Eysenck’s Explanation

• 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.