DISC Behavior Graph

DISC Behavior Styles

DISC is a theory about behavior styles. Psychologist William Moulton Marston created the DISC behavior system in the 1920s and wrote about them in his book, The Emotions of Normal People. Under the name Charles Moulton, Marston also created super hero Wonder Woman.

In Marston’s DISC descriptions

“D” stands for Dominance

“I” stands for Inducement

“S” stands for Submission

“C” stands for Compliance

Marston did not copyright his theory, so people have been modifying it for decades, including changing the names of the behavior styles. This website uses:

Dominance

Influence

Steadiness

Conscientiousness

Behavior Styles, Not Personality Styles

William Mouton Marston wrote about “behavior styles,” not “personality styles.”

This website uses “behavior styles” because the clues are behavior clues.

Behavior clues are easy to recognize.

Is There A Best Behavior Style?

No behavior style is best.

Each behavior style has success characteristics and failure characteristics.

Each behavior style is good at something the other three behavior styles have trouble doing well.

DISC Behavioral Factors

Each behavior style focuses on a different behavioral factor — problems, people, pace, or procedure.

Dominance Factor Problems

How we respond to problems and challenges
How we use power

Influence Factor People

How we attempt to influence other people
How we interact with other people

Steadiness Factor Pace

How we respond to the pace of our surroundings
How we respond to change

Conscientiousness Factor Procedure

How we respond to rules and procedures
How we respond to authority

Shorthand Graph

Paula’s Shorthand Graph

I / S
D/C

A shorthand graph will give you a general understanding about your behavior style blend. Knowing how to create a shorthand graph for yourself should help you create shorthand graphs for people you want to understand better. Using DISC behavior styles and Spranger guiding values, I now understand every relationship in my life.

You can use these shorthand descriptions to quickly identify your own and other people’s High DISC behavior style.

High D Dominance

Outgoing
Getting things done

High I Influence

Outgoing
Connecting with people

High S Steadiness

Reserved
Connecting with people

High C Conscientiousness

Reserved
Getting things done

Plotted Graph

Paula’s plotted DISC graph.

DISC behavior styles can be graphed in great detail with a plotted graph plus explanations. Search online for “free DISC profile assessment” to get your own profile / assessment. You could get more than one free profile to compare them.

Many of the companies providing free profiles / assessments use the phrase “personality test.” I use the phrase “behavior styles” because that is what William Mouton Marston used. The clues to the styles are behavior clues. See the clues above.

Most people will have two behavior styles above the midline and two behavior styles below the midline.

High/Secondary High
Low/Secondary Low

Some people will have three behavior styles above the midline and one behavior style below the midline.

High/Secondary High/Tertiary High
Low

Some people will have one behavior style above the midline and three behavior styles below the midline.

High .
Low/Secondary Low/Tertiary Low

Be honest when you fill out the shorthand graph. It’s all right to be better at getting things done than at connecting with people. Just learn to connect with people so you can be better at getting things done.

3 Behavior Styles Above The Midline

If you have three behavior styles above the midline, determining your Secondary High behavior style is more complicated. You may have to think about it for a while before you figure it out. Your Secondary High behavior style will play a bigger part in your life than the other behavior style above the midline.

If you have three behavior styles above the midline and you have figured out your High and Secondary High behavior styles, you have nothing else to figure out. The third behavior style above the line is your Tertiary High behavior style. Your Low behavior style is the one behavior style below the midline.

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1 Behavior Style Above The Midline

If you have one behavior style above the midline, your Secondary behavior style (the one that modifies your High behavior style the most) is a Low behavior style.

Your modifying Low behavior style is the one that has more meaning in your life than the other two behavior styles below the midline. You may have to think about your three Low behavior styles for a time to figure out which one is Secondary and which one is Tertiary. Your Tertiary style has the least meaning in your life.

Adapted Behavior Styles

We also have several adapted behavior styles that help us create success in particular situations. Think about a continuing situation in which you don’t feel comfortable and safe.

Do you take control even though you feel uncomfortable taking control?

Your adapted behavior style in that situation is High D Dominance.

Do you try to think up ideas when you normally wait for others to think up ideas?

Your adapted behavior style in that situation is High I Influence.

Do you to try please someone more than you normally try to please people?

Your adapted behavior style in that situation is High S Steadiness.

Do you follow the rules more carefully than you normally do?

Your adapted behavior style in that situation is High C Conscientiousness.

Creating Shorthand Graphs For Other People

To determine someone else’s shorthand behavior style graph, follow the same steps.

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