Eysenck's Personality Theory As An Explanation For Criminal Behaviour Flashcards
What does Eysenck’s personality theory for criminal behaviour suggest?
eysenck’s personality theory for criminal behaviour suggests that antisocial behaviour is caused by an interaction between genetic factors associated with personality and environmental influences.
What did he viewed personality traits as being?
Biological or innate.
How did Eyseneck measure personality traits?
using his personality inventory; a test that classified individuals as extrovert/introvert and neurotic/stable.
What are the four classifications?
Extrovert/introvert and neurotic/stable.
How do extroverts seek arousal.
Extroverts seek arousal from risk taking and antisocial behaviour in order to provide them with the extra stimulation they need as a result of their dampened RAS.
What is the RAS?
The RAS is the reticular activating system.
What did eysenck suggest about extroverted individuals.
That they are more likely to be involved in criminal activity because of their dampened RAS.
What does a dampened RAS result in?
A dampened RAS results in the individual responding to environmental stimuli differently. So they have to seek risk taking activities to receive the extra stimulation they need to become aroused.
What did Eyseneck suggest about individuals who are both extroverted and neurotic?
That they were more likely to be involved in criminal activity.
What is a person considered to be if they are both extroverted and neurotic?
unstable.
Why would a neurotic extrovert be more likely to comment according to this explanation?
This is due to the individual being unstable and finding is difficult to inhibit their behaviour.
What biological evidence is there for a neurotic extroverts disposition to criminal behaviour.
There is biological evidence for this whereby the autonomic nervous system (ANS) functions differently in such individuals with the sympathetic division being quick to turn on (fight) and is therefore linked to impulsivity and violent response. They are therefore more likely to seek out antisocial activity and resist social conditioning.
What did eysenck’s later research suggest?
That some individuals further possess a psychotic personality type and they are also more likely to be criminal because they have no conscience and lack empathy meaning that they can harm or distress others without feeling guilt or remorse.
