Psychological Explanations: Personality Traits

Question 1

What did Eysenck suggest are related to antisocial behaviour?

Answer 1

Neuroticism and extroversion

Question 2

What did Eyseneck develop?

Answer 2

Questions to measure individuals levels of extroversion and neuroticism to characterise personality, believing that most people would score somewhere in the middle of each of these two scales

Question 3

What are some characteristics of neuroticism?

Answer 3

• Low self esteem
• Emotionality
• Depression
• Anxiety

Question 4

What are some characteristics of extraversion?

Answer 4

• Sociability
• Implusivity
• Excitement
• Optimism

Question 5

What are some characteristics of psychoticism?

Answer 5

• Aggression
• Cold
• Impersonal

Question 6

What did Eyseneck develop?

Answer 6

Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) which gave scores for extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism

Question 7

What did Eysenck believe?

Answer 7

Some people are born with different types of autonomic nervous systems which will determine the way people react to environmental stimuli

Question 8

What does a high score on extraversion indicate?

Answer 8

They are under-aroused, impulsive and outgoing sensation seekers who are difficult to condition

Question 9

What does a high score in neuroticism mean?

Answer 9

Linked with moodiness, anxiety and depression which produces a resistance to social conditioning and an inability to learn from mistakes

Question 10

What is the criminal personality?

Answer 10

High on scores of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism

Question 11

What did Eysenck believe played a role?

Answer 11

A biological underpinning to personality and he also believed that socialisation played a significant role

Question 12

What did he view criminal behaviour as?

Answer 12

Immature and seeking immediate gratification, in proper socialisation children learn patience and to delay gratification

Question 13

What happened to those who had high scores of extraversion and neuroticism?

Answer 13

More difficult to condition and consequently were more likely to respond to opportunities to offend in an antisocial manner

Question 14

What did Eysenck and Eysenck do?

Answer 14

Compared 2070 male prisoners scores on the EPI with 24422 male comforts, the groups were subdivided into groups ranging from 16-69

Question 15

What did Eysenck and Eysenck find?

Answer 15

Prisoners scored higher on extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism than the control group

Question 16

What did Farrington et al do?

Answer 16

Revised a range of studies and concluded that whilst psychoticism appears to be related to crime, extraversion and neuroticism were not

Question 17

What are 3 evaluation points?

Answer 17

• Not all three traits linked to criminal personality
• Validity and reliability questionable: dependent on mood of individual
• Reaching implications: not fit with the idea