The Role of Personality in Criminal Behaviour

Question 1

Eysenck’s Theory of Criminality ?

What’s covered in it ? (3)

Answer 1

Three dimensions everyone has in their personality but the range with which they are on each varies!

• Extraversion
• Neuroticism
• Psychoticism

Question 2

Eysenck’s Theory of Criminality ?

• Extraversion
• Neuroticism
• Psychoticism

Answer 2

1. very sociable out going
2. emotional instability, anger, depression, moody(want a middle ground on this one)
3. anti social personality; psychopathy

Question 3

Explain the process leading up to criminal behaviour in the Eysenck’s Theory of Criminality ?(5)

Answer 3

• Inherited Nervous system dysfunction
  L> temperament ( E, P and N) + Inadequate conditioning environment
  L> poorly developed conscience
  L> Criminal Behaviour

Question 4

Explain the process leading up to criminal behaviour in the ETOC! (4)

Answer 4

1. CNS and ANS are not properly regulating
2. combined with differential profile of personality structure
3. poor quality of learning social norms etc (emotional controls), ability to learn influences how well they can be conditioned
   L> degree of conditioning depends on temperament
4. poorly developed conscience because of number 3 = no barriers from criminal behaviour

Question 5

Extraversion? Explain it ..GO
-characterized by? (3)
- lower levels of cortical arousal? 
- extraverts are influenced by?
L> introverts?
- criminality =? 
- high end 
- low end

Answer 5

• impulsivity, excitability and sociability
• lower levels of cortical arousal = increased need for stimulation and poor classical conditioning
• extraverts are more influenced by rewards, while introverts are more responsive to punishment
• criminality = depends on quality go conditioning in childhood and the child’s degree of condition ability.
• love fun, a little danger is fun
• reserved, socially quiet, reserved

Question 6

Neuroticism ? 
L> biological basis? 
L> habitual behaviours?
L> Criminality ?? 
- characteristics?
L>high
L> low

Answer 6

• biological basis is in the ANS
• acts as a natural drive that reinforces habitual behaviours
  L> easily aroused- try to keep life predictable to feel normal…habits can be pro/antisocial
• Criminality- high neuroticism makes people ore persistent..crime becomes routine and is reinforced…high N can result in deficient social learning
• very reactive to triggers, feel emotions more than normal people do…overactive, moody..low: emotionally stable not fluster easily..takes stress in strides

Question 7

Psychoticism ? 
L>high 
L> low
criminality?
If you're high in P you are _ in N
Biological issues?

Answer 7

• High: hostility, insensitivity, unemotionality
• Low: more tender, concerned for others, caring
• criminality: makes a person tough minded and reduces sensitivity to guilt
• low
• high testosterone and low serotonin

Question 8

Eysenck postulates what is likely to cause delinquency and criminal activities?

Answer 8

• high extroversion, neuroticism and psychoticism

Question 9

Five factor model and Crime? What does OCEAN stand for?

Answer 9

• Openness to experience
• Conscientiousness
• Extroversion
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism

Question 10

Explain high and low Openness to experience!

Answer 10

• high: very interested in learning new things, curious, nothing is set in stone
• low: conservative, traditional ways, comfort zone of predictability

Question 11

Explain high and low Conscientiousness !

Answer 11

• high: reliable, responsible, achievement orientated, push over?
• low: unreliable, disorganized and procrastinator

Question 12

Explain high and low Extroversion !

Answer 12

same as before in the Eysenck model!

Question 13

Explain high and low agreeableness!

Answer 13

• high: team player, enjoy other people

- low: conflicted in relationships, somewhat hostile not caring of others

Question 14

Explain high and low Neuroticism !

Answer 14

• same as before in Eysenck model

Question 15

Research and the OCEAN model and crime shows???

Answer 15

• low A and low C = risk factor… low rational thinking and maybe high N
• sometimes low O…in those with low IQ
• sometimes low N but not always

Question 16

Antisocial Personality Disorder? 
issues with? 
long standing pattern of?
onset from? 
persistent pattern of? 
diagnosed ? 
characteristics?(12)

Answer 16

• interpersonal emotional and behavioural issues
  -long standing pattern of personality issues
• need a serious behaviour issue in childhood for onset
  L> conduct disorder before age 15
  L> persistent pattern of violation of social rules and rights of others since age 15
  >18 years of age
• failure to conform to social norms, do not respect legal system, deceptive, alias, manipulation, impulsive, irritable and aggressive, reckless, thrill seeking, lack remorse, blame victims

Question 17

Antisocial Personality disorder is present in ___ of females and in ___ of males in the general population.
Represents - percent of adults in prison

Answer 17

• 1 %, 3%

- 60-80%

Question 18

Antisocial Personality Disorder : Burn out?HUH

Answer 18

• around age 30

_ behaviour goes down, most personality traits are kept but at lower degrees

Question 19

Arobelda-Florez and Holley (1991) - Antisocial personality Disorder
think burnout

Answer 19

• studies adult forensic psychiatric patients with APD

- crime rates lower after age 27but not a straightforward pattern…burn out supported via research

Question 20

Those diagnosed with APD may also have what disorders along with it?

Answer 20

• depression, anxiety, substance abuse and impulse control disorders

Question 21

___% of those with Conduct Disorder go on to have APD as adults

Answer 21

40%

Question 22

Psychopathy:
Interpersonal Traits: (3)
Affective traits : (3)
Behavioural Traits: (4)

Answer 22

• personality disorder tied to callous and uncaring behaviour
  1. egocentric, manipulative, deceptive
  2. no empathy or remorse, shallow emotions
  3. irresponsible, impulsive, need for stimulation , parasitic lifestyle

Question 23

Interpersonal Traits test for Psychopathy?

Dooping delight

Answer 23

• you know the truth but they still try to lie because they enjoy it

Question 24

Affective traits test for Psychopathy
project images
norm vs psych

Answer 24

• normal ppl seeing emotional images we see increased activity relative to neutral images….
  L> psychopaths..activity is the same in response to all rings
• can recognize and mimic emotion but do not understand it

Question 25

Sociopath?

Answer 25

- antisocial personality, driven by social world but psychopath is part bio part social

Question 26

Most Psychopaths meet the criteria for APD at >__% but most with APD are ___ psychopaths: __-__% - Most psychopaths are ___ serial killers ____ they necessarily extremely violent - __% of the population is estimated to be psychopathic

Answer 26

- 90%, not, 10-25% - not, nor are - 1%

Question 27

Babiak coined what term for Psychopaths that are not engaging in criminal behaviour but are going after a similar feeling: lawyers, corporate, political, are all unethical BUT legal.

Answer 27

- successful psychopath/ corporate or white collar

Question 28

Measuring Psychopathy? - Hervey Cleckley (1941,1988) The mask of sanity - Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R, Hare, 2003) L> 2 Factors L> Score range? L> score = psychopath Average Joe offender?

Answer 28

- 16 characteristics - 20 items rated by clinician - Factor 1: interpersonal(manipulation) facet and affective facet(lack of emotion) -Factor 2: socially deviant lifestyle facet (irresponsibility, parasitic) and antisocial behavioural facet ( versatile crime, adolescence offending etc) - 0-40 - 30 plus L> 26-32 : diff class of person - mid to low 20's

Question 29

High psychopath traits increase the risk of what?(4)

Answer 29

- versatile array of criminal offences - institutional violence especially verbal aggression - re-offending on release: faster rate, increased likelihood of violent recidivism and intimate partner violence

Question 30

Nature of violence differs from non psychopaths | ordinary vs psychopath

Answer 30

Ordinary offenders target people they know | - psychopaths target strangers and their motives are based on revenge or material/personal gain

Question 31

Burn out period and Psychopaths?

Answer 31

- ~35 years old… a bit of one for criminal behaviour (antisocial) only for nonviolent offences, risk of violence stays steady. L> after burn out offending goes down to a normal level for the average offender…

Question 32

Language of a Psychopath??

Answer 32

- rational, cause and effect descriptors, justified, it had to be down type thing…Focus on material needs (parasitic) does not talk about social needs, all about themselves. Difficulty remembering events very emotional..

Question 33

Self report tests and psychopaths?

Answer 33

- items on it seem more attractive to psychopath type people than normal general population

Question 34

International picture? | Scotland vs Canada - Psychopaths

Answer 34

scotland has less than us