What Research Shows That The DISC System Is Valid?
Many
university’s behavioral sciences and psychology departments have conducted
research into the validity of the four type Model of Human Behavior. In 1921,
Carl Jung published Psychological Types in Germany, identifying and describing
four “types.” William Moulton Marston earned his doctorate from Harvard in 1921,
and
was professor at both Harvard and Columbia Universities. In 1928, he published
The Emotions of Normal People, advancing his DISC theory. In the 1950’s, Walter
Clark developed an assessment tool based on Marston’s work, the “Activity
Vector Analysis.” Today, more than 50 companies use the Marston DISC Theory as
the basis for examining patterns of behavior. Experts in psychometrics evaluate
the validity of the assessment tool, comparing it (among others) to:
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Cattell 16
Personality Factor Questionnaire, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI), Strong Interest Inventory, and the Performax Personal Profile. Marston
styled assessment tools have been administered to over 30,000,000 people
worldwide and they enjoy respect in the business and education communities.
More than 81% of the participant’s colleagues see it as a very accurate picture
of his or her habitual behavior patterns. Among those who are primarily “D” in
their style, accuracy is rated at 91%; for “I” types, it is 94%. Primarily “S”
type individuals perceive an 85% accuracy, while for “C” types, it is 82%. This
gives us an 88.49% perceived accuracy, with a standard deviation of 6.43%. In
other words, the report generated by this process is perceived as highly
accurate, in most situations, by most participants.
Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
