Personality: crime and anti-social behaviour Flashcards
Define Personality ?
the combination of qualities or traits that are thought to form the distinctive character of a person.
what did Eysenck propose ?
that everyone’s character is made up of a collection of stable features that direct behaviour in different situations, their personality
what two dimensions did Eysenck believe measured people’s personality ?
- extraversion/ introversion
2. Neuroticism
what is the Extraversion - Introverson dimension ?
- extraverts crave excitement and stimulation - because of this, they are prone to engage in dangerous, risk-taking behaviour.
- introverts are able to find stimulation easily (in one’s own company) and find the same exciting tasks overstimulating and uncomfortable
what is a common trait with extraverts ?
they tend to not condition easily and so do not learn from mistakes very well
what is the neuroticism - stability dimension ?
-neurotic individuals are nervy and anxious
what is a common trait of neurotics ?
their general instability means that they are difficult to predict
what does Eysenck believe is the typical criminal personality ?
an extravert - neurotic
how does the biological basis work ?
- Eysenck’s theory is based on personality which is biological in nature
- personality traits we develop are explained by the type of nervous system we inherit
what is supposedly caused by an underactive nervous system ?
the constant need for excitement that extraverts experience
what does an underactive nervous system require ?
high levels of arousal
what do people who score highly on neuroticism scales act like (in terms with the biological basis) ?
they act in a volatile way and react strongly to situations that others would find less stressful or even neutral
what is the third dimension ?
psychoticism
what does it mean if a person acts in a psychotic way ?
they are self-centred, cold and lack empathy for other people
what is the criminal type characterised by ?
a person who scores highly on all three dimensions
what did Eysenck develop (test) ?
The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)
what is the Eysenck personality inventory ?
a questionnaire which places respondents along E,N,P dimensions to determine personality types
what is the socialisation process ?
- despite biological emphasis, Eysenck did acknowledge that, in most people, the socialisation process in childhood will determine whether a person becomes a law-abiding citizen or not
what is the problem with extraverts, in terms of the socialisation process ?
extraverts tend to respond poorly to operant conditioning because they are natural reward seekers and less receptive and affected by punishment for wrongdoings.
what is the problem with neurotics, in terms of the socialisation process ?
high neuroticism interferes with efficient learning which may relate to a difficulty taking on board social rules.
what does the socialisation process dictate ?
extraverts and neurotics are more likely to behave anti-socially.
