History
History of the Theory
The Extended DISC® System is based on a psychological theory developed in the 1920's. Carl G. Jung created the foundations for the theory in his book The Psychological Types (Die Psychologische Typen). His ideas were based on defining two behavioral axes; sensation- intuition and thinking - feeling, and the four main behavioral traits that they composed. The work of Jung was further developed by William Moulton-Marston who defined a four dimensional behavioral map.
As a result, the four-quadrant thinking of human behavior was developed. It is still popular and is used in many management, sales and leadership training techniques. A few variations of the theory also exist that use, for example, eight or sixteen categories of behavioral styles. The over-simplification of behavior and its classifications have proven to be a weakness in these systems.
The original DISC reference framework was developed at the end of the 1940's and the beginning of the 1950's to eliminate these problems. It uses regression analysis to separate the combined four basic behavioral styles from each other and makes them into independent and even interdependent behavioral styles. This also makes it possible to have a framework of millions of human reaction modes that can be transformed by using different techniques, into a smaller, more usable quantity.
The DISC-profile has proven to be a very clear way of describing and analyzing an individual’s natural reaction mode to the stimuli in the environment. The theory does not have any good-bad categories, making it a behavioral inventory, not a test that one can pass or fail.
Extended DISC® Theory does not classify people into good or bad. Nor does it limit a person’s possibilities to develop in any other direction or work environment. Extended DISC® Theory describes the person’s natural reaction mode or behavioral style in different situations. It gives the person a better ability to understand one’s own and other’s behavior, to adjust one’s own behavior to better suit the situation, to avoid unnecessary problems in communication and to point one’s life into the direction where he or she better succeeds and enjoys it the most.
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