Psychological Explanations for Offending Behaviour- Eysenck's theory

Eysenck's theory of the criminal personality:

• Suggests that all personalities are made up of certain characteristics/traits and the level of those traits determines your personality.
  
• The theory was originally based on Service men.
• Originally two traits- extraversion and neuroticism.
• In 1976 Eysenck added 'Psychoticism'.
• High level of Neuroticism= demonstrates nervousness, anxiety and obessessiveness. Neuroticism is at the opposite end of the scale to Stableness.
• Psychoticism- insensitive, unconventional behaviour and lack of conscience.
• Eysenck believed majority of individuals would score low on the Psychoticism scale, but the scores in extraversion and neuroticism would be more evenly distributed.

Biological Basis to the theory:

• The psychologist also suggested that people have a genetic predisposition (inheritable) to a particular personality type, but acknowledged that environmental factors also influence personality. 
• Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire- included about 100 Qs in the full version, and approx 48 in the shortened version, used to text extent/levels of each trait. These are self-report measures. 
• Eysenck stated that Extraversion was linked to the level of cortical arousal in the brain.
• Cortical arousal is the activation of the reticular formation of the brain. Cortical arousal increases wakefulness, vigilance, muscle tone, heart rate and minute ventilation. Reticular formations are a network of nerve pathways and nuclei throughout the brainstream, connecting motor and sensory nerves to and from the spinal cord, the cerebrum and the cranial nerves.*
  
• Reticular Activating system (RAS) modulates the level of activation- Eysenck argued that if residual activation level is low, individual will seek stimulation from the environment…