The Hybrid Human

The Big Five (OCEAN)

This model is widely considered by psychologists to be the most scientifically reliable.  It measures five core personal traits, forming the acronym  OCEAN:

Openness,  Conscientiousness,  Extraversion,  Agreeableness, and  Neuroticism.

A person is scored along a spectrum [between high and low] for each trait so, for example, one may score low in Openness, medium in Conscientiousness, high in Extroversion—being the equivalent of low Introversion—etc.

These traits would explain a person's state and behaviour in different circumstances.  So each of us would score on all five resulting in a combination of highs and lows in the five traits that come together to identify our personality within this framework.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Created by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, this system builds on the theories of legendary psychiatrist Carl Jung.  It is highly popular in corporate training and reputedly favoured by the CIA in teaching recruits.

This system divides people into  16 distinct personality types  based on a combination of preferences:  A choice is made out of two options. This is repeated across four scenarios,  resulting in 4 letters—reflecting their 4 choices—that determine the personality type within this framework.

If we compare this to the "Star Sign" archetypes, in the MBTI framework,  your choices classify you into one of 16 type s that sound very much as you would describe yourself.  Of course, they are based on your own input.

The Enneagram

This model uses 9 primary personality types  and it focuses on a person's core motivations and fears.  It suggests that while we do have a dominant type, we also share traits with neighbouring types.  In fact, we call the 9 primaries: "archetypes".  These then group into 3 principle clusters.

Some people question how seemingly different archetypes could be grouped into a single cluster,  and we shall explain this very clearly in the Enneagram chapter.  Remember, this is not about behaviours as such, but what causes them.

Remember also that in life we play different roles—exercising different levels of authority, responsibility and confidence—and our personality often shifts as would be appropriate to these different personas  as a way of navigating the day.

The DISC Behavioural Model

Developed by psychologist William Moulton Marston, this framework connects to ancient behavioural concepts.  It uses four main categories:  Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance.  Most people have a primary quadrant,  followed by secondary and tertiary traits.

We cannot overemphasise that nobody has one fixed personality  at all times.  Depending on circumstances, we often glide into and out of different aspects of our total personality;  sometimes you might be assertively defiant whereas you might generally be mild mannered, or you might be a people person at work but long to get home for some quiet recovery time.  This is explained in some detail on the pages that follow.  As we say, you are a 'mosaic' of traits, behaviours and drives.

The DISC Model is perhaps the easiest of the four to apply in assessing other people's preferences because behaviour is an outward expression whereas traits and motivations might be more difficult to discover unless you have the opportunity to observe a person over a substantial period.  DISC will help you choose your communication style and the appropriate approach to gain trust and compliance.  The key is adaptation.