Eysenck's theory

?

General personality theory

  • Eysenck proposed that beh could be represented along two dimensions: introversion/extraversion and neuroticism/stability
  • Later added psychoticism

Biological basis

  • According to Eysenck, our presonality traits are biological in origin and come about through the type of nervous system we inherit
  • Thus, 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 beh 
  • Also tend not to condition easily and do not learn from their mistakes
  • Neurotic individuals tend to be nervous, jumpy and over-anxious, their general instability means their beh is often difficult to predict

The criminal personality

  • Neurotic-extravert, a combination of all the charcteristics and behs described above 
  • 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

  • In Eysenck's theory, personality is linked to crim beh via socialisation processes
  • Eysenck saw crim beh as developmentally immature in that it is selfish and concerned with immediate gratification
  • Believed that people with high E and N scores had nervous systems

Comments

No comments have yet been made