psychological explanations

Question 1

General personality theory

Answer 1

Eyesenck proposed 2 dimensions
introversion/extraversion (E)
neuroticism/stability (N)
the 2 combine to form personality characteristics

Question 2

who proposed the theory of criminal personality

Answer 2

Eyesenck

Question 3

biological basis

Answer 3

believed personality traits have a biological origin and come about through the type of nervous system we inherit

Question 4

what do extraverts have?

Answer 4

an under active nervous system which means they constantly seek excitement, stimulation and are likely to engage in risk taking behaviours.

Question 5

what do neurotic individuals tend to be?

Answer 5

nervous, jumpy and over anxious and their general instability means that their behaviour is often hard to predict.

Question 6

the criminal personality

Answer 6

neurotic-extravert in addition will score highly on psychoticism which is characterised as being cold, unemotional and prone to agression

Question 7

how is psychoticism linked to criminal behaviour?

Answer 7

via the socialisation process

Question 8

what did eysenck believe?

Answer 8

believed those with high E and N scores had a nervous system that made them difficult to condition, they would not learn easily and respond to anti social impulses with anxiety

Question 9

how does eysenck measure the criminal personality?

Answer 9

developed the EPI a from of test which responds along E and N psychoticism was later included

Question 10

evidence supporting eysenck (eysenk and eysenk)

Answer 10

compared 2017 male prisoner scores on EPI with 2422 male controls
on measures of N, E and P all prisoners recorded higher scores than the controls which supports the predictions of this theory

Question 11

Farrington et al (1982)

Answer 11

reviewed several studies and reported that offenders tended o have high P measure but not E and N.

Question 12

the idea of a single criminal type

Answer 12

suggesting that all crinimal behaviour is a result of personality has been highly criticised

Question 13

Moffit 1993

Answer 13

proposed several distinct types of adult male offender based upon the timing of the first offence and how long offending persists

Question 14

outdated

Answer 14

eysencks theory is outdated

Question 15

Digman 1990 5 factor model

Answer 15

suggests alongside E and N there are additional dimensions of openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.
multiple combinations are available therefore a high E and N score does not necessarily mean more offending

Question 16

cultural bias bartol and holanchock

Answer 16

looked into cultural differences in hipspanic and african american offenders in a maximum security prison and divided them into 6 groups based on criminal history.
found all 6 groups were less extravert than non criminal group.

Question 17

the mis measurement of personality

Answer 17

critics suggest that personality may not be reducible in a score way and many argue there is no such thing as personality.

Question 18

biological basis

Answer 18

eysenck recognises that P may have a genetic basis and thus fits well with other bio explanations.
there is also some overlap into research into ADP and the suggestion they are cold and uncaring