Contents About PSS
To give success-minded individuals the resources they need to grow stronger for work and life.
The two co-founders, Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D. and Meredith M. Bell, M.A., have over sixty years combined experience in the fields of assessment and personal, professional and human resource development. Together, they’ve helped thousands of organizations present programs to well over 100,000 managers and professionals. To date, over a million people have used PSS products. Our website for personal development, www.initforlife.com, features the MindFrames personality assessment and reports. We are also the publisher of the award-winning 20/20® Insight GOLD, a uniquely flexible, affordable, and customizable 360 feedback and development system. Contact Information Performance
Support Systems, Inc. PSS Executives
About Initforlife The purpose of Initforlife.com is to provide self-development resources for people who want to improve themselves and their relationships, both personal and professional. We offer these valuable tools to assist visitors in these areas:
Products and Services At Initforlife.com, we feature these free offerings: Free MindFrames personality test. Most people love to find out more about their personality, and MindFrames is one of the most accurate assessments available today. Free introductory MindFrames report. "The Framicon and Your Comfort Zone" provides a rich orientation to the individual’s personality and an introduction of the MindFrames model. People learn about their most comfortable patternswhat’s in their comfort zone and what’s not. Free GroupFrames service. People like to learn about the personalities of their family, friends and coworkers. GroupFrames makes it easy to set up groups of people and see how the members of each group are similar and different. In addition, advanced, specialized MindFrames reports are available free. All reports are stand-alone, self-explanatory products. Each report focuses on a specific application topic and provides extensive interpretation generated by complex algorithms using a person’s mindframe scores. Reports may be viewed online, printed or downloaded as a PDF file. The presentation is friendly, interesting and easy to understand. Four reports are available.
These four reports are available FREE in our online store. Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Finding a Soul Mate Just Got Easier Newport News, VA, March 15, 2004—The quest for love has never been stronger. Millions of people flocked to online dating services in 2003 and paid in excess of $313,000,000 searching for suitable partners, according to Jupiter Research. But finding a possible match is just the first step. Getting to know the person can take a long time—a high cost if the love match turns out to be incompatible. The Compatibility Forecast, a 20-page report created by Performance Support Systems, Inc. (PSS), compares the personalities of both dating partners and predicts the likelihood of sunny skies or stormy weather for the relationship. First, the couple takes the free online personality test, MindFrames. The "Compatibility Forecast" uses their responses to describe areas of common ground and potential conflict. The insights help dating partners decide if they want to move forward. Important points revealed in the report:
"At last people have a way to discover potential compatibility and incompatibility issues in the early stages of a relationship," says Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., CEO of PSS. "With 'Compatibility Forecast,' they’ll gain insights into someone else’s personality in a matter of minutes, instead of the usual months or even years. And for couples who’ve been dating for a while, the information will help them move forward with a greater understanding and appreciation for the strengths each brings to the relationship." "Compatibility Forecast" is one of several personal development and encouragement tools available on Initforlife.com. Anyone can learn about this report and the MindFrames personality test at www.initforlife.com. A complete media kit about PSS and its web-based products is available at: www.initforlife.com/home/media1.asp Founded in 1987 and based in Newport News, Virginia, Performance Support Systems, Inc. (PSS) publishes state-of-the-art feedback and self-development tools, including MindFrames and 20/20 Insight GOLD, a flexible survey instrument. The company’s aim is to create personal and professional growth products that are so engaging, versatile, easy to use and affordable that people everywhere will use them to achieve their full potential. Contact Information: Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "GETTING
TO KNOW YOU" JUST GOT EASIER Newport News, VA, September 11, 2003Its a well-known fact that compatibility is vital for a successful relationship. But it can take weeks, months or even years to discover common ground and differences. Now, theres a helpful, entertaining way for people to learn more about the personalities of those they care about. Performance Support Systems has introduced a new kind of service called GroupFrames on Initforlife.com. Everyone who takes the free MindFrames personality test can now use GroupFrames to set up groups and compare the personalities of people they know. A group can be as small as two people, making it easy to see how a couple or two friends are similar and different. Its fun, easy and safe because people give permission for others to include them in a group. GroupFrames is a totally new concept in personality assessment. Theres nothing quite like it on the Internet. "GroupFrames can help strengthen both personal and professional relationships," explains Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., CEO of PSS. "People can set up any kind of group: friends, team members, coworkers, families, couples relationships, e-pals, chat-room, communities, clubswhatever they like. It reveals aspects of group chemistry and relationship chemistry that before you could only guess at." Anyone can learn about GroupFrames and MindFrames at http://www.initforlife.com. A complete media kit about PSS and its web-based products is available at: http://www.initforlife.com/home/media1.asp Founded in 1987 and based in Newport News, Virginia, Performance Support Systems, Inc. (PSS) publishes state-of-the-art feedback and self-development tools, including MindFrames and 20/20 Insight GOLD, a flexible survey instrument. The vision of PSS is to create personal and professional growth products that are so engaging, versatile, easy to use and affordable that people everywhere will use them to achieve their full potential Contact Information: Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dont Get FatGet Thin from Within! June 23, 2003, Newport News, VAMost weight loss programs dont take personality into accountthey have a "one size fits all" approach. But your personality has a huge impact on your approach to losing weight. "Thin from Within" from Initforlife.com helps you understand this critical component, increasing your chances for success. It explains why you favor certain weight loss activities while avoiding others that could also be beneficial. "Thin from Within" is a highly dynamic, personalized way to kick-start a weight loss program. The report, powered by the free online personality test MindFrames, is packed with detailed, practical information:
According to Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D. and CEO of Performance Support Systems, "Thin from Within is for people who are ready to beginor begin againlosing weight. Theyre beyond denial, beyond just wishing. Theyre ready to do something about it. Thin from Within helps people select a program thats right for their personalityto get on track and stay on track to achieve healthy, permanent weight loss." "Thin from Within" is one of several personal development and encouragement tools available on Initforlife.com. A complete media
kit about PSS and its web-based products is available at: Founded in 1987 and based in Newport News, Virginia, Performance Support Systems, Inc. (PSS) publishes state-of-the-art feedback and self-development tools, including MindFrames and 20/20 Insight GOLD, a flexible survey instrument. The companys aim is to create personal and professional growth products that are so engaging, versatile, easy to use and affordable that people everywhere will use them to achieve their full potential. Contact Information: Press Releases FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Get One-of-a-Kind Match-up Report, a Breakthrough in Interpersonal Communication March 10, 2003, Newport News, VAHave you ever had relationship problems because of a breakdown in communication? Has it ever seemed as if other people are on a different frequency? Initforlife.com has introduced a new Communicating Match-up report (www.initforlife.com/home/gr_Communicate.asp) that shows you how to connect with someone important to youthe first time, every time. Youll get insights that arent available anywhere else on the Web. You have your own way of communicating, but this can lead to problems if the other person communicates differently. The Communicating Match-up Report, powered by the brain-based personality assessment MindFrames, helps you get inside the other persons head to understand his or her preferred way of talking and listening. The report is filled with detailed, practical information and easy-to-follow suggestions, so you can apply what you learn immediately:
According to Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D. and CEO of Performance Support Systems, The Communicating Match-up Report can help you be a lot more effective. When you understand how the other person talks and listens, you have the power to connect. The Communicating Match-up Report is just one of the personal development and encouragement tools available on www.initforlife.com. This report, along with others on the site, is based on MindFramesa free online personality assessment. A complete media
kit about PSS and its web-based products is available at: Founded in 1987 and based in Newport News, Virginia, Performance Support Systems, Inc. (PSS) publishes state-of-the-art feedback and self-development tools, including MindFrames and 20/20 Insight GOLD, a flexible survey instrument. The companys aim is to create personal and professional growth products that are so engaging, versatile, easy to use and affordable that people everywhere will use them to achieve their full potential. Contact Information: Artwork These images are designed to accompany any articles or stories you publish pertaining to Initforlife.com, MindFrames, or Performance Support Systems, Inc.
Click
on the image to view your download options. Top 10 FAQs The following FAQs will help you understand the MindFrames system.
What is MindFrames? MindFrames is a 10-question personality assessment that calculates your eight mindframe scores, creates your personal framicon and analyzes how you think and act—all of which are presented in a variety of helpful report formats. The MindFrames system was co-developed by
Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., and Meredith M. Bell. Dr. Coates is the originator
of the Success Style Profile® (SSP), an earlier version of MindFrames.
MindFrames also features a variety of relationship "match-up"
reports, which compare your patterns with the patterns of another person.
A match-up report describes your common ground with this individual,
along
with potential areas of conflict and suggests ways of interacting more
successfully. What's the scientific basis for MindFrames?
Where does the MindFrames theory come from? There’s no short answer to this question. Even a summary explanation must deal with some of the complexity of brain science. The MindFrames model is not derived from the work of a single creative genius, but the research of hundreds of scientists. MindFrames is derived from cognitive neuroscience—what some of the most respected scientists of our time have to say about the architecture and functioning of the human brain. This research has been reported in thousands of books, texts and articles. The MindFrames model is based on brain science for a simple reason. The processes of the brain trigger every aspect of human thought, behavior, communication, style and personality. Personality originates from the brain and from nowhere else. Therefore, the most logical, useful and realistic model for personality must be based on how the brain actually works. Learning how the brain works is challenging. With hundreds of interconnected areas and components, the brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Many parts may contribute to a single function such as emotion or memory; and interactions take place hundreds of times per second. The brain is also the most difficult organ to study. Unlike other organs, when a part of the brain is damaged or destroyed, it changes who you are. For this reason, scientists only rarely get to examine a living brain. Components of the brain are surrounded by other components and are hard to reach, even during surgery. The brains of deceased persons are less useful to research because they no longer function. The brains of other mammals may be similar to the human brain, but they have important differences, and there are ethical limitations to studying animal brains. Formal brain research, which has been going on for about 150 years, began as the study of the effects of brain injury. Recent advances in sensing technology and computers have created breakthroughs, leading to advances in medicine and psychology. The current scientific consensus about how the brain works is widely published and discussed. These findings are the basic insights that shape the MindFrames model. The part of the brain that produces the most striking differences in personality is the cortex, the outermost layer of brain matter. This is the thinking part of the brain, where perception, language, learning, planning, problem solving and most high-level functions are processed. The human brain is vastly more complex than an electronic computer. However, there are similarities, and comparing the brain to a computer helps us understand how the cortex contributes to personality. Think of the brain as "hardware." The brain is a physical organ—a part of the body; and every healthy brain has the same structure, with only subtle physical variations. Over time, we use this brain-computer to figure out how to learn, communicate, create ideas, solve problems and make decisions. These and other mental skills are like "software" programs which process "data"—names, visual images, sounds and other detailed information stored in memory. Both your brain and the thinking programs you acquire over a lifetime influence the thought patterns and behavior patterns we call "personality." Since our brains aren’t exactly alike and we don’t all learn the same things, we think differently, act differently and have different personalities. In this regard, every human being is completely unique. Scientists have learned that stored information and thinking programs reside in different regions of the cortex. Functionally, the cortex has four main regions, each of which processes a special kind of information in a special way. The four regions are: left-front, left-back, right-front and right-back. To understand how these four cortical regions contribute to mind and personality, we must consider the differences between the left and right sides of the brain, along with the differences in purpose and function of the front and back lobes. Left-brain and right-brain. All language functions—hearing, understanding, forming and speaking language—are clustered on one side of the brain. For the vast majority of people, this is the left side. The presence of language processing on the left side of the brain has a profound impact on the thinking that goes on there. The act of naming things is unique to humans. The categorization of experience, using the names of things, creates a mechanism for order and structure that is the foundation of logical thought. Reason is essential to understanding cause and effect, analysis, problem solving objective, evaluation and decision-making. It’s the primary tool of science itself. Logical thought may be distinctly human, but it isn’t the only effective way of thinking. The right brain thinks by associating images. This highly useful way of sorting experience and creating meaning is how the right side of the brain processes information, learns, imagines, makes decisions and triggers action. It’s the basis for human creativity, artistic judgment, value judgment, intuitive judgment, interpreting behavior and recognizing complex patterns. Neither left-brain nor right-brain thinking is superior to the other. Both are essential to survival and work together to help us make our way in the world. If a person had only one of these ways of thinking, he or she would be radically disabled and unable to function in society. Back-brain and front-brain. In simple terms, the back part of the brain processes sight, sound and physical sensation. This gives us perceptual awareness—the ability to experience the world directly, to have real-time concrete information such as specific images, feelings, names, facts, data and other practical details. The front brain and the back brain are physically separated by the motor strip, a band of cortex that goes from ear to ear across the top of the brain. The motor strip sends movement (behavioral) commands from the cortex to every part of the body. Thinking in both the front cortex and the back cortex informs these commands, although the processing in both areas is profoundly different. The back cortex has three main regions: occipital (visual/sight), temporal (auditory/sound) and parietal (kinesthetic/feel and touch). Each of these perceptual regions has a primary area that receives raw input via the thalamus from the sense organ, a secondary area that translates these sensations into a pattern, and a tertiary area that associates the pattern with other perceptions in long-term memory to produce a meaningful image. The central region touching these three main regions coordinates the different types of perceptions into a total experience. While the back brain produces instinctive stimulus-response reactions, the front brain produces decisions based on association and analysis. The front brain also receives input to create patterns, but the patterns are conceptual, not perceptual. The prefrontal lobes receive information from the back cortex and other parts of the brain in order to make sense of specific information. In short, images, facts, emotions and other perceptual input are related to each other. These associations are stored in long-term memory as meaningful conceptual patterns and processing skills. While other mammals have some front-brain tissue, the human front-brain cortex is much more extensively developed, giving us dramatically advanced learning, imagining, reasoning, problem solving and planning ability. Still, this wonderful capacity is not more important to survival than the products of the back brain, which produces perceptual awareness—the essential input for the front brain. The four brain regions. The qualitative differences between left and right, along with the differences between front and back, contribute to the four distinct regions of the cortex: left-front, left-back, right-front and right-back. These four physical regions of the cortex produce the four patterns of thought and the four patterns of action that are the foundation of the MindFrames personality model. Left-back. Thinking in this region produces language-based information. It identifies, sorts and stores specific information that is the product of language: names, definitions, dates, times, quantities, categories, rules and other data that define experience. In the MindFrames system we call this precise, practical, structured thinking ORDER. When translated into behavior, the result is disciplined effort, instruction, and rule-based compliance—the action patterns of the mindframe CONTROL. Left-front. Thinking in this region produces language-based concepts. The left-front region uses reason and objective analysis to make sense of the information received from the left-back region. Left-front thinking produces logical understanding, objective judgment, critical analysis, rational problem solving, structured decision-making, forecasting and planning, and it’s represented by the mindframe we call LOGIC. When translated into behavior, the result is organization, rational explanation and goal-directed effort—the action patterns of the mindframe PROACTIVITY. Right-back Thinking in this region involves sense-based perceptions. It forms and stores specific images: sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, body awareness and emotion—the very essence of here-and-now awareness. In the MindFrames system we call this sense- and emotion-based thinking SENSITIVITY. When translated into behavior, the result is hands-on activity, spontaneous interaction and expression of feelings—the action patterns of the mindframe SOCIABILITY. Right-front. Thinking in this region produces sense-based associations. The right-front region relates images holistically to make sense of input from the right-back region. Right-front thinking produces intuitive judgment, imagination, personal values and beliefs; and it’s represented by the mindframe we call INSIGHT. When this kind of thinking is translated into behavior, the result is dramatic expression, artistic performance and persuasive communication—the action patterns of the mindframe CHARISMA. The larger answer about the research basis for MindFrames fills over a thousand volumes. When MindFrames was originally developed, neuroscience (the medical study of the brain—how it functions) and cognitive psychology (the psychological study of mind—how the brain thinks) were separate disciplines. Even though both were aspects of brain science, the two types of research only rarely cross-referenced each other. Today, the two branches of science have merged into one: cognitive neuroscience. For the ambitious inquirer, here’s a partial list of the books that informed the development of the MindFrames model: General Introduction Cognitive Psychology Perception Neuropsychology Emotions Concept Formation Consciousness Learning Recently Published Books Introductory Books What research went into the development
of MindFrames? From 1986 to 2001, the early prototype for MindFrames was known as the Success Style Profile® (SSP). During that period, over 100 specially trained psychologists, trainers, human resource consultants and ministers assisted in administering the SSP to over 50,000 subjects, including representative samples of age groups, races, regions and career fields. That research established the validation of the theory and revealed the importance of mindframes in personality assessment, which led to the development of the current version of MindFrames. Two kinds of research are essential to the development of a personality assessment: theoretical research and developmental research. Theoretical research determines what the assessment will be based on. This foundation is crucial to developing assessment questions, which are the all-important instrument of assessment. It's also critical to explaining the scores that result from the assessment. If the theory isn't credible, then what's reported can't be trusted. An assessment can be based on virtually anything: ancient philosophy, religion, astrology, early psychological concepts or statistics. There are personality assessments in use today based on all these things. MindFrames, however, takes a different approach. It's based on the premise that personality is the outward manifestation of ingrained patterns of cognition: how we perceive, react with emotion, learn, solve problems, make decisions and move to action. All these processes take place in various regions of the cerebral cortex. Therefore, the MindFrames personality assessment is based exclusively on the study of the human brain (neuroscience) and how it works (cognitive psychology). Every aspect of the MindFrames theory and content comes from the conclusions of current scientific research. In short, the theory underlying MindFrames is available everywhere in university textbooks, scientific journals and countless books about the human brain. Developmental research tests early versions of an assessment to check whether they're working properly, so that they can be successively improved. The major issues are reliability and validity. An assessment is reliable if it's consistent, if it gives the same measurement when repeated with the same subject. An assessment is valid if it actually measures what it says it measures. In reality, whether or not a personality assessment is valid can never be determined with absolute certainty, only with varying degrees of significance and confidence. When a personality assessment is used for purposes such as psychological treatment or corporate personnel selection and hiring, there are important human consequences. The potential for benefit or harm is significant. People in authority study the results of highly personal information and make decisions that impact on an individual's life. The subject's rights must be protected. Reliability and validity research is the first requirement for this protection. Other uses of personality assessment are completely benign, such as self-awareness, self-improvement, team building, relationship building or simple entertainment. The subject decides whether to get involved, scores and analysis are given only to the subject, and only beneficial consequences are involved. In these cases, validation research isn't an issue and isn't legally mandated. MindFrames is the end product of a considerable journey of research, development and validation testing, which began in 1986, when the earliest versions of the instrument were tested with students at the College of William and Mary. The major research efforts during the years that followed are summarized below. College of William and Mary Study. In 1989, two professors at the College of William and Mary, Dr. Michael Politano (Psychology) and Dr. Jeanne Lindholm (Business), conducted a study comparing the Success Style Profile (SSP) and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). They administered both assessments to a diverse sample of 442 managers and checked correlations and test-retest validity. Test-retest correlations were extremely high, and all SSP factors that related to MBTI factors showed satisfactory correlations (.4 or higher). Center for Creative Leadership Study. In 1989, Dr. Robert Dorn, Jenny Godwin and Amy Webb performed a study to replicate the findings of the William and Mary study. In a sample of 163 managers, they found nearly identical satisfactory correlations between SSP and MBTI factors. Specialized Populations Study. In "The Validity of the Success Style Profile," in Technical Manual for the Success Style Profile, published in 1990, Dr. Dennis E. Coates reviews the William and Mary and Center for Creative Leadership studies and presents new statistics for specialized populations, demonstrating predictive validity of SSP mindframes. CEO Study. In "The Personalities of Strong Executives," Executive Development, published November 1991, Dr. Dennis E. Coates analyzes predicted leadership characteristics of 76 CEOs, based on SSP factors. Study of Sermon Presentation Styles. In 1992, Michael DuVal completed a doctoral dissertation for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, "Developing Preaching Approaches for the Identified Cognitive Styles of the Listeners at the Thaxton Baptist Church, Thaxton, VA." In a sample of 96 members of the congregation, Dr. DuVal found strong correlations between audience SSP mindframe factors and preferences for sermons presented using specific mindframes. Mindframe Prototype Research. In 1993, Michael Paglieri completed a thesis for the College of Wooster, "Validation of SSP." The study compared SSP mindframe scores with an early prototype mindframe assessment called "Thinking Styles." Correlations were satisfactorily high. Women Business Owners Study. In 1994, Dr. Sharon Hadary, Julie Weeks and Nicole Aiello, of the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, published "Styles of Success: The Thinking and Management Styles of Women and Men Entrepreneurs." In a sample of 127 male and female entrepreneurs, the study found consistent trends related to SSP factors. Multi-Assessment Correlation Study. In 1995, Dr. Christopher R. Hardy completed his dissertation, "An Examination of the Dimensions and Common Constructs of Selected Adult Cognitive Learning Style Instruments." The study found SSP items and factors correlated at a high level of significance, and the factors showed satisfactory construct validity with other instruments. SSP Signature and Mode Charts. From 1994-2000, Dr. Dennis Coates and Meredith Bell published two transitional self-assessment instruments, both utilizing the mindframes concept. SSP Signature used eight cards, each describing in detail one of the eight mindframes. Subjects studied and sorted the cards according to preference and recorded the results. In addition, charts were created to serve eight applications: Thinking, Relating, Working, Learning, Leading, Selling, Change and Administrative Support. Used in conjunction with SSP, the charts helped subjects learn mindframe preferences. During the period, Coates and Bell had frequent personal contact with over 3,000 subjects, and over 50 specially trained associates had frequent personal contact with more than 20,000 other subjects. Researchers used subject feedback to validate the mindframes concept, which became the foundation of the development of the MindFrames assessment in 2001. MindFrames Validation. In 2001, Dr. Dennis Coates and Meredith Bell administered MindFrames to 36 subjects who had previously taken the SSP. The mindframes scores of all 36 subjects correlated highly with SSP mindframe scores. In addition, subjects reported significantly greater face validity with MindFrames than with SSP. How is MindFrames different from
other personality tests? What will MindFrames do for me? What's a mindframe? What's a framicon?
Your individual framicon is quite unique. There are more than 1,000 possible variations. You can get your personal framicon FREE by taking the MindFrames survey on this site. Why do you let people take MindFrames
free? What extra information does the "Revelations"
report give me?
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