Psychological Explanations: Eysencks Theory Flashcards
What did Eysenck propose
Proposed that behaviour could be represented along two dimensions
- introversion extra version
- neuroticism stability
The two dimensions combine to form a variety of personality characteristics or traits
Then added a third dimensions
- psychoticism sociability
What does Eysenck believe about personality traits
Believe personality traits are biological in origin and come about through the type of nervous system we inherit so personality types have innate biological basis
What are extraverts
Have under active nervous system so they constantly seek excitement , stimulation and engage in risk taking behaviours
Don’t condition easily so do not earn from their mistakes
What are neurotic individuals like
-high level of reactivity in the sympathetic nervous system
- respond quickly to situations of threat so are more nervous, jumpy, over anxious and behaviour difficult to predict
What are psychotic individuals like
Individuals suggested to have higher levels testosterone and are unemotional and prone to aggression
What is the criminal personality type
The criminal personality type is neurotic- extravert- psychotic
Neurotics - unstable and prone to overreact to situations of threat
Extraverts - seek more arousal and so engage in dangerous activities
Psychotics - agressive and lack empathy
Eysenck saw offending behaviour as what
Saw it as developmentally immature in at it is selfish and concerned with immediate gratification - offenders are impatient and cannot wait for things
What is the process of socialisation
Is one in which children are taught to become more able to delay gratification and more socially orientated
Why are people with high e and n scores more likley to act antisocial
Because people with high E and N scores had nervous system that made them to condition this results in them being less likley to learn anxiety responses to antisocial impulses so more likely to act anti socially in situation when opportunities presented itself
What did Eysenck develop to measure personality
- EPQ - Eysenck personality questionnaire
Form of psychological test which locates respondents along the E,N and P dimensions to determine their personality type.
Research support of Eysenck theory - support criminal personality with a counter argument
Eysenck compared 2070 prisoners on the EPQ with 2422 controls
Prisoners recorded higher scores than controls
this agrees with the predictions of the throw that offender site higher than average across three dimensions dimensions Eysenck identifies
However
Farmington et al conducted a meta analysis of relevant studies and reported offenders tended to score high o measures of psychoticism but not extraversion or neuroticism
This means som of the central assumption of the criminal personality have been challenged
One limitation of Eysenck - reductionist
It’s too simplistic to assume all offending behaviour can be explained by personality traits alone
Human behaviour is unpredictable, fluid and does not fit neatly into dimensions
Limitation of Eysenck theory - cultural factors
Cultural factors no taken Ito account
Criminal personality may vary according to culture
Studies with Hispanic and African American offender in max security prisoners have been done it wa found that all groups were less extravert than an non-offender control group
Eysenc would expect them to be more extravert
Criminal personality cant e generalised and suggest it my be a culturally relative concept
Limitation of measuring personality
Personality hope may not be reducible to a score in this way
Personality is o complex and dynamic to be quantified
