Social Style Questionnaire (3) (5369)
Social Style Questionnaire (3) (5369)
Social Style Questionnaire (3) (5369)
TRACOM’s Social Style Model is an easy-to-use tool for learning about your
behavioral preferences. It will help you understand why you find some relationships
more productive than others. It will help you develop insight about your behavioral
strengths and behavioral weaknesses. It will help you develop a way of
communicating with others, knowing that behavioral Styles are not good or bad, just
different. The model stresses the value of diversity as a way to build on your
strengths and the strengths of others to develop productive relationships.
The Social Style Model, which you will use as a reference for looking at how you see
yourself, is one of the most widely used and highly regarded behavioral models in
use today. Originally developed in the I 960s by TRACOM founder David W. Merrill,
Ph.D., an industrial psychologist, the Social Style Model is studied and used in
corporations, governments, school systems and by individuals like yourself, not only
in the United States, but also around the world. More than 1.5 million people have
experienced some form of Social Style training or exposure. With just a little effort,
you will be able to readily apply the Social Style concepts to any relationship. The
results should prove rewarding.
If several of your friends or colleagues were to follow you around for a couple of days
and record how you behaved, you would see some interesting results. First of all,
they would say that you engage in a wide range of different behaviors. Next, they
would notice that you tend to use some behaviors more than others; some a lot
more. Why do you suppose this is the case?
Simply put, you use some behaviors more than others because they are the ones
which make you most comfortable in relating to people. These behaviors became
comfortable for you early in your life. As you used them more often, they became
your behavioral habits, and it’s unlikely you will dramatically change these ways of
responding to others.
You are now ready to complete the Social Style Questionnaire and the Versatility
Questionnaire that are included with this guide. Complete them now, following the
instructions within each. When both are completed, return to page 3 of this guide.
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Dimensions of Behavior
Your SOCIAL STYLE Self-Perception Profile is a summary of how you see yourself
interacting with others along two very strong dimensions of human behavior. These
dimensions are called Assertiveness and Responsiveness.
*NOTE: This definition is different from the one found in assertiveness training. We
are measuring the different degree to which you see yourself as tell assertive or ask
assertive.
A
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The Four Social Style Positions
You will notice in the below illustration that we measure Assertiveness on the
horizontal axis with more ask-assertive behaviors to the left, and more tell-assertive
behaviors to the right.
Responsiveness is measured on the vertical axis with more controlled behavior at the
top and more emoting behavior at the bottom. By combining behavioral
characteristics from each of these two behavioral dimensions, we arrive at the four
SOCIAL STYLE positions: Analytical, Driving, Amiable & Expressive.
Control
Analytical Driving
Amiable Expressive
Emote
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Key Reminders
s
+ There is no best Social Style position
The purpose for learning about your Style is to know more about yourself. With the
new knowledge, you can grow and develop into a more productive and effective
individual.
Some people like to refer to behavioral Style as personality style. Your personality
encompasses more than just your behavioral Style. It includes your hopes, your
dreams, your intelligence, your values and all of those other things that make you
uniquely you! Said another way, your behavioral Style is only a part of your total
personality, although a very important part.
All of us have, at one time or another, displayed behaviors that fall all along the
assertiveness and responsiveness dimension. But, Style is the way we see ourselves
Each of us has behavioral weaknesses. Driving Styles tend to rush into action and
dictate activities without listening to others. Amiable Styles tend to acquiesce and go
along with others, even though they might not agree with a course of action.
Expressive Style people can be very impulsive, not thinking through all the
implications of their actions. Analytical individuals get bogged down in details and
options, without taking a definitive stand on issues. All of these style-related
tendencies can cause tension for others.
Don’t expect the other person to go out of his or her way to accommodate you. You must
decide what you are going to do to meet the needs of others and make the relationship
mutually productive.
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Social Style Self-Perception Questionnaire
Instructions
INTRODUCTION
How do you see yourself?
Shortly, you will answer a series of questions about how you see yourself interacting every
day with those around you—your co-workers, your supervisor, your employees, your
teachers, your fellow students, your friends and your family.
The questionnaire you are about to complete, and the information resulting from it, will give
you a snapshot about the importance and value you place on certain behaviors and how
you tend to get things done with others.
Please keep in mind this important point as you complete the questionnaire: there are no
right or wrong answers. Complete each question as you see yourself interacting with those
around you.
Example:
1. A. I tend to tell people what is on my mind. [ ]
B. I tend to keep things to myself. [X]
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Social Style Self-Perception Questionnaire
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B. I tend to readily share my opinions and ideas. [ ]
29. A. I tend to want to do things my way when I work with others. [ ]
B. I tend to be accepting when I work with other people. [ ]
30. A. I tend to share my personal feelings with others. [ ]
B. I tend to keep my personal feelings to myself. [ ]
A T C E
You are now ready to score your questionnaire and determine how you see your
Social Style position.
2. Add up all of the check marks in the “A” column and write the total in the space labeled
“A” in the “Actual Scores” section at the bottom of the previous page. Repeat the same
steps to arrive at your Actual Score for the “T,” “C,” and “E” columns. See the following
example:
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Your Social Style Self-Perception Profile
1. Transfer the Actual Scores” from each column on the Social Style scoring page of
the Questionnaire to the spaces below.
2. First, take the higher score between A & T and circle that letter on the grid below.
Next, take the higher score between C & E and circle that letter on the grid. Now
draw a line between the two circled letters. The quadrant containing this line
represents your self-identified Social Style.
Your Score:
A T C E
Analytical Director
A T
Supporting Influencer
E
Now you have determined how you see your Social Style position,
Analytical
Driving
Expressive
Amiable