Eysenck's criminal personality Flashcards
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ)
The personality test devised by Eysenck to assess an individual’s personality.
Eysenck - biology
Eysenck argues that 67% of our personality is based on genetics / biology.
Extraversion
Extraverts are characterised as outgoing, having positive emotions but may get bored easily.
They gain pleasure form socialising and enjoy the company of others.
People who score low in extraversion are considered to be introverts.
Extraversion - traits
Sociable
Irresponsible
Dominant
Lack of reflection
Sensation-seeking
Impulsive
Risk-taking
Expressive
Active
Eysenck - biology (extraverts)
Extraverts:
Eysenck argues that they inherit an under aroused nervous system and so seek stimulation to restore the level of optimum stimulation.
Neuroticism
The tendency to experience negative emotional states (such as anxiety, anger and depression) rather than positive emotional states.
Low scores of neuroticism shows that someone has emotional stability.
Neuroticism - traits
Anxious
Depressed
Guilt feelings
Low self-esteem
Tense
Moody
Hypochondriac
Lack of autonomy
Obsessive
Eysenck - biology (neuroticism)
A person’s level of neuroticism is determined by the reactivity of their sympathetic nervous system.
Someone high in neuroticism will be much more unstable, and prone to overreacting to stimuli and may be quick to anger or fear.
Psychoticism
Egocentric, aggressive, impulsive, impersonal, lacking in empathy and generally not concerned about the welfare of other people.
Non-conforming.
People low in psychoticism show normality.
Psychoticism - traits
Aggressive
Assertive
Egocentric
Unsympathetic
Manipulative
Achievement-oriented
Dogmatic
Masculine
Tough-minded
Eysenck - biology
(Psychoticism)
This has been related to high levels of testosterone.
The higher the testosterone, the higher the level of psychoticism.
Link to criminal behaviour
Eysenck argues that criminal behaviour is brought about by a failure in socialisation.
Extraverts condition much more slowly.
This lack of conditioning results in poor socialisation and increases the likelihood of criminal behaviour.
Argues that those who score high on extraversion and neuroticism do not learn society’s rules and norms easily and don’t respond well to punishment.
Crime and psychosis is linked to aggression, rule breaking and impulsivity.
McGurk and McDougall (1981)
Used a personality questionnaire based on Eysenck’s theory and administered it to 100 college students they had identified as “delinquent” and 100 who were not.
McGurk and McDougall (1981) - findings
They found significant differences.
Within the delinquent sample there was a cluster of students with both high neuroticism and extraversion, as well as a sub group who scored high on neuroticism, extraversion and psychoticism.
In the non-delinquent group, there was a significant percentage of individuals with low neuroticism and extraversion scores.
Dunlop et al (2012)
Found that both extraversion and psychoticism, as well as lie scales. were good predictors of delinquency.
However, in this study all participants were all students and their friends (aged 15-75) and delinquency was an assessment of minor offences in the previous 12 months such as theft and traffic offences.
