eysenck's theory

Question 1

outline 6m

Answer 1

• biological basis; nervous system
• combines psychological and biological
• proposed character traits: extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism
• research: 2070 male prisoners, tested using questionaire, high levels than control on the EPI
• cold, unfeeling, can’t be easily conditioned
• extroverts underactive NS
• neurotics overactive NS

Question 2

extraversion

Answer 2

outgoing, positive emotions, bored easily

Question 3

neuroticism

Answer 3

tendency to experience negative emotional states

Question 4

psychoticism

Answer 4

egocentric, aggressive and not concerned in the welfare of other people

Question 5

eysencks research

Answer 5

• 2070 male prisoners
• compared to 2442 males as control
• prisoners recorded much higher on the EPI than controls
• hence according with the theory

Question 6

issues with eysenck research;

Answer 6

• gender bias
• questions weren’t standardised
• researcher bias

Question 7

the criminal personality

Answer 7

an individual who scores highly in E, N, P. they cannot be easily conditioneed and are cold, unfeeling and likely to engage in offending behaviour

Question 8

bartol and holanchock

Answer 8

• studied hispanic and african-american offenders in a maximum security prison in NY
• divided into 6 groups based on their criminal history and nature of offence
• found all 6 groups were found to be less extroverted than a non-criminal group

Question 9

david farrington et. al

Answer 9

• reviewed several studies and reported that offender tended to score high on P measures but not for E or N
• there is also very little differences in EEG measures of cortical arousal between introverts and extroverts which casts doubt on the physiological basis of Eysencks theory