Dr. William M. Marston, a Columbia University psychologist in the early 20th century, developed the theory of human behavior on which the Personal DISCernment Inventory™ is based. Through his extensive research, he identified four major behavioral patterns that are present in all people, but to varying degrees.

Marston's theory contends that these four patterns emerge as a result of various combinations of certain key factors. Most people tend to be either task-oriented or people-oriented. Another way to describe people is by their response to the environment. Some people are assertive or active; they want to shape or change their environment to better suit themselves. Others are more responsive; they tend to accept things as they are and try to do the best job possible within their environment. Using these four factors: task vs. people, assertive vs. responsive, we can place people into one of four quadrants.

Over the years, many other researchers have built on this four-dimensional model of personality, making it one of the most popular systems for teaching people about behavioral styles. Our collection of reports is called the DISC Profile System™, and it is based on the following factors: