Eysenck's theory of personality and criminal behaviour

• Basic tenets of the theory: personality/ temperament is inborn/genetic. Criminals have particular personalities. Therefore criminality has a physiological basis. Eysenck tries to combine physiological (biological), social and environmental factors to explain criminality. Making this theory holistic.
• Environmental: A child is conditioned (socialised) to learn behaviours. Child learns sense of right and wrong it is not innate. Child avoids behaviour which leads to punishment. Child controls own impulses. Some children are biologically more predisposed to the conditioning process. As in their biology lets them learn quicker.
• Biological: Eysenck focused on the functioning of the- Central nervous system (CNS) conscious sensation and movement. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) - automatic functioning not under conscious control.
• Dimensions of personality: "G" (general intelligence). Extraversion/introversion. Neuroticism/stable. Psychoticism. These dimensions of personality are measured by the EPQ (Eysenck's personality questionnaire/inventory).
• scale

  
• scale

  
• Criminal personality=PEN: High psychoticism, high extraversion, High neuroticism