Individual Explanation - Eysneck’s Criminal Personality

Question 1

The three types of personality

Answer 1

Extraversion
Neuroticism
Psychoticism

Question 2

Extraversion

Answer 2

How sociable you are

High scores = extroverts: outgoing, more likely to take risk to seek stimulation. Argued that they have under aroused nervous system. Seek stimulation to restore stimulation level.

Low score = introverts: quiet + reserved. Over aroused nervous system. Avoid too much stimulation

Question 3

Neuroticism

Answer 3

How emotional you are, reactivity of sympathetic nervous system.

Low score = stability: less reactive to stressful situations. Remain calm + level headed.

High score = neurotic: emotionally unstable, over react to stimuli, quick to anger or fear

Question 4

Psychoticism

Answer 4

Willingness to break rule + be unconforming, related to testosterone level.

Low score = normal, follow rules

High score = aggressive, unsympathetic, egocentric

Question 5

How personality are acquired + affect personality

Answer 5

These personality differences are inherited, affect their ability to adapt to environment. Humans are naturally pleasure seeking (hedonistic) even if it’s crime.
But built up fear condition cause people to not act. But criminals are immune to these

Question 6

Link with criminal behaviour

Answer 6

Introverts: quick to learn from fear conditioning, as don’t want to overwhelm own sensory neurons with punishment

Extrovert: longer to learn from fear conditioning. As they want to seek stimulation

High score in neuroticism increase strength of the aspect of other personality.

High score on Extraversion + neuroticism = not conditioned well. Cannot learn social norm easily + not respond well to punishment

High score on Psychoticism = rule breaking, impulsive
-acquisitive criminal to steal

Question 7

Interactionist approach - evaluation

Answer 7

Interactionist approach -
Nature genetic predisposition decides on the score we have for the 3 different traits of either having tendency of being criminal or not

Nurture - by interacting with society we come up with ways to stimulate our senses for pleasure
Develop fear response to things we should not do form our personality

Question 8

Not reliable

Answer 8

Rely on self report method
-untruthful, social desirability bias give response not true to self
- misunderstand question if no researcher, especially in prisoner who has no outside help

Rely on criminals who are caught
-could be extroverted criminals who are less rational and planning than introvert is what gets them caught
-decrease validity as ignore other type of criminals

Question 9

Personality not consistent

Answer 9

Some people may feel different at different time, affecting their scores
-some may not act upon their traits
Mischel + Peake - in different students, no correlation between traits in test + behaviours in class, suggesting environment big factor affecting personality
-just because someone has high psychoticism they are not bad