Psychological explanations: Eysenck's Theory Flashcards
Who developed the theory of the criminal personality?
Hans Eysenck
What two dimensions did Eysenck originally propose in his personality theory?
What third dimension did Eysenck later add to his theory?
How do the three personality dimensions combine in Eysenck’s theory?
Extraversion (E) and Neuroticism (N), and then later the third dimension was added Psychoticism (P)
These three personality dimensions form different personality characteristics and traits
What is the biological basis of personality in Eysenck’s theory?
Personality traits are inherited and linked to the type of nervous system a person has
How does Eysenck explain the criminal personality in biological terms?
Criminal personality traits have an innate, biological basis
Why do extraverts seek excitement and take risks?
Why do extraverts struggle to learn from their mistakes?
They have an underactive nervous system, so they need more stimulation
They do not condition easily, meaning they are less likely to associate punishment with their actions
What personality type does Eysenck associate with criminals?
Neurotic - extravert
What traits are associated with neuroticism in Eysenck’s theory?
Nervousness, anxiety, jumpiness, and unpredictable behaviour
What traits are associated with extraversion in Eysenck’s theory?
Seeking excitement, risk taking and difficulty learning from mistakes
What are the characteristics of psychoticism in Eysenck’s theory?
Cold, unemotional and aggressive behaviour
Why does Eysenck describe criminal behaviour as developmentally immature?
It is selfish and focused on immediate gratification
What is the role of socialisation in preventing criminal behaviour?
It teaches children to delay gratification and be more socially oriented
Why do people with high extraversion (E) or neuroticism (N) scores struggle with socialisation?
Their nervous systems make them difficult to condition
How does poor conditioning contribute to criminal behaviour?
They do not easily learn to associate antisocial impulses with anxiety, making them more likely to act antisocially
What does the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) measure?
It assesses individuals along the extraversion (E) and neuroticism (N) dimensions
What tool did Eysenck develop to measure personality?
The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)
How was Eysenck’s personality test later expanded?
A later scale was introduced to measure psychoticism (P)
What is a strength of Eysenck’s theory? (2070 male prisoners + higher EPI scores)
> Eysenck compared 2070 male prisoners’ scores on the EPI with 2422 male controls.
> Groups were subdivided into age groups, ranging from 16 to 69 years.
> On measures of psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism - across all age groups - prisoners recorded higher scores than controls which aligned with the predictions of the theory.
> However, Farrington et al, reviewed several studies and reported that offenders tended to score high on P measures, but not for E and N.
> There is also very little evidence of consistent differences in EEG measures between extraverts and introverts, which casts doubt on the physiological basis of Eysenck’s theory
What is a limitation of Eysenck’s theory? (the idea of a single criminal type)
> The idea that there is a single criminal type has been heavily criticised.
> For instance, Moffitt proposed several distinct types of adult male offender based on the timing of the first offence, and how long offending persisted.
> Furthermore, Eysenck’s criminal type is out - of - step with modern personality theories.
> For example, the Five Factor Model of personality which suggests that alongside E and N, there are additional dimensions of openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.
> From this perspective, multiple combinations are available and therefore a high E and N score does not mean offending is inevitable
What is a limitation of Eysenck’s theory? (cultural bias + Bartol et a.)
> Bartol and Holanchock looked into cultural differences.
> They studied Hispanic and African - American offenders in a maximum security prison in New York and divided these into six groups based on their criminal history and the nature of their offence.
> It was revealed that all six groups were found to be less extravert than a non - criminal control group.
> Bartol et al. suggested that this was because their sample was a very different cultural group than that investigated by Eysenck, which questions the generalisability of the criminal personality
What is a limitation of Eysenck’s theory? (the mismeasurement of personality)
> Eysenck’s theory is built on the premise that it is possible to measure personality through the use of a psychological test.
> Critics have suggested that personality type may not be reducible to a ‘score’ in this way, as many also argue there is no such thing as personality - in the sense of a state entity.
> On a daily basis, we play many different parts and our personality may change depending who we are with and the situation we are involved in.
> There may be no fixed and unchangeable ‘true self’ directing our behaviour, criminal or otherwise
