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Interpersonal needs assessment
Free Inclusion, Control & Affection Test
How much do you want to belong, to lead and to be close to others, and how much do you actually show it? Answer 54 questions to measure your three core interpersonal needs in six scores, with an instant, personalized interpretation of your results.
Free · 54 questions · Under 10 minutes · Instant interpretation
What you’ll discover
What do you need from other people?
Everyone needs other people, but not in the same way or in the same amounts. The ICA Index measures three core interpersonal needs, and for each one, both what you give to others and what you want back.
How you belong
How much you seek out groups and contact, and how much you want to be invited, noticed and included.
How you lead and follow
How comfortable you are taking charge, and how much structure and direction you want from others.
How close you get
How much warmth and openness you show, and how much closeness and appreciation you want in return.
Personalized results, not a form letter
Most online tests give everyone the same canned paragraph for a high or low score. Your interpretation is written for your exact scores on all six scales, including the gaps between what you give and what you want, which is where the most useful insights usually are.
The test
Take the ICA Index
54 questions, each rated on a scale of 1 to 6; most people finish in under 10 minutes. Answer based on how you usually are, not how you think you should be. There are no right or wrong answers, and your personalized interpretation appears as soon as you finish.
The three needs
Inclusion, Control and Affection explained
Each need is measured in two directions: what you express toward others, and what you want from them. High or low scores aren’t good or bad; they describe your preferences.
Inclusion
Belonging, participation and visibilityHow you approach groups and social contact. Higher scores lean toward frequent interaction, group activities and being in the loop; lower scores lean toward privacy, independence and choosing when to join in.
Control
Influence, responsibility and structureHow you handle power and decisions. It describes whether you tend to lead, share authority, follow a clear direction or work with a lot of independence.
Affection
Warmth, trust and closenessThe level of personal warmth and emotional openness you prefer. Outside close relationships, it isn’t about romance; it’s about how personal or professional you like your connections to be.
Your profile
The six ICA Index scores
Three needs, each measured in two directions, give you six scores. Together they form a profile of how you like to relate to people.
The most revealing part: the gaps
What you give and what you want don’t always match. Someone may organize everyone else but quietly wish someone would take charge of them. Someone else may want close relationships yet find it hard to show warmth first. Those gaps often explain why a relationship or team feels “off”, and they’re a big part of your personalized interpretation.
Compatibility
Interpersonal compatibility: three ways people fit
The theory behind the ICA Index describes three kinds of compatibility between two people. Comparing your six scores with a partner’s, a friend’s or a colleague’s shows where you’re likely to fit easily and where you may need to talk.
Give and take
Each person gives roughly what the other wants. It’s often called reciprocal compatibility.
One partner likes to take charge; the other is happy to let them.
Who goes first
One person tends to initiate and the other to respond. When both want to lead, they compete; when neither does, nothing happens.
Two strong organizers on one project may both try to set the agenda.
The same appetite
Both people want about the same overall amount of contact, structure or closeness.
One partner wants constant togetherness; the other needs plenty of space.
Try it together
Have your partner, friend or teammate take the ICA Index too, then compare your six scores side by side. Most friction comes from different expectations, not bad intentions.
Putting it to use
Using your results at work and at home
Understanding interpersonal needs helps explain why people approach meetings, decisions and relationships so differently, and makes those differences easier to talk about.
At work
Teams, coaches and leaders use interpersonal needs profiles to talk about:
- Who needs to be kept in the loop, and who prefers fewer meetings
- Who naturally takes charge, and who wants clear direction
- How feedback and recognition should be delivered
- How team members build trust
- How to reduce friction around delegation and decisions
In relationships
Partners, friends and families can use the six scores to understand:
- How much time together and apart each person needs
- Who makes decisions, and how that feels to both of you
- How each of you shows care, and how you like to receive it
- Why one person feels left out while the other feels crowded
- Where to meet in the middle
Where expectations clash
- One person expects frequent updates; the other assumes independence is preferred.
- One colleague wants direct instructions; another sees them as micromanagement.
- One person values personal conversation; the other would rather stick to the task.
The origin
Will Schutz and the theory of interpersonal needs
In 1958, American psychologist William (Will) Schutz published a three-dimensional theory of interpersonal behavior. His idea was simple and powerful: people come together in groups and relationships to satisfy three basic needs, which he called Inclusion, Control and Affection.
Schutz also noticed that each need works in two directions. There is what we express toward other people, and what we want from them, and the two don’t always match. His framework went on to become one of the most widely used models of interpersonal behavior in team building, leadership development and counseling.
About the ICA Index
The ICA Index is an original 54-question questionnaire written by Hypnotechs and based on Schutz’s published theory. It is not a copy or adaptation of any commercial assessment. What sets it apart is the modern, mobile-friendly experience and an immediate, personalized interpretation of every result, including the gaps between what you give and what you want.
Reading your results
How to interpret your ICA Index profile
Treat your scores as patterns of preference, not fixed labels. A score doesn’t make you outgoing, controlling, friendly, passive or distant; it points to tendencies that shift with the situation, the relationship, your role and your culture. For example:
- High Expressed Inclusion may show up at work while you stay private at home.
- High Wanted Control may mean you value clear leadership in uncertain times, then prefer autonomy once expectations are set.
- High Expressed Affection may be warm with trusted friends and reserved with new people.
- Low Wanted Affection doesn’t mean you don’t care; you may simply prefer less emotional disclosure.
Schutz’s three-need model has been used in decades of research on groups, teams and relationships. Like any self-report questionnaire, though, your results reflect how you see yourself right now, so they’re most useful as a starting point for reflection and conversation.
What the ICA Index doesn’t measure
Not for high-stakes decisions
Results should never be used on their own to make decisions about hiring, promotion, diagnosis or someone’s suitability for a role.
FAQ
ICA Index: common questions
What is the ICA Index?
The ICA Index is a free interpersonal needs assessment. It measures how much you express and want Inclusion, Control and Affection in your relationships, groups and teams, giving you six scores and a personalized interpretation.
How long does the ICA Index take?
The ICA Index has 54 questions, each rated on a scale of 1 to 6, and most people finish in under 10 minutes.
What does ICA stand for?
ICA stands for Inclusion, Control and Affection, the three core interpersonal needs described by psychologist Will Schutz.
What are the six ICA Index scores?
Expressed Inclusion, Wanted Inclusion, Expressed Control, Wanted Control, Expressed Affection and Wanted Affection.
What do I get at the end of the test?
Not a form letter. As soon as you finish, you get your six scores plus an instant interpretation written for your exact profile, including the gaps between what you give and what you want from others.
What is the difference between expressed and wanted needs?
Expressed needs are what you tend to give or initiate, such as inviting others, taking charge or showing warmth. Wanted needs are what you want to receive, such as being included, getting clear direction or being appreciated. The two don’t always match.
Who developed the theory behind the ICA Index?
American psychologist William (Will) Schutz introduced the theory of Inclusion, Control and Affection in 1958. The ICA Index is an original questionnaire written by Hypnotechs and based on his published theory.
How does the ICA Index compare with other assessments based on Schutz’s theory?
The ICA Index and the FIRO-B® assessment are based on the same source material: Will Schutz’s theory of Inclusion, Control and Affection. The FIRO-B® is a proprietary, paid assessment owned by The Myers-Briggs Company. The ICA Index is an original, independent questionnaire written by Hypnotechs, with its own questions and interpretations, and it is completely free. The ICA Index is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Myers-Briggs Company.
Can I compare my results with a partner or team?
Yes. Have the other person take the ICA Index, then compare your six scores side by side. Differences between what one person gives and the other wants often explain friction in a relationship or team.
Is the ICA Index a personality test?
It is best described as an interpersonal needs assessment. It focuses on how you prefer to interact with others rather than measuring every aspect of personality. For a broader picture, try the Big Five personality test.
Can employers use the ICA Index for hiring?
No. It is designed for self-reflection, team development and coaching, not for hiring, promotion or diagnosis. It is not a clinical tool.
Is this test free?
Yes. The ICA Index is completely free, including your personalized interpretation, and you do not need an account to take it.
Round out the picture
Pair your interpersonal needs with your core personality traits in the free Big Five test, then compare results with a partner.
The ICA Index is an original assessment created by Hypnotechs, based on William Schutz’s published theory of interpersonal needs. It is not the FIRO-B® assessment and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by The Myers-Briggs Company. FIRO-B® is a registered trademark of The Myers-Briggs Company. The ICA Index is designed for self-reflection and education, not for clinical, diagnostic or hiring decisions.