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EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY - INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE EXPLANATION OF CRIM…
EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY - INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE EXPLANATION OF CRIM BEHAVIOURS
THEORY
Extraverted
- outgoing, sociable, excitement-seeking, impulsive, carefree, optimistic, often aggressive, short tempered and unreliable
Introverted
- reserved, inward-looking, thoughtful, serious, quiet, self-controlled, pessimistic and reliable
Neurotic
- anxious, moody, often depressed and prone to over-reacting
Emotionally stable
- calm, even-tempered, controlled and unworried
LINKS TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
Extraverts
seek more arousal and will engage in dangerous activities
Neurotics
are unstable and are prone to over-react to situations of threat
Psychoticism
relates to criminality as the individuals are aggressive and lack empathy
Eysenck’s theory incorporates both nature and nurture
Typical individuals will avoid wrongdoings due to previous punishment
When a person does something wrong they are punished (operant conditioning)
People with high extraversion and neuroticism are less likely to be conditioned and do not learn to avoid antisocial behaviour
EXTRAVERSION
People with High E scores are sociable, active, lively and sensation seeking
E is determined by the overall level of arousal in the person’s CNS and ANS
High E-scorers have a low level of arousal and therefore need more stimulation from their environment
Extraverts seek external stimulation to increase their cortical arousal, engage in dangerous activities
Introverts are over-aroused and seek to reduce or avoid stimulation
NEUROTICISM
People with high N scores are anxious, depressed and react very strongly to aversive stimuli
N is determined by the overall level of liability (when something is highly changeable or undergoing constant change) in the person’s CNS
Where N is low, the person has a stable, relatively unreactive nervous system whereas a high N score results in a high degree of instability
A neurotic person is unstable and reacts/ gets easily upset
PSYCHOTICISM
People who score high on P are aggressive, antisocial, cold and egocentric
They lack empathy
Eysenck was less clear on how P related to the functioning of the nervous system
Psychoticism has been related to high levels of testosterone
EVALUATION
Strength as it supports criminal behaviours.
Eysenck and Gudjonsson (1989)
suggest that those likely to demonstrate criminal behaviour should score low on the lie scale, as they are indifferent to socially desirable behaviour.
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
Strength, as there is supporting evidence supporting Eysenck's theory and research comes from Bourke.
Bourke (2013)
found that reoffenders had higher P scores and had lower E and N scores than prisoners who were first-time offenders.
States E, N, P determined largely by genetics and each trait is normally distributed in the population and the personality is linked to criminal behaviour via socialisation processes and their nervous system.
REFUTING EVIDENCE
Gross who disagrees with the theory.
E Gross (1996) notes that there is little evidence that demonstrates that extraverts have more difficulty being conditioned than introverts.
E little evidence which suggests extraverts have more difficulty being conditioned than introverts this further suggets the evidence is insufficient.
USEFULNESS
Is useful however this can be argued against.
Howitt (2009)
notes that Eysenck’s theory tells us that criminals are extravert, neurotic and psychotic, but it does not tell us WHY they choose to commit one specific type of criminal behaviour over other types of criminal behaviour.
The process of socialistaion is one in which children are taught to be made more able to delay gratification and become more socially orientated and when children act in immature ways, they are punished consequently they come to associate anxiety with anti-social behaviour.