DISG

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The acronym DISG (English DISC) describes a self-description based personality test (also called profile or inventory) with the four basic types of dominance, initiative, steadiness and conscientiousness. It is based on a typology by William Moulton Marston from 1928. Examples of variants are the Insights MDI from Scheelen AG and the personality model from Persolog GmbH. Although these providers claim that these test methods meet scientific quality criteria, independent studies have come to the opposite conclusion. The rights holder and licensor of DISG and DiSC is the publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc. (formerly Inscape Publishing Inc.).

history

Historically, it is one of the numerous typologies or psychographies . The typology underlying the DISC model is based on the work of William Moulton Marston . John G. Geier developed this self-describing personality test based on Marston's considerations in 1979. William Marston's basic model from 1928 has not been significantly changed to this day (see section Criticism). Marston developed his typology through the theory of "motor self" and "motor stimuli" from the field of physiology. This concept, which has not been accepted in science, was the starting point. The second source came from observations of around 250 children with behavioral problems by the doctor Edith Spaulding, which Marston has evaluated. The third source of typology was personality studies of inmates in a Texan prison. Marston divided the observed behavior of these people into four groups: "dominance", "submission", "acquisitiveness" and "creation". He then replaced the last two terms with “inducement” and “compliance”. This results in the acronym DISC (German DISG). Each of these personality types has been modified over the years depending on the author or provider. Marston's starting terms can be found on pages 272 (Inducement), 243 (Submission), 140 (Dominance) and 182 (Compliance).

In 2008 Inscape Publishing published the first version of the current online test system Everything DiSC . The construction and validation (compared to the recognized psychological test methods NEO-PI and 16PF) was published in 2015 by Scullard & Baum in the publishing house John Wiley & Sons.

model

The abbreviation DISG stands for the four basic behavioral tendencies:

  • D = dominant
  • I = initiative
  • S = continuous
  • G = conscientious

In one of the different versions, the four types are called dominance , influence , steadiness and conscientiousness . According to the DISC model, personality is a function of a person's perception and reaction to the respective life situation. The DISG model describes certain characteristics of a type according to the principle of self-description. From the four basic dimensions, taking into account the various possible combinations, depending on the version and counting method, 15 to 20 different mixed forms (pronounced primary and secondary behavioral tendencies) result. For example, there are twelve mixed types in the English version of Julie Straw.

construction

The DISG questionnaire is available as a paper or online version in various languages. Depending on the provider, the test consists of an answer sheet with 12 to 28 word groups each (for “most likely” and for “least”). The person decides on a short sentence or a term using an ipsative scaling. The results are evaluated graphically in three diagrams (“outer self-image”, “inner self-image”, “integrated self-image”). The distribution of the scores achieved in the three diagrams reflects the different characteristics of personal behavior. The following example can be used to illustrate the logic and structure of the DISG (the terms come from the version of Gay or Seiwert and Inscape Publishing Inc. with the same English terms).

Instructions for the questionnaire: Rate the horizontal row with 1, 2, 3 or 4 points. Decide on the characteristic that applies to you the most = 4 points, then the characteristic that applies least to you = 1, then the two in between.

Dominant Initiative Steady Conscientious
egocentric ____ enthusiastic ____ passive ____ Perfectionist ____
direct ____ sociable ____ patiently ____ exactly ____
bold ____ eloquent ____ loyal ____ Explorer ____
bossy ____ impulsive ____ predictable ____ diplomatic ____
demanding ____ emotional ____ team player ____ systematic ____
etc. etc. etc. etc.
Sum ____ Sum ____ Sum ____ Sum ____

Depending on how many points the candidate scores in each column as a total, he is a predominantly dominant, initiative, steady or conscientious type. To describe the types, synonyms or paraphrases are then used for the terms and formulated in prose. Example from Seiwert: “ Initiative try to bring other alliances together in order to achieve their goals. They are more likely to try to convince others than to force them. People with a high 'I' feel comfortable when they can maintain social contacts… they work effectively when they are not subject to any control… they act spontaneously… are full of energy and zest for action… ”and occasionally get bogged down (emphasis added in the original). In the English version of Julie Straw, the characteristics of the dominant types are: getting immediate results, taking action, accepting challenges, making decisions quickly, questionning the status quo, solving problems, which are then also formulated in prose.

In the above example there are five terms per dimension and in the original version of the US licensor (Inscape Publishing Inc.) there are 28 synonyms. In Marston's original 1928 version, it is about 40 to 50 each.

criticism

According to Lothar Seiwert and Friedbert Gay, the DISC model is a well-founded instrument with which one's own strengths can be recognized and other people can be better understood and assessed. It also gives you specific tips on time and self management, leadership, teamwork, communication with customers, partners and children.

According to David Myers or Hermann-Josef Fisseni, practical use of this kind is only possible if the underlying model has been validated. This is not the case in the case of the DISG model. According to Cornelius König and Bernd Marcus, the information on standardization (calibration), reliability ( reliability ) and validity ( validity ) of the DISG have proven to be inconclusive. The authors come to the conclusion: "Validations with regard to job-relevant criteria are not reported for any of the versions - there is no empirical evidence for the practical suitability."

Viktor Lau explains the wide spread and popularity of the DISC model and its variants, although it is considered out of date and has ignored the findings of personality research since the 1920s, with the Barnum effect , which astrology also uses. The graphic opposite is intended to illustrate this aspect.

Comparison of DISG test and zodiac sign

The lack of validation also calls into question the main field of application of the DISG model in personnel development: “There are no reports of evaluations of the various training courses in which the test is to be used (from personality development to coaching to leadership and sales success), nor are there any reliable ones Evidence for the far-reaching interpretation […] with regard to the self-concept. There is also a lack of empirical evidence for use as a reflection aid. In the absence of such evidence, the test cannot be recommended for development or selection purposes ”.

For fundamental reasons, a typology is not able to provide practical recommendations for action. As early as 1936, the National Research Council of the USA came to the conclusion that the practical use of such typologies bears no relation to popularity - or literally “ the popularity of this instrument in the absence of proven scientific worth is troublesome. “For this reason, the trend towards competence orientation in personnel development emerged.

literature

  • Friedbert Gay : Personal strength is no coincidence - the DISC personality profile. 36th edition. 2007, ISBN 978-3-89749-352-0 .
  • Friedbert Gay: The DISC personality profile. 27th edition. Offenbach 2003, ISBN 3-923984-44-8 .
  • WM Marston: Emotions Of Normal People. London 1928.
  • Lothar J. Seiwert, Friedbert Gay: The new 1x1 of personality. Gräfe & Unzer, 2004, ISBN 3-7742-6161-X .
  • Julie Straw: The 4-Dimensional Manager - DiSC Strategies for Managing Different People in the Best Ways - An Inscape Guide. San Francisco 2002, ISBN 1-57675-135-X . (Note: Julie Straw is the vice president of sales and training for Inscape Publishing Inc.)
  • Mark Scullard & Dabney Baum: Everything DiSC® Manual. John Wiley & Sons Inc., Minneapolis 2015, ISBN 978-1-119-08067-1

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ WM Marston, Emotions Of Normal People, London a. a., 1928
  2. ↑ see for example Persolog GmbH: Scientific report. Remchingen 2008
  3. ↑ see for example (1.) Cornelius König and Bernd Marcus: Persolog-Personalitys-Profil, in: Psychologische Rundschau (published by the German Society for Psychology), Hogrefe Verlag, No. 3/13 and (2.) Expert opinion of the Federal Association German psychologist quoted in: Steffen Strzygowski: Personnel selection in sales. Springer Gabler: Wiesbaden 2014, p. 171
  4. ↑ WM Marston, Emotions Of Normal People, London a. a., 1928
  5. ↑ WM Marston, Emotions Of Normal People, London a. a., 1928, p. 93 f.
  6. ↑ WM Marston, Emotions Of Normal People, London a. a., 1928, p. 114.
  7. ↑ WM Marston, Emotions Of Normal People, London a. a., 1928, p. 115.
  8. ↑ J. Straw: The 4-Dimansional Manager, DisC Strategies for Managing Different People in the Best Ways. San Francisco 2001
  9. ↑ F. Gay (Ed.): DISG personality profile. 27th edition. Offenbach 2002, p. 136 f.
  10. ↑ L J. Seiwert & F. Gay: The 1x1 of personality. 10th edition. Offenbach 2003, p. 18.
  11. ↑ DiSC Classic, Inscape Publishing Inc., paid online test. The first five terms are D = egocentric, direct, daring, domineering, demanding; I = enthusiastic, gregarious, persuasive, impulsive; S = passive, patient, loyal, predictable and C = perfectionist, accurate, fact-finder, diplomatic, systematic etc.
  12. ↑ L J. Seiwert & F. Gay: The 1x1 of personality. 10th edition. Offenbach 2003, p. 24.
  13. ↑ J. Straw, The 4-Dimensional Manager, DiSC Strategies for Managing Different People in the Best Ways, San Francisco, 2002, p. 21.
  14. ↑ The 1x1 of personality, 10th edition, Offenbach: GABAL 2003 (cover text)
  15. ^ Myers, D .: Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers 2013, p. 24 ff. And Hermann-Josef Fisseni: Textbook of Psychological Diagnostics. 3rd edition, Göttingen u. a. 2004, p. 20 ff.
  16. ↑ Cornelius König and Bernd Marcus: Persolog personality profile, in: Psychologische Rundschau No. 3/13, p. 190.
  17. ^ Viktor Lau: Black Book Personnel Development. Stuttgart 2015, p. 217 f.
  18. ↑ König and Marcus, ibid, p. 191
  19. ↑ David Myers (p. 444): "It was like 'explaining' a bright child's low grades by labeling the child an 'underachiever'. To name (or classify, d. V.) a behavior is not to explain it. "
  20. ↑ quoted from, D. Myers: Psychology. New York 2013, p. 527.
  21. ↑ Waldemar Pelz: The 360-degree feedback for the recognition and development of high potentials, in: Sauer, J./Cisik, A. (Ed.): In Germany, the wrong people lead how companies have to change. Berlin: Helios Media 2014, p. 266 ff. Article available online