Abstract
When evaluating individual behavior, psychotherapists often do not consider two essential characteristics: behavior towards other people and expectations about other people’s behavior. The purpose of this study was to assess Lesley Love’s individual behavior. The FIRO-B instrument was used as a primary method of assessment. Study results showed that Lesley’s behavior is healthy and does not contain internal contradictions. The Overall index was Medium-Low, 19 out of 54 points.
This means that involvement with others can be rewarding for Lesley, depending on the situation. She probably prefers to work alone or with small groups and tends to be close to a relatively select group of friends and coworkers. It is noteworthy that the Expressed Affection index was high, 8 out of 9 points, and the Expressed and Wanted Control indexes were low, 0 out of 9, and 1 out of 9, respectively. Besides, Lesley is experiencing a period of grief and loss due to the death of her mother. In this regard, she may be offered to undergo supportive psychotherapy.
Demographic Information and the Personal History of the Client
Lesley Love was born and raised in Seattle, Washington; she attended courses at the local college and university and received a Master’s Degree in Economics. Lesley is a black female, 35 years old; adventurous father helped her to start a successful designer furniture business. She runs a team of 10 designers who work at a studio on the outskirts of Seattle. Lesley is married and brings up a 5-year-old daughter, maintains warm relations with her own, and her husband’s family. The husband works at the same enterprise; he selects, purchases, and delivers materials for furniture creation. Lesley’s mother has died recently, so Lesley is going through a difficult period of loss.
Results of the FIRO-B Assessment
The FIRO-B instrument was used to evaluate Lesley’s individual behavior. The Expressed Inclusion index was Medium, 6 out of 9 points. This means that Lesley tends to include others in some of her activities, joins, and belongs to select groups and interacts with people some of the time (Schnell & Hammer, 2004). The Expressed Control index was low, 0 out of 9 points: Lesley typically avoids controlling and influencing others and situations, organizing and directing others, and assuming responsibility. The Expressed Affection index was high, 8 out of 9 points, meaning that Lesley typically gets close to people and is comfortable expressing feelings and supporting others. The Total Expressed index was Medium, 14 out of 27 points: Lesley initiates activities with others, but it depends on the people and the situation.
Then the Wanted Inclusion index was analyzed; it turned out to be low, 0 out of 9 points. Lesley usually does not want others to include her in their activities and groups and does not like being noticed. The Wanted Control index was also low, 1 out of 9. Lesley is most comfortable in flexible situations with few expectations and instructions (Schnell & Hammer, 2004). The Wanted Affection index was Medium, 4 out of 9 points. Lesley has some desire for others to act warmly, share their feelings, and encourage her, depending on the situation. Lesley’s Total Wanted index was Low, 5 out of 27 points. She tends to be uncomfortable when others initiate activities and usually does not expect much of people.
Afterward, the Total indexes were analyzed; Lesley’s Total Inclusion index was Medium, 6 out of 18 points. She prefers a balance between time alone and time with others. The Total Control index was Low, 1 out of 18 points. Lesley tends to favor situations with little structure and has a relaxed attitude towards authority and responsibility (Schnell, 2000). At the same time, the Total Affection index was Medium, 12 out of 27 points. Lesley is most likely to prefer some but not much warmth and closeness in one-to-one relationships. The Overall index was Medium-Low, 19 out of 54 points. Involvement with others can be rewarding for Lesley, depending on the situation. She probably prefers to work alone or with small groups and tends to be close to a relatively select group of friends and coworkers.
The results of the FIRO-B assessment showed that the actual Lesley’s individual behavior is within normal limits. Given that women are more likely to express affection, a higher Expressed Affection index is a typical result among women. Wherein, the low Total Control index may indicate a particular personality type (i.e., ‘S,’ if using the ‘DISC’ typology) rather than signalize possible control problems.
Lesley lives a full life and does not have problems communicating with others. Nonetheless, as she is experiencing a period of grief, it may have a depressing effect on her. High Affection index may indicate that she will successfully cope with all stages of grief and loss. People tend to perceive the death of a parent of their gender more acutely, so Lesley may need to undergo supportive psychotherapy. Since the support of her husband and father, who himself is going through a difficult period, may not be enough. Besides, the depressive state, which accompanies grief, does not have to affect Lesley’s 5-year-old daughter. Given Lesley’s tendency to provide care and support, rather than receive one, the neurotic behavioral strategies may emerge.
Conclusion
In this way, the evaluation of Lesley’s individual behavior was made using the FIRO-B instrument, and recommendations for treatment were given. FIRO-B indexes were defined within normal limits, indicating that Lesley has healthy relationships with others. Given Lesley’s tendency to provide care and support, rather than receive one, the neurotic behavioral strategies may emerge while she is experiencing the loss of her mother, so Lesley was recommended to undergo supportive psychotherapy.
References
Schnell, E. R., & Hammer, A. L. (2004). Introduction to the FIRO-B instrument in organizations, Mountain View, CA: CPP, Inc.
Schnell, E. R. (2000). Participating in teams: using your FIRO-B results to improve interpersonal effectiveness. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.