William Schutz
William Schutz ( -
November 9,
2002) was a
psychologist at the
Esalen Institute (
Big Sur,
California) in the
1960s. He later became the president of
BConWSA International. He received his
Ph.D. from
UCLA.
In 1958 Schutz introduced a theory of interpersonal relations he called
Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO). According to the theory three dimensions of interpersonal relations were deemed to be necessary and sufficient to explain most human interaction. The dimensions are:
Inclusion,
Control and
Affection. These dimensions have been used to assess
group dynamics.
Schutz also created FIRO-B, a measurement instrument with scales that assess the behavioral aspects of the three dimensions. A survey of seventy-five of the most widely used training instruments, including the
MBTI, completed in 1976 by Pfeiffer and Heslin, found that "the FIRO-B was the most generally usable instrument in training." The popularity of the FIRO-B has been eclipsed by the MBTI as the latter became widely used in business. In recent years, however, interest in FIRO has picked up. It has even been instrumental in the development of a relatively new theory of
Five Temperaments.
Schutz died of a
stroke on
November 9,
2002.
FIRO: A Three-Dimensional Theory of Interpersonal Behavior. New York, NY: Rinehart (1958).
Joy. Expanding Human Awareness. ? (1967).
Profound Simplicity. New York, NY: Bantam (1979).
The Truth Option. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press (1984).
Joy: Twenty Years Later. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press (1989).
*"Beyond FIRO-Bâ€"Three New Theory Derived Measuresâ€"Element B: Behavior, Element F: Feelings, Element S: Self." Psychological Reports, June, 70, 915-937 (1992).
The Human Element: Productivity, Self-Esteem and the Bottom Line. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass (1994).
*Thompson, H.L. 2000. "
FIRO Element B : An Overview"
