A01 Eysenck Theory

• General personality disorder

  Eysenck was an important figure in personality and intelligence research. Proposed behaviour could be represented along 2 dimensions: introversian/extraversion and neuroticism/stability. Later added a third dimension of psychoticism.
• Biological basis for personality


  Personality traits have biological origin as they come from type of nervous system we inherit. All personality types are innate.
• Biological basis of neurotic people


  Neurotic people are nervous, jumpy, over-anxious. Instability means behaviour is hard to predict.
• Biological basis of extraverts and introverts


  Extroverts have an under-active NS. They seek excitement and stimulation - engage in risk-taking behaviour. Don't condition easily/ learn from mistakes. Introverts are opposite.
• The criminal personality


  The criminal personality type is neurotic-extravert-psychotic. Neurotics are unstable and therefore prone to overreact to situations of threat. Extraverts seek more arousal and thus engage in dangerous activities. Psychotics are aggressive and lack empathy.
• The role of socialism


  Eysenck saw criminal behaviour as developmentally immauture as it is selfish and concerned with immediate gratification. But people with extravert, neurotic scores make it more difficult to condition them as they act more antisocially.
• Socialisation process


  Socialisation is when children are taught to delay gratification and are more socially orientated.
• Measuring the criminal personality


  Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) form of psychological test located on E and N dimensions to determine personality type, later scale introduced for psychoticism.