Eysenck’s personality theory

• Eysenck’s personality theory

  Suggests that personality traits can be measured and quantified using a personality questionnaire
• Eysenck’s personality inventory

  measures personality dimensions
• personality dimensions

  • extraversion - introversion
  • neuroticism - stability
  • psychoticism - normality
• extraversion - introversion

  • extroverts are outgoing and enjoy the company of other people, get bored easily and are more likely to be risk takers
  • introverts are quiet and reserved, and are happy in their own company
• link between extraversion and arousal

  extraverts are naturally under aroused so seek stimulation
• neuroticism - stability

  • neurotic people experience heightened negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, and have an over reactive nervous system
  • stable people have a less reactive nervous system and stay level headed under stress
• psychoticism - normality

  • psychotic people are egocentric, impulsive and lack empathy
  • psychoticism has been related to higher than average levels of intelligence
• what personality type is more likely to be a criminal?

  neurotic extroverts
• why are neurotic extroverts more likely to be criminals?

  • psychotic people - impulsive and lack empathy
  • extroverts - seek arousal from risky activities
  • neurotic people - over react to threatening situations
• link between criminal personality and socialisation

  people with high extroversion and neuroticism scores were more likely to fail socialisation as they didn’t learn from operant conditioning
• positive evaluation of Eysenck’s theory

  supporting evidence

  • Eysenck & Eysenck compared 2000 male prisoners’ EPI scores with 2500 male controls
  • prisoners recorded higher scores on all three dimensions than controls
• negative evaluations of Eysenck’s theory

  • issues with personality testing - scores on the questionnaire can be affected by demand characteristics and socially desirable answers
  • Cultural bias - Bartol & Holanchock found that criminals from Hispanic and African American cultures were less extroverted than the control group
  • Usefulness - we can’t use these characteristics to identify who might become a criminal, and it is difficult to change personality