Lesson 5 - Eysenck’s Theory of the Criminal Personality

Question 1

Personality trait division (Criminal Personality)

Answer 1

Eysenck (1947) proposed that behaviour could be represented along two dimensions: introversion/ extraversion and neuroticism/stability. The two dimensions combine to form a variety of personality traits. Eysenck later added a third dimension – psychoticism.

Question 2

Personality trait origin (Criminal Personality)

Answer 2

According to Eysenck (1947) our personality traits are biological in origin and come about through the type of nervous system we inherit from our parents. Therefore, all personality types, including the criminal personality type, have an innate, biological basis.

Question 3

Criminal personality

Answer 3

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 –cold, unemotional and prone to aggression.

Question 4

Socialisation effects (Criminal Personality)

Answer 4

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 orientated. Eysenck believed that people with high extraversion and neuroticism scores had nervous systems that made them difficult to condition, as a result they will not learn 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.

Question 5

Eysenck Personality Inventory (Criminal Personality)

Answer 5

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 that is used to measure psychoticism.

Question 6

Strengths of Eysenck’s Theory

Answer 6

Zilch

Question 7

Weaknesses of Eysenck’s Theory

Answer 7

Farrington et al. (1982) reviewed several studies and reported that offenders tended to score higher on psychoticism, but NOT on extraversion and neuroticism, than non-offenders.

The idea that all offending behaviour can be explained by a single personality type has been heavily criticised as being simplistic. Crime is too varied and complex a behaviour to be due to one single personality type, the type of individual who commits murder is likely to be very different to one who commits fraud.

Eysenck ‘s theory is out of step with modern personality theory. Digman’s (1990) Five Factor Model of personality suggests that openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness are important personality dimensions, in addition to extraversion and neuroticism. Using this model multiple combinations are available.

Bartol and Holanchock (1979) 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 six groups were found to be LESS extravert than non-criminal control groups. This means Eysenck’s theory could be culturally biased.

Eysenck’s theory is based on the idea that it is possible to measure personality through psychological tests. Critics have argued that personality may not be reducible 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 who they are with and the situation they are in.