History of DISC

People have been observing others and drawing conclusions as early as 444B.C., beginning with Empodocles and Hippocrates. It wasn’t until the 1920’s that the major developer of the DISC language, Dr. William Moulton Marston, began his work. A scholar of Harvard University, Marston spent many years as a teaching and consulting psychologist. In 1928, he published “The Emotions of Normal People” in which he described the theory we use today. Marston did not invent the DISC behavioral measurement system, nor did he apply it to the workplace. Marston did make a significant contribution to the observation of human behavior, TTI’s Style Insights^® assessment and its various uses are all derived from the work of Marston.

Beginning in the 1970’s Bill J. Bonnstetter, founder of Target Training International, began to utilize the theory in the business world and drew correlations that extended its use into the sales field. In 1984, Target Training International (TTI) was founded and was the first to develop and introduce computerized and personalized reports on the DISC model. Since then, TTI has made advancements by validating the DISC theory and developing many tools to make its use effective in the marketplace. By accomplishing many “firsts”, TTI has positioned itself as the world-wide leader in the assessment industry.