Marston's DiSC Theory Revisited: Exposing the Hidden Assumptions

The notion that women are more subject to persuasion when dependent on others is a generalization that does not apply universally to all individuals. A complex interplay of individual characteristics, situational factors, and Context influences people's susceptibility to persuasion. Gender, while it may play a role in shaping socialization and experiences, is just one of many factors that can affect a person's vulnerability to persuasion.

Key Considerations

Individual Differences

There is substantial variability among individuals, regardless of gender, regarding their susceptibility to persuasion. Personal traits, such as self-confidence, critical thinking skills, and assertiveness, can significantly affect one's resistance to persuasion.

Situational Factors

The context in which persuasion occurs is important. Vulnerability to persuasion may depend on the specific situation, the nature of the persuasive message, and the individual's emotional state at the time.

Psychological Factors

Psychological factors, such as cognitive biases, prior beliefs, and social influence, can all play a role in susceptibility to persuasion. These factors can affect people of any gender.

Cultural and Societal Influences

Cultural and societal norms and expectations can influence how individuals respond to persuasion. Norms vary widely across different cultures and communities.

Dependence and Interdependence

The extent to which an individual is dependent on others is just one factor to consider. People may be dependent in various ways, such as financially, emotionally, or socially, and these dependencies may influence their responses to persuasion differently.

Various factors influence people's responses to persuasion, and individuals can vary significantly in their susceptibility. It is helpful to approach these topics with nuance and avoid making gender-based generalizations.

"Male style is analytical and manipulative."

Another study of U.S. governors found that states with female leaders had lower fatality rates.

"There may be common learning experiences based on anatomical facts that help create some of the psychological reactions observed more often among women, i.e., their interest in interdependence, their idea that they must give up on something to get another, etc."

While it is true that there are some biological and hormonal differences between men and women, such as differences in their brain structure and function, it is not appropriate to directly link these differences to complex psychological reactions or behaviors.

The development of psychological traits and behaviors is influenced by biology, genetics, upbringing, cultural and societal norms, and individual experiences. Attributing specific psychological reactions solely to anatomical differences overlooks the complexity of human behavior and the interplay of multiple factors. Psychological traits cannot be simplistically attributed to gender or anatomical differences.

Scientific research generally recognizes that behavior and psychology are influenced by a combination of biological, genetic, environmental, and social factors. Researchers in psychology and neuroscience conduct extensive studies to understand these complex interactions better.

To further comprehend, one should refer to peer-reviewed scientific studies and research in psychology, neuroscience, and gender studies. It is important to approach these topics with nuance and respect for the diversity of human experiences and perspectives.

The tendency for women to belong to more organizations and circles than men can vary based on numerous factors, including individual preferences, cultural expectations, and life circumstances. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as women's and men's levels of involvement in organizations and social circles can vary widely.

Factors to Consider

Cultural and Societal Norms

Women may be encouraged or expected to participate in various community, family, or social organizations in some cultures and societies. These cultural norms can influence women's involvement in such groups.

Lifestyle and Life Stage

Life circumstances and lifestyle choices can impact participation in organizations and circles. Women may become more active in community organizations due to their roles as caregivers, including involvement in parent-teacher associations, neighborhood groups, or social clubs.

Work and Career

Career demands and work-related commitments can influence organizational participation. Some men and women may choose to be more or less involved in extracurricular activities based on their career demands and time constraints.

Individual Personality and Interests

Personal preferences and interests play a significant role. Some individuals, regardless of gender, are naturally inclined to be involved in multiple organizations and social circles, while others may prefer more limited involvement.

Availability and Access

The availability of organizations and circles in a particular community can also influence participation. In some areas, more opportunities for involvement in various groups may exist. Personal preferences and a complex interplay of societal, cultural, and individual factors influence the level of involvement in organizations and social circles.

"Women will give their will in submission in exchange for feeling secure and loved."

Selected Resources

Education: PhD in Psychology from Harvard University in 1929

Director: Public Service: Universal Studios, 1929

Personal Adviser to Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal Studios

Lecturer: University of Southern California (circa 1929-1930)

Professor: Psychology, Long Island University, 1931-1933

Vice-President of Hampton, Weeks, and Marston advertising agency, 1932.

Lecturer: New School of Social Science (New York, 1933-1934) and Rand School of Social Science (New York, 1933-1934)

Gillette Ads: He appeared in a 1938 Gillette Blade advertisement in nationwide magazines promoting his "lie detector" and Gillette razor blades.

His wife, Elizabeth Holloway, who famously said, "Harvard will not grant me a PH.D. because I have a vagina," noticed that whenever she became agitated or angry, her heart beat faster and her blood pressure rose. This observation led to Marston's invention of the systolic blood pressure test, which became a vital component of the modern polygraph (lie detector) machine. One of his tests 'proved' that brunettes are more easily titillated than blondes.

To promote his invention, Marston suggested that the results of his machine testing be included in the famous Frye vs. United States case, the first time an expert witness tried to testify in a court case. In 1923, in Frye v. United States, the District of Columbia Court rejected the scientific validity of the lie detector (polygraph) because the technology did not have significant general acceptance at that time.

Appealing to the prurient interests of the times, Dr. William Moulton Marston wrote paperback books, including The Hidden Life of Julius Caesar, which is thusly described: "Here is the whole bold panorama of Roman times—the debauchery, the wars, the barbaric revels and cruelties, the old pagan rites on the altar of Venus. Here also is the piquant personal history of the young Julius Caesar, the greatest swordsman and statesman of his day and probably the greatest lover! He came, saw, and conquered from Egypt to England, Greece to Gaul. But slave girl and vestal virgin, courtesan, and queen, each, in turn, conquered Caesar!"

Comics could teach moral lessons and positive ideals through the heroic feats and behavior of characters like Wonder Woman, whom he envisioned as a strong feminist icon.

Comics' combination of words and pictures made the medium effective for conveying ideas and stories in an engaging, easily understandable way for children and adults.

Comics could provide a safe outlet for readers to explore themes of power, submission, and bondage through the adventures of heroes like Wonder Woman using her lasso of truth.

He felt comics had been underestimated and scorned when they could be uplifting entertainment that instilled good values and portrayed strong role models.

In his 1944 book The Wonder Woman, Marston argued that comic books "should be issued by an agency aiming to inculcate the right ideas," promoting love over violence as the driving force. He saw Wonder Woman comics specifically as a way to shape youth culture in a positive direction. His Wonder Woman comics were intended as constructive brainwashing about women and their inducement power versus the dominant power style of Superman and Batman.

Marston created the EverythingDISC™ theory of personality assessment, which categorizes behavior along two axes - favorable/unfavorable perception and active/passive tendencies. These axes are also referred to as the power and affection axes.

While innovative, DiSC theory originally received little mainstream acceptance. Today, it is recognized as the education and training industry's most trusted behavioral assessment instrument globally. Over 70 million individuals have used it, and another million every year. Rating highly on validity and reliability scores, it is utilized in various settings and applications, including emotional intelligence and productive conflict.

DiSC is actually a 2400-year-old theory of personality based on the observations of the Greek philosopher Empedocles (c. 450 BC), who was the first to propose the four classical elements as a set: fire, earth, air, and water. He called them the four "roots" (ῥιζώματα, rhizōmata).

Dominance - control, authority, rule, supreme influence, the condition of being dominant, or having the authority to influence or control.

Influence - the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others: the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others,.

Submission - an act or instance of submitting or yielding control to a more powerful or authoritative entity: unable to escape a grappling hold; the act or condition of submitting something for consideration, approval, treatment, or action.

Compliance - the act of conforming, acquiescing, or yielding; a tendency to yield readily to others, especially in a weak and subservient way; conformity; accordance: in compliance with orders; cooperation or obedience.

High Validity

The original (EverythingDiSC™) instrument measures precisely what it purports to measure: specific behaviors relative to the pure D, i, S, and C styles.

High Reliability

The instrument is rated as highly reliable. Participants agree with 80%+ of the interpretations.

Global Reputation

EverythingDiSC™ is recognized as the most trusted behavioral instrument in modern education and training. It has been and is utilized by a significant number of major organizations.

Predictability

Most importantly, the DiSC profile is not predictive, although some think so.

Variability

Although the personalities of emotionally mature people tend to be consistent in most settings, with some others, their personalities may shift dramatically based on environmental factors such as the setting, others' presence, and the time of day, as well as the effects of, trauma, alcohol or medications.

SEEs

Significant emotional events shift values, affecting personality expression.

DiSC is not a personality test, and it does not reveal typology, despite the tendency of people, especially those new to DiSC, to label themselves and others, which initially creates separation. It's about interpersonal tendencies, not 'types,' a popular misnomer.

Relative Expression

The D, i, S, and C plotting plots are relative to each other in terms of their magnitude of expression.

Limitation

DiSC describes styles based only on current input data.

Three aberrant profiles, the undershift, tight, and overshift ('unhealthy' profiles'), were eliminated in the 1980s.

Based on the over 70 million profiles in the Wiley database, you are just as likely to encounter any of the four styles in society. Some copycat 'DISC' companies report the spread differently based on their database. One organization with only 24,000 profiles claims the majority are high "S's," a prejudicial error.

Despite claims by some DiSC novices, we do not have two personalities. Our primary personality style is observable when we are at emotional equilibrium. However, the "Productive Conflict" DiSC profile may reveal a completely different personality style.

Premarital Counseling

Clerics have extensively used DiSC for premarital counseling. Hence, the participants benefit from getting a glimpse past the rose-colored glasses of romantic love and being forewarned about possible stress behaviors and how we instinctively behave when triggered.

Marston lived in a polyamorous relationship with his wife, Elizabeth Holloway, and their partner, his graduate student Olive Byrne. Both women inspired the creation of Wonder Woman. Olive Byrne was Margaret Sanger's niece and a compatriot of and influenced by Emmeline Pankhurst.

A third woman, Marjorie Hutchings, with whom Marston is said to have had an affair when he was a lieutenant in the Army, is rumored to have lived in the attic of their communal house in Rye, New York, where she hung beads and burnt incense. In Rye, New York, their triad sexual exploits were revealed publicly, causing him and his wife to fall out of respect in academia and to descend into the lowly world of comic books.

The concept of free love originated in the mid-19th century and was originally about the absence of legal ties in romantic and sexual matters, such as marriage, birth control, and adultery. It was a sign of bohemianism until the 1960’s when it became associated with the ‘sexual revolution’ and the hippie movement. However, the idea of free love has roots that go back even further, with influences from the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, the suffragettes, and the American Jazz Age.

After the launch of Superman in 1938 and Batman in 1939, Detective Comics published in 1941, 'Wonder Woman,' a superheroine created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton) and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited with his inspiration for the character's appearance.

Wonder Woman, originally named Suprema, appears in American Comic Books which was published by DC Comics. She is a founding member of the Justice League, and first appeared in All-Star Comics #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in Sensation Comics #1 in January 1942. The superheroine title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously ever since. In her homeland, the island nation of Themmyscira, her official title is Princess Diana of Themyscira.

When blending into the society outside of her homeland, she sometimes adopts her civilian identity, Diana Prince, originally named Suprema, reflecting Marston's bias that women are exceptional in ways that would make them better politicians. I now see how male and female politicians' behaviors vary greatly and often to extremes. Male politicians tend not to be catty or to make insults about others’ appearances, except for morally immature ones.

Marston created the comic book character Wonder Woman in 1941 as an empowered female superhero and feminist icon, as public propaganda about feminine inducement power. He gave her the ‘Lasso of Truth,’ inspired by his work on lie detection.

In the 1940s, second-wave feminism was not about equality, but rather superiority. Marston's personal and obvious obsessions colored his interpretation of dominance/submission tests, which were limited to only a few hundred participants and which he and Miss Olive Byrne conducted with young men and women. One of his generalizations is that young men tended to submit to female teachers but complied with male teachers, submission being pleasurable and compliance being unpleasant. He faced criticism for the bondage undertones and alleged sexual subtext in his depictions of Wonder Woman, as bondage is included in every sixth cartoon panel.

His psychological works promoting female superiority and unconventional views on sexuality were seen as controversial at the time. He believed true love manifested when one totally submitted to a loving authority. In his sexual encounters, roles were reversed between players.

He believed that young boys naturally tend to be submissive towards young girls but then become rebellious towards their fathers, suggesting an inherent gender difference in submission tendencies. Often, he described men as dominating brutes lacking the natural sensitivity of the female gender, clearly a sexist prejudice.

In his seminal 1928 book, Emotions of Normal People, he cites the contrasted examples of college-aged men and women during hazing events, suggesting women enjoyed submission to bondage and public spankings with a paddle vigorously applied to their buttocks. In contrast, boys tended to resist forced compliance. Marston observed that troubled teenage boys at a school would act submissive when caught misbehaving by the male principal, "Mr. H.” would try to dominate the female principal instead. They attributed this to societal gender norms rather than any inherent differences.

He claimed that the emotion of submission is "really evident in young boys in relationship to other young girls," implying boys are naturally submissive to girls. However, he also said submission is not based on gender; instead, society forces people to react in specific ways based on gender. He claimed happiness resulted from active submission to a loving authority.

Marston believed that women are more naturally altruistic and benevolent than men. his idea that women are inherently more nurturing contributed to the creation of his Wonder Woman character. While Marston acknowledged societal influences on gender roles, he also expressed some essentialist beliefs about innate gender differences, especially in his ideas that submission and altruism are more natural tendencies for women and girls.

His fascination with pornography and bondage reflects his gynocentric focus. The bias was essentially that men are inherent brutes and women are heavenly, 'active lovers.' I challenged some of the conclusions because his behavioral experiments in schools and facilities were limited to small numbers of participants, some only a few hundred individuals. In his book Emotions of Normal People, he admits that several of his conclusions are based on his subjective 'emotional education.' His biases are obvious.

These views reflected common gender biases of his era. What educated, modern woman today would agree that women are naturally other-centered and submissive and that men are not?

-Frank DeDominicis

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Marston's DiSC Theory Revisited: Exposing the Hidden Assumptions

Key Considerations

Factors to Consider

Selected Resources

Marston's accomplishments

Polygraph invention

Publications

Comic Books and Film

Marston’s Views on the Value of Comics

Classic DiSC Theory

DiSC Style Definitions

Major DiSC™ Points

A comprehensive study of one's profile includes three stages:

Free Love

DC Comics & Film

Wonder Woman

Marston's Biases

REFERENCES

Recent Posts

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The Vocational Necessity of EverythingDiSC™ - Empowering Disabled Job Hunters

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Marston's DiSC Theory Revisited: Exposing the Hidden Assumptions

Key Considerations

Factors to Consider

Selected Resources

Marston's accomplishments

Polygraph invention

Publications

﻿Comic Books and Film

Marston’s Views on the Value of Comics

﻿Classic DiSC Theory

DiSC Style Definitions

﻿Major DiSC™ Points

A comprehensive study of one's profile includes three stages:

﻿Free Love

DC Comics & Film

Wonder Woman

Marston's Biases

REFERENCES

Recent Posts

Comic Books and Film

Classic DiSC Theory

Major DiSC™ Points

Free Love