forensics- psychological explanations of offending behaviour

Question 1

what is eysencks criminal personality (definition)

Answer 1

an individual who scores highly on measures of extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism and cannot be easily conditioned, is cold and unfeeling, likely to engage in offending behaviour

Question 2

what were the 2 dimensions eysencks and then what was the 3rd and his theory is …..

Answer 2

introversion - extraversion
neuroticism - stability

psychoticism - socialibility

BIOLOGICAL (determinism)

our personality traits all have a biological basis > come through in the type of nervous system we inherit

so must mean that all criminal personality types have a bio basis

Question 3

how do extroverts link to criminal personality biologically, what are they.

Answer 3

they have an underactive nervous system SO constantly seek excitement, stimulation, they WANT THRILL so more likely to engage in risk taking behaviours

Question 4

how do neuroticism link to criminal personality biologically, what are they.

Answer 4

high level of reactivity in sns so individuals respond quickly to situations of threat (f/f r)

so they do things without thinking because they are overanxious, they could potentially enter a dangerous situation

nervousness, jumpiness and overanxious and this form of instability makes their behaviour difficult to predict

Question 5

how do psychoticism link to criminal personality biologically, what are they.

Answer 5

high levels of testosterone and which leads to increased aggression and unemotional, lack of morals and remorse and empathy

Question 6

how can we measure criminal personality and describe and why is this useful

Answer 6

eysencks personality questionnaire

this is a psych test which locates respondents along the three dimensions (introversion - extraversion neuroticism - stability psychoticism - socialibility) to establish their personality type

based on this Q E could conduct research relating personality behaviours to other behaviours eg criminality.

Question 7

what is the role of socialisation in cp for eyseck

Answer 7

thought that p is linked to offending b via socialisation processes ie if you have these p characteristics (P, E, N) then you cant learn to delay gratification/difficult to condition as a child, because of the nervous system that you have inherited and so offending b occurs as less likely to learn anxiety responses to antisocial responses therefore more likely to act antisocially

offending b is concerned with selfishness and immediate gratification, children and taught to delay gratification via socialisation.