In the late 1920s, Dr. William Marston created the DISC model that divided people into four basic personality types. According to this model, we all fall into one of these categories and they define our interactions with others around us, our approach to life, our ambitions, and our drive to succeed.

 

The four personality types according to this model could be identified as:

 

Dominant: Those who prefer to deal with problems head on and shape the environment by overcoming any obstacles.

 

Influential: Those who affect the performance and behavior of others by influencing them through talking or activity.

 

Steady: People with this personality type do not like change and prefer the security of the known to carry out their tasks.

 

Compliant: The emphasis is on playing by the rules, doing quality work, and getting it right the first time itself.

 

The DISC model has since been used widely in the fields of behavior assessment and organizational behavior. DISC has also been used as a personal assessment tool over the years to improve productivity, teamwork, and communication in many organizations.

DISC and DOPE Behavior Models

After Dr. Marston’s model gained popularity, several other behavior profiling tools were created based on the same principle. One of the most popular versions is the DOPE model (or the Four Bird model) which was created by Dr. Gary Couture.

 

This model uses easy to remember birds – Dove, Owl, Peacock, and Eagle – instead of traits as the personality type identifiers. Like the DISC model, the DOPE model divides us into four different categories. 

DOPE Model

The peaceful Dove.

 

The dove is people-orientated, loyal, friendly, hard-working, and a great team player.

 

However the dove tends to avoid change, confrontation, risk-taking, and assertiveness. Doves are sympathetic, moderate, and people-focused in their approach to everything.

The wise Owl.

 

The owl is logical, mathematically minded, methodical, and sometimes seen as a perfectionist.

 

On the other hand, the owl can be slow to make decisions and inflexible if rules and logic say otherwise. Owls are also not big risk takers but love detail. They are technical, analytical, and process-focused.

The bold Eagle.

 

The eagle is dominant, stimulated by challenge, decisive, and direct.

 

Eagles can be blunt & stubborn, can lose sight of the big-picture, and can be insensitive to other people’s needs. Eagles are natural achievers, bold, confident, and results-focused

The showy Peacock.

 

The peacock loves talking, being the center of attention, is passionate & enthusiastic, and is happy & optimistic.

 

Peacocks can be accused of talking too much, and aren’t good with detail or time-control. They are also expressive, persuasive, and recognition-focused.

DOVE

OWL

PEACOCK

EAGLE

How do these models apply to our reports?

As part of our dermatoglyphics analysis, we combine the DISC and DOPE model analyses with the Multiple Intelligence model to give you a detailed analysis of your behavior patterns.

 

This analysis can help you in several ways. Some of these include:

 

• Foster constructive and creative group interactions

• Facilitate better teamwork and minimize team conflict

• Learn to adapt your own style to get along better with others

• Develop stronger sales skills by identifying and responding to customer styles

• Manage more effectively by understanding the dispositions and priorities of employees and team members

• Increase your self-knowledge: how you respond to conflict, what motivates you, what causes you stress and how you solve problems