Forensics- Psychological Explanations: Eysenck’s Theory Flashcards
The criminal personality -
An individual who scores highly on measures of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism and cannot easily be conditioned, is cold and unfeeling, and is likely to engage in offending behaviour.
Eysenck’s Theory of the Criminal Personality
What does Eysenck’s theory propose?
Eysenck’s theory suggests that certain personality traits, which are biologically determined, make some individuals more prone to criminal behavior.
General Personality Theory
What is Eysenck’s general personality theory?
Hans Eysenck (1947):
•Proposed two key dimensions of personality:
1.Introversion/Extraversion (E): Extraverts are sociable and seek stimulation, whereas introverts are reserved.
2.Neuroticism/Stability (N): Neurotic individuals are anxious and emotionally unstable, whereas stable individuals are calm.
•A third dimension, Psychoticism (P), was added later to describe individuals who are cold, unemotional, and prone to aggression.
Biological Basis
How does biology influence personality in Eysenck’s theory?
•Personality traits originate from the type of nervous system inherited.
•Extraverts: Have underactive nervous systems, leading them to seek excitement, take risks, and learn poorly from mistakes.
•Neurotic individuals: Are over-anxious and unpredictable due to unstable nervous systems.
•Eysenck believed these traits had an innate, biological basis.
The Criminal Personality
What is the criminal personality type?
•A combination of neuroticism (N) and extraversion (E) traits.
•Criminals also score highly on psychoticism (P): Cold, unemotional, and aggressive.
The Role of Socialisation
How is personality linked to criminal behavior?
•Criminal behavior reflects developmental immaturity, marked by selfishness and a desire for immediate gratification.
•Socialisation teaches children to delay gratification and conform to social norms.
•People with high E and N scores are difficult to condition, meaning they struggle to associate antisocial impulses with anxiety.
•This makes them more likely to act antisocially when opportunities arise.
Measuring the Criminal Personality
How did Eysenck measure personality?
•Developed the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI):
•A psychological test placing individuals on the E and N dimensions to determine personality type.
•Later modified to measure psychoticism (P).
Evaluation
Evidence Supporting Eysenck’s Theory
•Sybil and Hans Eysenck (1977):
•Compared 2070 male prisoners’ EPI scores with 2422 male controls across age groups (16–69).
•Prisoners scored higher on psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism than controls, supporting the theory.
•David Farrington et al. (1982):
•Found offenders scored highly on psychoticism (P), but not consistently on E and N.
•EEG studies (measuring brain arousal) found little difference between extraverts and introverts, questioning the biological basis of Eysenck’s theory.
The Idea of a Single Criminal Type
1.Criticism: Suggesting all offenders share a single personality type oversimplifies human behavior.
2.Alternative Models:
•Terrie Moffitt (1993): Proposed distinct types of offenders based on timing and duration of offending.
•John Digman (1990): Introduced the Five Factor Model, adding dimensions of openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
•Suggests personality is complex, and high E/N scores do not guarantee offending.
Evaluation
Cultural Bias
•Bartol and Holanchock (1979):
•Studied Hispanic and African-American offenders in a New York prison.
•Found they were less extraverted than non-criminal controls, contrary to Eysenck’s theory.
•Suggests Eysenck’s findings may not generalize across cultures.
Evaluation
The (Mis)Measurement of Personality
1.Criticism: Personality is not a fixed, stable entity and may change based on context and relationships (Mischel, 1988).
2.Reducing personality to a numerical score oversimplifies its complexity.
Evaluation
Biological Basis
•Strengths:
•Recognizes a genetic basis for personality.
•Aligns with other biological explanations of criminality, such as antisocial personality disorder (APD).
•Weaknesses:
•Suffers from similar criticisms as genetic and neural explanations (e.g., reductionism and determinism).
Conclusion
While Eysenck’s theory provides a framework for understanding links between personality and criminal behavior, its oversimplification, cultural bias, and biological determinism limit its validity. Modern approaches suggest that personality and criminality are influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and social factors.
