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May 9, 2024 · DiSC personality theory classifies human behavior into four basic categories: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). The DiSC personality test represents all results on a chart consisting of two intersecting axes—the bold/cautious axis and the questioning/accepting axis.
- Lisa Sparrow
- Overview
- A Breakdown of DISC Personality Types
- Process for Identifying and Assessing DISC Personality Types
- Tips for Dealing With Each DISC Personality Type
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DISC is an acronym that identifies four personality types: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. DISC personality types, first proposed in 1928 by physiological psychologist William Moulton Marston, are most often favored in the workplace or other professional settings because they focus on behavior, not other aptitudes like values or intelligence.
The DISC personality theory is a behavior model that divides a person's characteristics into four “types” to understand why they do what they do. There are explanations for each individual type, but keep in mind they can be combined in groups of two as well. So, some people may be an influence (I) type, while others may be an influence-dominance (ID) type or an influence-steadiness (IS) type.
Most people fall into one or two combinations. There are 12 commonly recognized personality types, but dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness are the starting points for all the personality types.
Paper and online assessments will tell you your DISC personality type and those of others. These can be used in professional and personal settings.
If you don’t know a person’s DISC type, you can also use the OAR — observe, assess, recognize — model to assess their personality. You would do that like this:
1.Observe the behavior of the individual you want to categorize. Look for what they talk about but also how they talk. For instance, dominance and conscientiousness types use “I” and “me” more, while influence and steadiness types use “we” and “us” more. Using body language can help, too. For example, a person may be more extroverted if they’re a dominance or influence type or subdued if they’re a steadiness or conscientiousness type.
2.After you’ve observed the individual, assess if they’re more active (dominance or influence) with animated, assertive body language and strong eye contact, or reserved (steadiness or conscientiousness) with calm or quiet speech, and whether they’re task-oriented (dominance or conscientiousness) with talk about things or tasks or people-oriented (influence or steadiness) with talk about people or feelings.
3.Take everything you’ve observed and assessed so far and recognize their personality type, whether it's dominance, influence, steadiness, conscientiousness, or a combination of two of these possibilities.
While this informal OAR method is not as accurate as a formal DISC assessment, it can be a helpful baseline.
Knowing someone’s DISC personality type will give you an idea of how they operate in personal and professional settings. For example, Hansen observes that if he were working with someone who’s either a conscientiousness or steadiness type, he would “have a discussion with [them] and go ‘OK, now let’s look at it from both ways and let’s see what we come up with,’ because that’s how they operate. With a dominant person [on the other hand] sometimes…. you would be a little more directive.”
Here are some additional tips for dealing with each personality type.
The (S)teadiness Personality Style, Explained. The S-style is typically the most patient and supportive of the four DISC styles. S types are calm, sincere and naturally laid back.
The DISC profile is a behavioral assessment tool, based on William Marston’s theory that there are four major personality traits: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C).
- The Challenger (DC) The Challenger type does not mess about. She is driven, accomplished, and assertive – though she may also be perceived as insensitive, impersonal, or aloof.
- The Winner (D) First cousin to the Challenger, the Winner is a dominant type who makes decisions from the top. A focused, inspirational character, she may be an out-and-out leader who demands results rather than spending time working on the nuts-and-bolts of daily work.
- The Seeker (Di) The Seeker is a pioneer. She is happy to take the difficult route to success if it means creating more profitable processes and ideas. She gets frustrated resting on her laurels and will egg her colleagues on to innovate fresh ideas of working.
- The Risk Taker (iD) The Risk-Taker, too, is about new ideas and bold leaps ahead. She may be less likely to seek out a position of authority, which means she’ll be exploring those ideas among her hierarchic equals on the ground level.
Explains personality disorders, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family. If you require this information in Word document format for compatibility with screen readers, please email: publications@mind.org.uk.
People also ask
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You may receive a diagnosis of personality disorder if all of these apply: The way you think, feel, and behave causes you significant problems in daily life. For example, you may not feel like you can trust others. Or you may often feel abandoned, causing you or others distress in day-to-day relationships.
