Is the difference more than a lowercase i? Yes. Is the Disc Index different from the DiSC Classic? Yes. You may read or listen to conversations about DISC and it's important to know which assessment is actually under discussion. They are not all the same. When you see claims that millions of people have used DISC, don"t assume that millions have used the version you might be discussing or considering buying.
The flavors of DISC
The DiSC Model of Behavior was first proposed by William Mouton Marston, a psychologist with a Ph.D. from Harvard. He did not create an assessment tool himself, but others have used his model. The DISC model is not protected by copyright. Several academics and companies have used his work to create their own psychological inventories.
Depending on the assessment author, DISC can be an acronym for:
Dominance or Drive
Influence or Inspire
Steadiness, Stability or Submission
Compliance, Correctness or Caution
Various colors might be used to differentiate each personality type.
How to choose among the DISC tests
The questions
Questions should be easily and accurately answered by the person taking the test. They also should have been validated through ongoing research.
It's difficult to find examples of test questions. A lot of research should have gone into them and they can easily be stolen by another publisher. However, here's an example of a test item from a free DISC test:
For each group of four descriptions you should have one most like you and only one least like you.
My behavior is well disciplined
People see me as being generous
I am always on the move
I persevere until I get what I want
You can see how this would be hard to answer. DiSC Classic and many DISC tests use this type of forced choice question.
An easier questionnaire will use a Likert scale where you rank each item on a five-point scale from never to always describes me. Everything DiSC profiles use this type of scale.
Another form of testing is called adaptive testing which involves the tester getting questions that adapt to his or her prior answers. It can be even more accurate. Everything DiSC will launch this type of testing in 2012.
Look at the number of questions being asked. A 70-item questionnaire is almost always more reliable than a 20-item questionnaire.
You can't do much with a report that gives you only a page or two about your results. The real power of DiSC is in both what it teaches you about your self, but also what it teaches you about interacting with others who have styles unlike your own.
Reports should be easily read, memorable, and accurate. They should take care with language, presenting all personalities in a balanced manner.
Inscape Publishing, the publisher of all of DiSC assessments, is committed to maintaining the highest standards of instrument development and application through a careful research and development process. They ensure all of the instruments offer valid scores and accurate feedback to the respondent. Each instrument is designed to provide reasonably accurate interpretations or feedback based on your scores. Several research reports provide more information on the reliability and validity of the DiSC assessments.
Your needs
How will you use a personality assessment? With Everything DiSC you have more focused options. Many people use DISC profiles for use in their company or organization. Others use it for sales training or leadership development. Everything DiSC offers the following profiles:
DiSC Classic Profiles
DiSC Workplace Profile
DiSC Management Profile
DiSC Sales Profile
DiSC Work of Leaders
If you want a short, simple, and fun report, there are several free online version of DISC that you can take. If you're a Tony Robbin's fan, you might want to take the DISC Index from his website.
Facilitation support
The best versions of DISC will have support for people delivering the profiles. Not each variety of DISC has training materials available. Some want you to use a consultant to deliver and interpret results. Some publishers, like Inscape Publishing the publisher of DiSC, offer certification in the use of their profile or profiles.
The cost
Yes, you can get a DISC profile for free from a company like 123test or Quibblo. But you get what you pay for.
Hidden costs can include upselling. In other words, some companies will use your contact information to try to sell you additional services or coaching you might not want.
Ask questions, look at how others are using the profile, and do the research to distinguish among the various flavors of DISC.
How to choose among the DISC tests