Individualistic Theories Flashcards
Eysenck criminal personality
Neurotics extrovert is the personality that criminals have. (1964)
Extrovert personality and how it can lead to criminality
Extroverts need a high level of stimulation from their environment, so they constantly seek excitement. Example- they will seek to run away from the police to increase the rush of adrenaline and stimulation to increase their nervous system arousal.
Neurotic stability and how it can lead to criminal behaviour
They are harder to condition following societies rules because their high anxiety levels prevent them learning from punishment for their mistakes. Example- they might be a re-offender and commit crime time and time again.
Extroverts don’t condition easily and why
Through experiences we learn to seek rewards and avoid punishments. Eg. We misbehave and we get punished and we learn to stop doing it to avoid punishments. This is called conditioning. Extroverts don’t condition well as they do not learn from mistakes like introverts do.
Psychoticism and how it can make them criminal
A high p score means that they have a criminal tendencies and tend to lack empathy and remorse for their crime
Weaknesses of criminal personality
- The questionnaire relies heavily on self-report measures. The scariest may not be valid and doesn’t accurately measure their personality as they are not valid.
Studies that doesn’t support Eysenck
Farrington et al reviewed 16 studies of the relationship between E, N and P measures with criminal convictions. They found that in the majority of cases offenders scored higher on P and N but not on E. Shows how the Eysenck criminal personality being neurotic and extroverted and high psychotoism is incorrect as the study showed they were just neurotic and high psychotoism.
Study that supports Eysenck theory
McGurk and McDougall investigated the link between criminality and personality type. 100 students defined as ‘delinquent ’ and 100 was control students who were not delinquent completed the EPN and their E and N scores were calculated. There were significant differences in the scores on all three dimensions. The delinquent group had a combination of high P, E and N scores.
