**L5 - Eysenck's theory of criminal personality Flashcards
GENERAL PERSONALITY THEORY
EYSENCK proposed that BEHAVIOUR could be REPRESENTED ALONG TWO DIMENSIONS: INTROVERSION/EXTRAVERSION and NEUROTICISM/STABILITY. The TWO DIMENSIONS COMBINED TO FORM a VARIETY OF PERSONALITY TRAITS
EYSENCK LATER ADDED A THIRD DIMENSION - PSYCHOTICISM
what did Eysenck believe about our personality traits?
He believed that our PERSONALITY TRAITS are BIOLOGICAL IN ORIGIN and come about through the TYPE OF NERVOUS SYSTEM WE INHERIT FROM OUR PARENTS - therefore ALL PERSONALITY TRAITS, INCLUDING THE CRIMINAL PERSONALITY TYPE have a BIOLOGICAL BASIS
what is extraversion?
EXTRAVERTS have an UNDERACTIVE NERVOUS SYSTEM so they are CONSTANTLY SEEKING EXCITEMENT and STIMULATION and MAY ENGAGE IN RISK TAKING BEHAVIOUR.
EXTRAVERTS are DIFFICULT TO CONDITION and FIND IT HARD TO LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES
what is neuroticism?
NEUROTIC INDIVIDUALS TEND TO BE NERVOUS, JUMPY and OVER ANXIOUS, their GENERAL INSTABILITY MEANS THEIR BEHAVIOUR IS OFTEN HARD TO PREDICT
what is criminal personality?
The CRIMINAL PERSONALITY TYPE is NEUROTIC-EXTRAVERT.
a COMBINATION of ALL OF THE CHARACTERISTICS and BEHAVIOURS OF EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM.
In addition, EYSENCK SUGGESTED A TYPICAL OFFENDER will also SCORE HIGHLY ON PSYCHOTICISM - which means they are COLD, UNEMOTIONAL and AGGRESSIVE.
how is personality linked to criminal behaviour?
In EYSENCK’S THEORY, PERSONALITY IS LINKED TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR VIA SOCIALISATION.
EYSENCK saw CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR as DEVELOPMENTALLY IMMATURE in that it is SELFISH and CONCERNED WITH IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION . DURING SOCIALISATION, CHILDREN are TAUGHT TO DELAY GRATIFICATION and be SOCIALLY ORIENTED
EYSENCK believed people who were NEUROTIC-EXTRAVERT had NERVOUS SYSTEMS that made them DIFFICULT TO CONDITION, AS A RESULT, THEY WILL NOT LEARN AS EASILY TO RESPOND TO THEIR ANTI SOCIAL IMPULSES WITH ANXIETY.
Consequently they are MORE LIKELY TO ACT ANTISOCIALLY in SITUATIONS WHERE THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF
eysenck personality inventory
EYSENCK DEVELOPED the EYSENCK PERSONALITY INVENTORY, a PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST which LOCATES RESPONDENTS ALONG the EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM DIMENSIONS to DETERMINE THEIR PERSONALITY TYPE.
A LATER SCALE WAS INTRODUCED which is used to MEASURED PSYCHOTICISM
EV: (-) FARRINGTON ET AL
FARRINGTON ET AL REVIEWED SERVAL STUDIES and REPORTED THAT OFFENDERS TENDED TO SCORE HIGHER ON PSYCHOTICISM, BUT NOT ON EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM THAN NON OFFENDERS
EV: (-) reductionist
the IDEA THAT ALL OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR can be EXPLAINED BY A SINGLE PERSONALITY TYPE is VERY SIMPLISTIC, CRIME IS TOO VARIED and COMPLEX OF A BEHAVIOUR to be DUE TO ONE SINGLE PERSONALITY TYPE, the TYPE OF INDIVIDUAL who COMMITS FRAUD for example, is LIKELY TO BE VERY DIFFERENT TO ONE WHO COMMITS MURDERS
This explanation is therefore REDUCTIONIST
EV: (-) out of step with modern theories
EYSENCK’S THEORY is OUT OF STEP WITH MODERN PERSONALITY THEORY.
DIGMANs FIVE FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY suggests that OPENNESS, AGREEABLENESS and CONSCIENTIOUSNESS are IMPORTANT PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS IN ADDITION to EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM.
Using this model there are MORE COMBINATIONS AVAILABLE which SEEMS MORE REALISTIC CONSIDERING HOW DIVERSE AND COMPLEX HUMAN PERSONALITIES CAN BE
EV: (-) BARTOL AND HOLANCHOCK
BARTOL AND HOLANCHOCK LOOKED INTO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES. They STUDIED HISPANIC and AFRICAN AMERICAN OFFENDERS IN A MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON IN NEW YORK and DIVIDED THEM INTO SIX GROUPS BASED ON THEIR CRIMINAL HISTORY and the NATURE OF THEIR OFFENCES.
ALL 6 GROUPS were FOUND TO BE LESS EXTRAVERTED than NON CRIMINAL GROUPS. This means EYSENCK’S THEORY could be CULTURALLY BIASED
EV: (-) personality changes constantly
EYSENCK’S THEORY is BASED ON THE IDEA that it is POSSIBLE TO MEASURE PERSONALITY THROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS.
CRITICS ARGUE that you CAN’T ACCURATELY REDUCE PERSONALITIES TO A SCORE IN THIS WAY. MANY PSYCHOLOGISTS believe there is NO SUCH THING AS STABLE PERSONALITY, on a DAILY BASIS PEOPLE’S PERSONALITY CHANGES DEPENDING ON WHO THEY ARE WITH and WHAT SITUATION THEY ARE IN
