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Relationship Awareness Theory is based on the premise that there is a purpose or motive behind all behavior. The Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) was designed to help individuals identify their motives in relating to others under two kinds of conditions; when everything is going well in their relationships and when they are in conflict with others. The authors administered the SDI over a ten year period to 516 health professionals and advanced level trainees who worked or trained on interdisciplinary healthcare teams. Individual motivation styles were analyzed by discipline, and formal leadership role. One team's pattern was analyzed over time. The predominant motivational style of respondents was altruistic/nurturing under normal conditions and analytic/ autonomizing under conflict conditions. Nurses and social workers were most similar under normal conditions and nurses and physicians were most similar under conflict conditions. There were differences for both conditions between formal leaders and those without formal leadership roles. The motivational patterns of an interdisciplinary team changed over time. Also, team members exhibited more diversity under normal conditions than they did when they were in conflict.

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