5. psychological explanations: eysenck theory Flashcards
what did eysenck propose about the general personality theory
proposed that behaviour could be represented along two dimensions: introversion/extraversion (E) and neuroticism/stability (N). the two dimensions combine to form a variety of personality characteristics or traits. eysenck later added a third dimension - psychoticism (P).
what is the biological basis of the criminal personality
according to eysenck our personality traits are biological in origin and come about through the type of nervous system we inherit. thus all personality types - including the criminal personality type - have an innate biological basis.
what are the characteristics of extroverted individuals
they have an underactive nervous system which means they constantly seek excitement and stimulation and are likely to engage in risk taking behaviours. they also tend not to condition easily and do not learn from their mistakes.
what are the characteristics of a neurotic individual
tend to be nervous and over anxious and their general instability means their behaviour is often difficult to predict.
what is the personality type of a criminal
the criminal personality type is neurotic extravert - a combination of all the characteristics and behaviours for both neuroticism and extraversion.
in addition eysenck suggested that the typical offender will also score highly on measures of psychoticism - a personality type that is characterised as cold and unemotional and prone to aggression.
what is the role of socialisation
in this theory personality is linked to criminal behaviour via socialisation processes. eysenck saw criminal behaviour as developmentally immature in that it is selfish and concerned with immediate gratification - they are impatient and cannot wait for things.
the process of socialisation is when children are taught to become more able to delay gratification and more socially oriented. eysenck believed that people with high E and N scores had nervous systems that made them difficult to condition so therefore they would not learn easily to respond to antisocial impulses with anxiety. consequently they would be more likely to act antisocially in situations where the opportunity presented itself.
how is the criminal personality measured
eysenck personality inventory (EPI) - form of psychological test which locates respondents along the E and N dimensions to determine their personality type. a later scale was introduced that is used to measure psychoticism.
what evidence is there to support eysenck theory
eysenck and eysenck compared 2070 male prisoners scores on the EPI with 2420 male controls. groups were subdivided into age groups ranging from 16 to 69 years. on measures of psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism - across all age groups - prisoners recorded higher scores than controls which accords with the predictions of the theory.
however another researcher reviewed several studies and reported that offenders tended to score high on P measures but not for E and N. there is also very little evidence of consistent differences in EEG measures (used to measure cortical arousal) between extraverts and introverts = casts doubt on the physiological basis of the theory.
how is the theory reductionist
the idea that all offending behaviour can be explained by a single personality type has been heavily criticised. for instance a researcher proposed several distinct types of adult male offender based on the timing of the first offence and how long offending persists.
eysenck criminal type is also out of step with modern personality theories. for example according to the five factor model of personality alongside E and N there are also additional dimensions of agreeableness and conscientiousness. from this perspective multiple combinations are available and therefore a high E and N score does not mean offending is inevitable.
how does culture bias limit this theory
researchers studied hispanic and african american offenders in a maximum security prison in new york and divided these into six groups based on their criminal history and the nature of their offence. it was revealed that all six groups were found to be less extravert than a non criminal control group.
they suggested that this was because their sample was a very different cultural group than that investigated by eysenck which questions the generalisability of the criminal personality.
