Eysenck’s Explanation

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Cards (16)

  • Eysenck (1947) proposed that personality could be represented along three dimensions:
    • Introversion-extraversion (E).
    • Neuroticism-stability (N).
    • Psychoticism-sociability (P).
    The dimensions combine to form a variety of personality characteristics or types.
  • Eysenck suggested personality types are innate and based on the nervous system we inherit.
    • Extraverts have an underactive nervous system which means they seek excitement and engage in risk-taking.
    • Neurotic individuals have a 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 overanxious so their behaviour is difficult to predict.
    • Psychotic individuals are suggested to have higher levels of testosterone - they are cold, unemotional and prone to aggression.
  • The 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 offending behaviour as developmentally immature in that it is selfish and concerned with immediate gratification. Offenders are impatient and cannot wait for things.
  • During the process of socialisation children are taught to become more able to delay gratification and more socially orientated.
  • Eysenck believed 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 and thus more likely to act antisocially.
  • The notion that personality can be measured is central to Eysenck's theory and useful in research. He developed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), a psychological test that locates respondents along the E, N and P dimensions to determine their personality type.