Criminal Personality Theory

Question 1

what is the criminal personality theory

Answer 1

it states that criminal behaviour relates to the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). Three personality types were associated with criminal behaviour; extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism.

Question 2

what is criminal personality

Answer 2

a set of relatively fixed traits associated with people who commit crimes

Question 3

what is genetic inheritance

Answer 3

when genetic information is passed on from parents to child through the pairing of chromosomes at conception

Question 4

what is extraversion

Answer 4

a trait measuring how out-going an individual is

Question 5

what is neuroticism

Answer 5

a trait measuring how anxious an individual is

Question 6

what is psychoticism

Answer 6

a trait measuring how impulsive and aggressive an individual is

Question 7

how do people who score high on extraversion act like

Answer 7

they are out-going. sociable and confident. At the end of the opposite end is introversion. Introverted people tend to be quiet, shy and unassertive. It is possible to have a balance between these two extremes

Question 8

how do people who score high on neuroticism act like

Answer 8

they are anxious, angry and prone to feeling guilt. At the opposite end is stability. Stable people tend to be calm, even-tempered and not easily stressed. It is possible to have a balance between these two extremes

Question 9

how do people who score high on psychoticism act like

Answer 9

they are impulsive, aggressive and selfish. At the opposite end is high impulse control. People in control of their impulses tend to be warm, considerate and conscientious. It is possible to have a balance between these two extremes

Question 10

according to Eysenck’s theory, who will score highly on his three scales, extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism

Answer 10

individuals with a criminal personality

Question 11

cause of extraversion

Answer 11

individuals with extraversion have an under-aroused cerebral cortex as the stimuli is restricted by the reticular activation system (RAS), which is located in the central nervous system (CNS). The cerebral cortex is hungry for stimulation, which can be gained through risky, lawless behaviour.

Extroverts also have a stronger domaine reward system, meaning that they respond more positively to reinforcers like sex and money, to the point where they may need to acquire them illegally.

Question 12

what is the reticular activation system

Answer 12

a neural network that mediates consciousness and alertness, it is part of the brain stem that links the brain and spinal cord and regulates the stimuli sent to the cerebral cortex

Question 13

what is the cerebral cortex

Answer 13

the outer layer of the brain, which is important for conscious awareness

Question 14

what is the central nervous sytem

Answer 14

a system consisting of the brain and spinal cord, to which sensory impulses are transmitted and from which motor impulses pass out

Question 15

what is the dopamine reward system

Answer 15

a neural network that is responsible for people experiencing pleasure

Question 16

cause of neuroticism

Answer 16

Neuroticism is related to the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is activated during emotion-inducing situations and regulates the activity of the brain’s limbic system. the ANS is over-aroused in neurotics, leading to higher levels of violence (a behaviour that is controlled by the limbic system)

Question 17

what is the autonomic nervous sytem

Answer 17

the system responsible for unconscious control of the body’s internal organs

Question 18

what is the limbic system

Answer 18

a neural network that controls emotional expression

Question 19

cause of psychoticism

Answer 19

it is the result of an excess of dopaminergic neurons, which cause over-production of dopamine by the nervous system. the excess of dopamine leads to less inhibition of impulses in the brain during synaptic transmission

Question 20

what is synaptic transmission

Answer 20

the process where neurotransmitters are released by a presynaptic neuron and bind to and activate the receptors of postsynaptic neuron

Question 21

what are dopaminergic neurons

Answer 21

nerve cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine

Question 22

what does high levels of extraversion and neuroticism cause to people

Answer 22

they are difficult to condition. People who are naturally stable and introverted learn the association between performing a criminal or anti-social act and its negative outcomes more easily and avoids committing them in the future.

Question 23

what will children with higher levels of extraversion and neuroticism be like

Answer 23

they will be more resistant to early socialisation in terms of learning moral behaviour. Parents or agents of socialisation will need to work harder to divert their children away from the ‘thrill’ of crime.

Question 24

what is condition

Answer 24

Learning by association and consequence

Question 25

what is early socialisation

Answer 25

the process where young children are conditioned to accept the norms and values of their family and wider society

Question 26

what occupations are extroverts and neurotic children more likely to end up in

Answer 26

politicians and business people, they make big decision and take risks, feeding their pleasure-seeking behaviour. Business people may also relieve their anxiety by continually finding ways of making profit.

Question 27

criticisms of criminal personality theory 1

Answer 27

it is ignoring individual differences. Rather than emphasising the uniqueness of people, he tried to place them in broad categories. Critics argue it is wrong to ‘lump together’ neurotic extroverts (the most likely criminals) and assume they have similar reasons for turning to crime.

Question 28

criticisms of criminal personality theory 2

Answer 28

Theory merely identifies certain characteristics that may link to criminality. it does not inform us why individuals commit criminal acts. E.g: The theory tells us that rapists are extrovert, neurotic and psychotic but it does not explain why they rape.

Question 29

criticisms of criminal personality theory 3

Answer 29

it is too deterministic, the theory suggests that people are born with their personality type and that the chance of them becoming criminals is driven by biology. It makes people think that crime is out of their control and doesn’t let them taking responsibility for their actions

Question 30

criticisms of criminal personality theory 4

Answer 30

Although Eysenck considers both nature and nurture in his explanation, some critics say that there isn’t enough emphasis on nurture. Rather than saying how they are naturally hard to condition, critics say that we should focus on how we can try to condition this personality type. With the right kind of environment, these people do not have to turn to crime as much as they do

Question 31

criticisms of criminal personality theory 5

Answer 31

with such a range of crimes, it seems unlikely that criminals share a similar personality. Even if we accept Eysenck’s broad personality types, it is hard to accept that a person who spontaneously robs people in the street has the same kind of personality characteristics as the person who carefully plans to defraud others. In his later works, Eysenck himself suggests that violent people may be more stable than neurotic.