Eysenck's Theory of Criminal Personality

• What inventory is used to measure personality according to Eysenck?

  Eysenck’s Personality Inventory (EPI)
• What is the main influence in offending behavior according to Eysenck?

  Personality
• How are elements of personality determined in Eysenck's theory?

  They are biologically determined
• What does Eysenck's theory assume about personality?

  It is a product of both nature and nurture
• What dimensions characterize a criminal personality according to Eysenck?

  High extraversion, high neuroticism, high psychoticism
• What does extraversion refer to in Eysenck's theory?

  Biological need for environmental stimulation
• What do individuals with high extraversion require?

  More environmental stimulation
• How is extraversion determined according to Eysenck?

  By the level of arousal in the nervous system
• How might high extraversion manifest in forensic psychology?


  As a need for criminal behavior stimulation
• What does neuroticism indicate in Eysenck's theory?

  Stability in the sympathetic nervous system
• What does a high neuroticism score represent?

  High level of reactivity to threats
• How does high neuroticism affect behavior?

  It makes behavior more volatile and unpredictable
• What does psychoticism relate to in Eysenck's theory?

  Anti-social, aggressive, and uncaring traits
• What biological factor is associated with psychoticism?

  Higher levels of testosterone
• What role does socialization play in Eysenck's theory?

  Teaches conformity to non-criminal behaviors
• How do criminal personalities respond to socialization?

  They are less responsive to conditioning
• What characterizes criminal behavior according to Eysenck?

  Selfish, immature, and immediate gratification
• What do children learn through socialization?

  To delay gratification and conform
• How do criminal personality types react to antisocial impulses?

  With less anxiety and more impulsivity
• When are criminal personalities likely to act antisocially?

  When opportunities present themselves
• Eysenck's Theory AO3 - Supporting evidence

  • Eysenck and Eysenck compared 2070 male prisoners on the EPI with 2422 male controls
  • On measures of psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism, prisoners recorded higher scores than controls
  • This support the predictions of the theory that criminals have higher scores on measures of the criminal personality, suggesting that the theory has some validity
• Eysenck's Theory AO3 - Conflicting evidence

  • 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 biological basis of Eysenck’s theory
  • This suggests that the link between personality traits and criminal behaviour is unclear
  • Implies that extraversion and neuroticism may not be typical characteristics of many criminals and therefore the theory may not be externally valid
• Eysenck's Theory AO3 - Over-simplistic

  • Idea that all offending behaviour can be explained by a single personality type has been heavily criticised
  • Ex. Digman’s Five Factor Model of personality suggests that alongside extraversion and neuroticism there are additional dimensions of openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness
  • From this perspective multiple combinations are available and therefore a high extraversion and neuroticism score does not mean offending is inevitable