Forensic Psychology - Psychological Approach

Question 1

Define psychotic

Answer 1

someone who is insensitive, unconventional and lacks conscience

Question 2

Define neurotic

Answer 2

someone who is nervous, anxious and obsessive

Question 3

Define extrovert

Answer 3

someone who is sociable, impulsive, expressive and risk taking

Question 4

Define introvert

Answer 4

cautious and happy in their own company

Question 5

What is the main study in this field?

Answer 5

The Eysenck Personality Inventory

Question 6

When was Eysenck Personality Inventory created?

Answer 6

1947

Question 7

What is scaffolding of Eysenck’s personality theory?

Answer 7

the Eysenck personality inventory, a form of psychological test which locates respondents along the E and N dimensions to determine their personality type

He hypothesised that there is a criminal personality

Question 8

Where on the Eysenck’s inventory would a criminal hypothetically be?

Answer 8

High E and N (not P as p isn’t on the INVENTORY)

Question 9

What are the 3 different bits of Eysenck’s theory?

Answer 9

Biological basis
Criminal personality
Socialisation

Question 10

Explain the biological basis of Eysenck’s theory?

Answer 10

The theory suggests that all personality types have an innate biological basis.

Extraverts (underactive nervous system) so constantly seek excitement and risk-taking behaviours
Introverts (overactive nervous system) so withdraw from too much stimulation.

Question 11

Explain the biological basis with extroverts

Answer 11

Extraverts (underactive nervous system) so constantly seek excitement and risk-taking behaviours

Question 12

What is neuroticism biologically linked to?

Answer 12

linked to instability in the sympathetic nervous system

Question 13

What is psychotism linked to?

Answer 13

higher levels of testosterone indicates high levels of aggression and unpredictability (APD) traits, lack of empathy, risky behaviour, flat mood and unpredictability

Question 14

Explain the criminal personality bit of Eysenck’s theory?

Answer 14

Criminals will score highly in psychoticism
Neurotic-extravert personality type
More likely to commit crimes based on emotion and will seek dangerous activities.

Question 15

When may the difference in levels of neuroticism and extrorevtism be important?

Answer 15

It was also said in the study that:
- neuroticism= good indicator of criminal behaviour in older people
- Extraversion= younger people

Question 16

What are the 2 types socialisation when should they occur?

Answer 16

Primary - at home
Secondary at primary school

Question 17

What is the socialisation process?

Answer 17

The socialisation process is that at home you learn how to socialise (primary) and that as primary school you learn how to socialise with other people (secondary)

Question 18

What is delayed gratification?

Answer 18

Delayed gratification is when we are able to ignore our urges to get instant gratification in order to get gratification latter (eg marshmallow test)

Question 19

What was Eysenck’s theory approach to socialisation?

Answer 19

Part of Eyseneck Personality Inventory is that if we aren’t socialised properly (we don’t have proper delayed gratification we are more likely to commit a crime

Question 20

What type of people did Eysenck say would have poor socialisation?

Answer 20

High N and E people

Question 21

Why did Eysenck say that some people would have problems in delayed gratification?

Answer 21

Eyensnick said that people with high E and N are more likely to have bad delayed gratification (as they won’t learn to associate antisocial behaviour with negative consequences) gratification and as a result they are more likely tp be more impulsive and commit crime to get what they want straight away

Question 22

What is the positive evaluation for Eysenck’s personality thoery?

Answer 22

Experimental evidence for

Question 23

What are the negative evaluations of Eysenck’s personality theory?

Answer 23

Experimental evidence against
Single criminal type
Cultural bias
Methodological issues
Biological basis
Explanation power

Question 24

Explain the positive evaluation of Eysenck’s personality theory: Experimental evidence for

Answer 24

Eysenck and Eysenck (1977)
Compared 2070 male prisoners scores on EPI with 2422 male controls.
They were sub-divided into age groups ranging from 16-69 years
Across all age groups prisoners recorded higher scores than controls for P, E and N

Rushton and Christjohn (1981) compared E, N and P scores with self-reports of delinquency in children and students.
- High levels of delinquency = higher E, P and N scores

Question 25

Explain the negative evaluation of Eysenck’s personality theory: Experimental evidence against

Answer 25

Farrington et al. (1982) – meta-analysis
■ Offenders reported high on P measures but not E and N.
■ Little difference in EEG measures between introverts and extroverts.
■ Research depends on the type of measurement used.

■ Official offenders (Hollin, 1989) – high in psychoticism and neuroticism but low in extraversion

■ Putwain and Sammons (2002) suggested that results are inconsistent as extroversion scales measure two things: sociability and impulsiveness. Criminality is associated with impulsiveness but not sociability.

Question 26

What do extrovert scales measure?

Answer 26

Sociability and impulsivness

Question 27

Explain the negative evaluation of Eysenck’s personality theory: Single Crime Type

Answer 27

■ Criticised for focusing on a particular criminal personality type.
■ Mofitt (1993) - variations depending upon timing of first offence and how long offending persists (adult male prisoners).

Question 28

How was Eysenck’s theory improved?

Answer 28

■ Digman (1990) –Five factor model: updated model of personality – included further dimensions of openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.

Question 29

Explain the negative evaluation of Eysenck’s personality theory: Cultural bias

Answer 29

Bartol and Holanchock (1979)
• Studied Hispanic and African-American prisoners in a high-
security prison.
• 6 groups – based on criminal history.
• Compared against a non-criminal control group.
• All found to be less extravert than a non- criminal control
group.

Question 30

Explain the negative evaluation to Eysenck’s personality theory: Methodological issues

Answer 30

■ Personalities are not stable entities that can be tested.
■ Not reducible to a score
■ Mischel (1988) it can change depending on the situation we are in and who we are with.

Question 31

Explain the negative evaluation of Eysenck’s personality theory: Biological Basis

Answer 31

■ Suffers from same limitations as genetic and neural explanations.
■ APD: Raine (1997/2000) brain structures and functions
■ Eysenck – nervous system
It is biologically deterministic

(it is a deterministic approach and ignoring other influences)

Question 32

Explain the negative evaluation of Eysenck’s personality theory: Explanatory power

Answer 32

The theory can identify child abusers and rapist but doesn’t explain why they do these acts
A good theory can explain why so that we can try and help the potential offender to not offend and stop the crime