Finding a Mate doesn’t have to be like finding a needle in a haystack

To many people, finding an ideal mate through an online dating service can seem like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With so many potential candidates, how is it possible to find a person you are compatible with? The answer is through DISC.

PersonalityPro, a leading international provider of assessment software uses DISC theory in measuring personality. DISC is an acronym for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness (originally Submission), and Compliance. These four characteristics found in all people can determine ones behavior and how one will react with people carrying similar or opposite behavioral traits.

The origins of DISC theory date back to the ancient Greeks, when Hippocrates conducted a study on human behavior. Modern DISC theory appeared in the 1920s when Harvard-trained psychologist William Marston began applying psychology to ordinary people outside of a clinical setting. DISC-based assessments have been used for over 75 years and have evaluated the personalities of over 50 million people.

Recently, PeronalityPro completed a study that compiled the assessments of their U.K. and U.S. dating service clients. The study found that 49% of web-daters in both the U.K. and the U.S. showed a behavioral preference for High Influence; this means they tend to be the initiators in most social situations; “they are what we would tend to call a people person” adds Patrick Marshall, Director of PersonalityPro.

So what does having High Influence say about web-daters are and what they’re looking for in a relationship? It says they are people who feel comfortable being turned down online rather than at a bar. In relationships, they need to have the ability to speak openly and honestly; democratic relationships are important to them, they don’t like rules or being told what to do.

High Steadiness subscribers made up 33% of the study, the largest group following High Influencers. People with High Steadiness are optimistic, trusting, patient and accommodating. They are often planners and will keep at a task until it’s complete.

High Compliance and High Dominance were the two lowest behavioral groupings held by subscribers, only 7% had High Compliance and 11% had High Dominance. High Dominance people tend to be competitive and enjoy a challenge; they are assertive and decisive while High Compliance people are usually cautious in expressing their feelings and take pride in being accurate and precise.

DISC theory provides extremely telling information about a person’s behavior in various contexts. In everyday life, we encounter environments that we view as either favorable or antagonistic. Because we can't always react to these situations the way we want to, we're forced to modify or change our personalities. The PersonalityPro personality assessment identifies the preferred and alternate behaviors in various contexts, which provides information on the ways different people react in various situations.

Because of PersonalityPro’s assessments based on DISC theory, finding your needle in the haystack won’t be nearly as hard as you had originally thought. In fact, it may be as simple as taking a short personality assessment.