Eysenck's theory

• Eysenck proposed that personality could be represented along three dimensions:

  • introversion-extraversion (E)
  • neuroticism-stability (N)
  • psychoticism-socialisation (P)
• The three dimensions combine to form a variety to personality characteristics or types
• Eysenck suggested personality types are innate and based on the nervous system we inherit
• Innate, biological basis for extraverts:

  underactive nervous system which means they seek excitement and stimulation and engage in risk-taking
• Innate, biological basis for neurotic individuals:

  high level of reactivity in the sympathetic nervous system- they respond quickly to situations of threat (fight or flight). This means they tend to be nervous, jumpy and over-anxious so their behaviour is difficult to predict
• Innate, biological basis of psychotic individuals:

  suggested to have higher levels of testosterone- they are cold, under emotional and prone to aggression
• Criminal personality= neurotic extravert + high psychoticism
• Criminal personality type is a combination:

  • 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 lacking empathy
• Eysenck saw criminal behaviour as developmentally immature in that it is selfish and concerned with immediate gratification
• He suggested criminals are impatient and cannot wait for things- so they are more likely to act antisocially
• High E and high N scorers lack ability to learn (be conditioned)
• • In the process of socialisation children are taught to become more able to delay gratification and more socially oriented
  • Eysenck believe that people with high E and N scores had nervous systems that made it difficult for them to learn (be conditioned)
  • As a result, they are less likely to learn anxiety responses to antisocial impulses
• The notion that personality can be measured is central to Eysenck's theory
• He developed the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), a psychological test that locates respondents along the E and N dimensions to determine their personality type. A later scale was introduced to measure psychoticism
• Limitation: idea that there is one single criminal type

  Moffitt proposed several distinct types of adult male offender based on the timing of the first offence, and how long offending persists. Eysenck's theory is out of step with modern personality theories. Dogma's five factor model suggest three additional dimensions of openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. This suggests that many different types of criminals may exist because E and N are not the only factors that contribute
• Limitation: cultural bias

  Bartol and Holanchock studied Hispanic and African-American offenders in a New York maximum security prison, dividing them into six groups based on criminal history and offence. All six groups were less extravert than a non-criminal control group. Bartol and Holanchock suggested this was because the sample was a different cultural group from that investigated by Eysenck. This questions the generalisability of the criminal personality
• Limitation: mismeasurement of criminal personality

  Eysenck's theory assumes it is possible to measure personality. However, critics argue we cannot reduce personality type to a 'score' from the EPI. Some even suggest there is no such thing as personality as a stable entity. We adopt different personalities in different contexts. This undermines the concept of a stable and measurable criminal personality
• Strength: theory fits other biological approaches

  The theory recognises personality may have a genetic basis. Raine suggested APD due to brain structure. Eysenck linked it to nervous system activity. Because of its biological basis, Eysenck's theory does suffer from some of the same limitations of genetic and neural explanations. Therefore, Eysenck's theory could be criticised as biologically reductionist and determinist