Eysenk’s Personality Theory Flashcards
According to Eysenk, what combination forms the Criminal Personality Type?
Neurotic-extravert-psychotic (N-E-P)
What is Eysenk’s Personality Theory?
A psychological theory of offending with a biological basis, that suggests personality is determined through the types of nervous systems we inherit, with a specific combination forming the Criminal Personality Type, which predisposes individuals to offending
How did Eysenk argue personality has a biological basis?
Through the inheritance of nervous system types, which determine personality
How many dimensions of personality did Eysenk state there were?
3
How did Eysenk state the 3 dimensions of personality interact?
They combine to form a variety of personality characteristics and traits
What were the 3 dimensions of personality Eysenk identified?
- Introversion-extroversion (E)
- Neuroticism-stability (N)
- Psychoticism-sociability (P)
Describe the Extrovert Nervous System
Underactive, meaning individuals have to constantly seek excitement and stimulation, meaning they are more likely to engage in risk-taking activities
Describe the Neurotic Nervous System
Have a highly reactive sympathetic branch of their nervous system, meaning by extension individuals have a highly reactive flight or flight response. This means individuals tend to be nervous, jumpy and overanxious, meaning their behaviour is hard to predict
Describe the Psychotic Nervous System
Have higher levels of testosterone, meaning individual are aggressive and lack empathy and are unemotional
How do the 3 aspects of the Criminal Personality Type contribute to it?
- Neurotic: unstable and overactive to situations of threat, meaning individuals are more likely to react to situations impulsively
- Extrovert: seeking dangerous activities and risk-tasking activities, potentially criminal activities
- Psychotic: aggressive and lack empathy, meaning individuals are more likely to commit violent offences and lack remorse for their actions
What is Socialisation?
- The process through which children are conditioned to be patient and to not need immediate gratification
- This occurs through conditioning individuals to feel anxious about acting on antisocial impulses, therefore discouraging them from doing so
What did Eysenk believe in terms of those with the Criminal Personality Type and Socialisation?
That they were difficult to condition, and therefore were developmentally immature due to not fully grasping the concept of socialisation, meaning they are impatient and require instant gratification
What do those with the Criminal Personality Type lack?
Anxiety regarding acting on antisocial impulses, meaning there is nothing mentally to prevent them from acting on them
How is the Criminal Personality Type measured?
On the Eysenk Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), which places individuals along the E, N and P dimensions, allowing it to determined how closely an individual aligns with the criminal personality type
Describe Eysenk et al’s Criminal Personality Study
- He compared the EPQ scores of 2000+ prisoners to that of 2400+ controls
- Concluded that prisoners scored more highly on the E, N and P dimensions, and therefore were more closely aligned with the criminal personality type than the controls
