Eysenck's Theory - A01
- Created by: MollyL20
- Created on: 28-09-21 11:12
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- Eysenck’s theory
- General personality theory
- He proposed that behaviour could be represented along two dimensions introversion/extraversion and neuroticism/stability, and then later added a third dimension psychoticism
- Biological basis
- 1- According to Eysenck, our personality traits are biological in origin and come about through the type of nervous system we inherit.
- 2- Therefore, all personality types have an innate, biological basis. Extraverts have an underactive nervous system which means they constantly seek excitement, stimulation and are likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour.
- 3- Also tend not to condition easily and do no learn from their mistakes. Neurotic individuals tend to be nervous, jumpy and over-anxious; their general instability means their behaviour is often difficult to predict
- The criminal personality
- 1- Neurotic-extravert, a combination of all the characteristics and behaviours described above
- 2- Eysenck also suggested that the typical offender will also score highly on measures of psychoticism-cold, unemotional and prone to aggression.
- The role of socialisation
- 1- In Eysenck's theory, personality is linked to criminal behaviour via socialisation processes.
- Eysenck saw criminal behaviour as developmentally immature in that it is selfish and concerned with immediate gratification, believed that people with high extraversion and neuroticism scores had nervous systems that made them difficult to condition. As a result, they would not learn easily to respond to antisocial impulses with anxiety
- Measuring the criminal personality
- Eysenck believed personality could be measured. He developed the Eysenck personality inventory (EPI).
- A form of psychological test which locates respondents along the extraversion and neuroticism dimensions to determine their personality type.
- General personality theory
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