personality explanation

• Personality

  A set of characteristics that determine what we are like
• Personality theories

  • Some believe personality is a temperament (the nature someone is born with), which has a biological basis
  • These theories can explain how some personalities are associated with being a criminal, while others are not
• Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)

  • A questionnaire devised by Eysenck to measure each personality trait
  • Measures the specific traits of extraversion, introversion, neuroticism and psychoticism and gives them a PEN score
• The EPI is a self-report questionnaire, so it has issues like social desirability bias and uses closed questions
• Eysenck (1964)


  • Studied different personality traits and suggested that certain characteristics could be more prone to criminality
  • According to Eysenck, the typical criminal personality is an extravert-neurotic
• Extraversion/Introversion

  • Two extreme ends of one dimension of personality
  • Extraversion is being outgoing and sociable, introversion is being reserved and quiet
• Eysenck's PEN Theory of Personality

  • Extroversion is based on the level of stimulation we need, caused by the Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS)
  • Neuroticism is based on the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and our ability to respond to stress
  • Psychoticism is seen in individuals who are self-centred, cold and lack empathy for other people
• Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)


  • A questionnaire which places respondents along E, N and P dimensions to determine personality type
  • Criminals tended to have higher PEN scores
• High E score on the EPI

  Believed to have a nervous system with low arousal level, so they seek external stimulation to raise their biological arousal level
• Low E score on the EPI

  Believed to have a nervous system with high arousal, so they avoid thrill and excitement to dampen their biological arousal level
• High N score on the EPI

  Believed to have a nervous system that responds very quickly under stressful conditions, tending to overreact quickly
• Low N score on the EPI

  Believed to have an unreactive nervous system, meaning they are calm under stressful conditions
• High P score on the EPI

  Means a person is cold, lacks compassion and can be antisocial
• Most people have moderate PEN scores, meaning they score moderately on psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism
• High PEN scores

  Relatively uncommon and have been used to explain criminality
• Socialisation process

  • As we grow up, we are punished for antisocial behaviour and learn to associate it with anxiety of being punished
  • People with high PEN scores see antisocial behaviour as exciting and do not consider other people's feelings, so punishment is less effective
• Eysenck's theory takes an interactionist approach, acknowledging biological, psychological and social factors in explaining criminal behaviour