., & Jones, F. (2015). Introduction to sociology (2nd ed.). OpenStax.
Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2018). Essentials of business communication (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Hanh, T. (2014). The art of communicating. HarperOne.
Hegverdt, K., & Johnson, C. (2017). Social psychology: Individuals, interaction, and inequality. SAGE Publications Inc.
Kenrick, D., Neuberg, S., & Ciadini, R. (2014). Social psychology: Goals in interaction (6th ed.). Pearson.
Nordgren, L., & Schonthal, D. (2021). The human element: Overcoming the resistance that awaits new ideas. Wiley.
Pickering, M. (2021). Understanding dialogue. Cambridge University Press.
Schnell, E., & Hammer, A. (2004). Introduction to the FIRO-B instrument in organizations. Sam Melfi Books.
Tuhovsky, I. (2015). Communication skills training: A practical guide to improving your social intelligence, presentation, persuasion and public speaking. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.