Crime: Eysenck's Criminal Personality (ID Explanation)

Question 1

What were the three dimensions?

Answer 1

Extraversion
Neuroticism
Psychoticism

Question 2

What are the characteristics of extraversion?

Answer 2

Outgoing
Having positive emotions
Getting bored easily

Question 3

What are the characteristics of neuroticism?

Answer 3

Tendancy to experiance negative emotional states

Question 4

What are the characteristics of psychoticism?

Answer 4

Egocentric
Agressive
Impulsive
Lacking in empathy
Unconcerned with the welfare of others

Question 5

What variance over the traits is due to genetics?

Answer 5

67%

Question 6

What determines extraversion?

Answer 6

The level of arousal in a person’s nervous system. Extraverts are under aroused so seek more stimulation. Introverts are over aroused so seek to lessen their stimulation

Question 7

What determines neuroticism?

Answer 7

The level of stability in a person’s sympathetic nervous system. They are slightly unstable so have stronger reactions to things they see as a threat

Question 8

What determines psychoticism?

Answer 8

It’s linked to testoesterone which is why men are more psychotic

Question 9

How is extraversion linked to criminal behaviour?

Answer 9

They seek more arousal so engage in dangerous and criminal activities

Question 10

How is neuroticism linked to criminal behaviour?

Answer 10

They have stronger reactions to things they see as a threat so may use violence

Question 11

How is psychoticism linked to criminal behaviour?

Answer 11

Criminals are often agressive and lacking in empathy

Question 12

What two things interact to cause criminality

Answer 12

Innate personality

Environment/socilisation

Question 13

People with which traits are less easily conditioned?

Answer 13

Extraversion

Psychoticism

Question 14

What are people high in extraversion and psychoticism less able to be conditioned?

Answer 14

Less linkely to learn from previous punishment so don’t avoid antisocial behaviour

Question 15

What evaluative points can be made?

Answer 15

Supporting evidence 
Conflicting evidence 
Personality may not be consistant
Tests may be unreliable 
Research into genetics

Question 16

What is the supporting evidence?

Answer 16

Dunlop: Extraversion and psychoticism predict delinquancy. Participants were students and delinquancy was minor offences that year
McGurk and McDougall: 100 delinquant students high in all 3 elements. Non criminals low in neuroticism and extroverstion
Eysenck: 2000 male prisoners high in all three elements but not cause and effect

Question 17

How does Dunlop’s study support the theory?

Answer 17

Extraversion and psychoticism predict delinquancy. Participants were students and delinquancy was minor offences that year

Question 18

How does McGurk and McDougall’s study support the theory?

Answer 18

100 delinquant students high in all 3 elements. Non criminals low in neuroticism and extroverstion

Question 19

What supporting research did Eysenck give for this theory?

Answer 19

2000 male prisoners high in all three elements but not cause and effect

Question 20

What research has their been into genetics?

Answer 20

Zuckerman: 0.52 correlation for MZ twins, 0.24 for DZ. Not as high as he claimed but still significant. Twins get similar socilisation

Question 21

What was Zuckerman’s study?

Answer 21

Into genetics
0.52 correlation for identical twins, 0.24 for non identical. Still significant but not as high as thought. May be inflated due to similar socilisation

Question 22

What correlation was found between idential twins?

Answer 22

0.52

Question 23

What correlation was found between non-identical twins?

Answer 23

0.24

Question 24

Why might personality not be consistant?

Answer 24

Behave differently depending on situation
Mischel asked family and friends to rate participants in a number of scenarios and found no correlation
People don’t have a single personality

Question 25

What was Mischel’s study?

Answer 25

Looked into if personality is consistant. Asked family and friends to rate participants in a number of scenarios and found no correlation
People don’t have a single personality

Question 26

How might personality tests be unreliable?

Answer 26

Questionaires can ask for extreme yes or no awnsers when it may only be sometimes
Social desirability bias
Countered with lie scales
Different personalities suited to different crimes

Question 27

What is the conflicting evidence for this theory?

Answer 27

Farrington found people were only high in psychoticism and neuroticism so it may be crimes are more done by unbalanced people. This lowers the validity as Eysenck emphasized the importance of all three elements.