Does FIRO-B relate better to interpersonal or intrapersonal behavior?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Group Dynamics

Background:

• Interpersonal behavior is crucial for group dynamics and individual functioning.
• The Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientations-Behavior (FIRO-B) scale is widely used to assess interpersonal needs.
• Validating assessment methods against peer perceptions is essential in social psychology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the convergent validity of the FIRO-B scale by comparing self-ratings with peer assessments.
• To investigate the relationship between FIRO-B dimensions and the Interpersonal Behavior Inventory (IBI) in a small group context.

Main Methods:

• 64 undergraduates participated in small interpersonal skills groups over 7 weeks.
• Participants completed the FIRO-B scale for self-assessment.
• Participants also provided peer ratings using the Interpersonal Behavior Inventory (IBI).
• Correlations were analyzed between FIRO-B self-ratings and IBI scales (self and peer-reported).

Main Results:

• 25 significant correlations were found between FIRO-B self-ratings and IBI self-ratings (p < .05).
• Only 5 significant correlations emerged between FIRO-B self-ratings and pooled peer IBI ratings.
• 19 of 30 significant correlations linked FIRO-B's affection and inclusion measures with IBI affiliativeness/sociability scales.

Conclusions:

• The study challenges the validity of the FIRO-B scale's intrapersonal assessment method for interpersonal behavior.
• Self-reported FIRO-B measures show weak agreement with peer perceptions of interpersonal behavior.
• Further research is needed to refine or validate interpersonal assessment tools.