DISC Model of Human Behavior - A Brief Summary

As a teenager and young adult, I thought people were totally irrational and unpredictable. In my thirties, I learned about patterns of behavior that people tend to follow in many areas of their lives and in many situations.

Understanding these patterns helped me to realize that people are not totally irrational. Most people simply see the world, prioritize their activities, communicate with others, and act according to relatively predictable patterns of behavior.

The model I learned, and eventually studied to the point of becoming a master trainer, is the DISC model of human behavior.

Before we even get into this article too deeply, I want to emphasize the statement that people tend to do things in predictable ways. I do not mean anything in this article to box people in, label people, or to imply that any of us can know everything about any other person merely by understanding their primary behavioral style (actually styles). Still, understanding the model can form a strong basis for learning to communicate with and understand other people in better and more effective ways.

That being said, here's a brief summary of how the model describes normal human behavior.

The foundation for the DISC model comes from the work Dr. William Moulton Marston in the 1920's. Dr. Marston was, at the time, a Harvard psychologist. From his research, he developed a theory that people tend to develop their self-concept based on one of four factors - Dominance, Inducement, Steadiness, or Compliance. This theory is the foundation for the DISC theory as it is usually taught today.

Over the years, other psychologists and behavioral specialists developed a number of different assessment, teaching tools, and models to apply Marston's theory in practice. If you search the web for DISC assessments, you will find a large number of assessment and measurement tools based on the DISC model readily available.

The founder and president of Personality Insights, Inc of Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Robert Rohm, has developed a fantastic collection of practical resources based on the the DISC model with a positive focus.

As taught by Personality Insights consultants, the DISC model is described by a circle divided into quadrants to represent the full range of normal human behavior.

First, divide the circle in half horizontally to give you upper and lower halves to represent the "motor" or "pace" drive. The upper half of the circle represents outgoing or fast-paced people. The lower half represents reserved or slower-paced people. In general, outgoing people move fast, talk fast, and decide fast. And, more reserved people generally speak more slowly and more softly than outgoing people. Reserved people also often prefer to consider things more thoroughly before deciding.

Next, divide the circle vertically to give you left and right halves to represent the "compass" or "priority" drive. The left half represents task-oriented people. The right half represents people-oriented people. Task-oriented people tend to focus on logic, data, results and projects. People-oriented people tend to focus on experiences, feelings, relationships, and interactions with other people.

Combining these two ways of dividing the circle gives us four quadrants that break the circle into four broad descriptors for normal human behavior...

D-type individuals are represented by the upper left quadrant. They are outgoing and task-oriented. They tend to be Dominant and Decisive. They usually focus on results and the bottom-line.

I-type individuals are represented by the upper right quadrant. The are outgoing and people-oriented. They tend to be Inspiring and Influencing. They usually focus on talking and having fun.

S-type individuals are represented by the lower right quadrant. They are reserved and people-oriented. They tend to be Supportive and Steady. They usually focus on peace and harmony.

C-type individuals are represented by the lower left quadrant. They are reserved and task-oriented. They tend to be Cautious and Conscientious. They usually focus on facts and rules.

In practice, very few people exhibit behavioral patterns that fall neatly within any single quadrant. The vast majority of people generally exhibit at least two of the four basic traits in their everyday behaviors. Considering all of the different ways to combine the four traits and the varying intensities of the traits, a typical 24-question personality profile assessment can create 19,680 distinct and different profile types.

Describing the full range of application of the model is far beyond the scope of this article. In practice, simply understanding the four different basic behavioral styles creates a map for understanding ourselves and others more completely so that we can connect, communicate, and cooperate in more effective and productive ways.