psychological explanation: Eysenck's theory Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Biological basis

A

Criminal personality due to type of nervous system we inherit

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Arousal

A

how NS system responds to stimuli, leading to innate offender behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Extravert-Introvert

A

Chronically under-aroused NS, attention seeking for stimulation, hard to socialise/condition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Neurotic-stable

A

Easy to upset, anxious, obsessive due to easily triggered NS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Psychoticism

A

Measured on a scale from low to high, psychotics do not feel compassion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Criminal personality

A

high on extravert, neurotic and psychoticism measures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Research support

A

Eysenck personality questionnaire to 100 convicted inmates and 100 trade students, higher number with ‘criminal personality’ part of convict group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Simplistic

A

Personality traits alone insufficient in predicting offender behaviour, Moffitt suggests dual taxonomy, people who are stable in offender behaviour throughout their life, and those who stop in adulthood. Better explains 10x higher offender rates in adolescence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Not all ENP personalities = offender

A

5 factor model includes other dimensions of personality e.g. agreeableness, those may be more important in criminality - not all ENP becomes criminals. Criminality based on NS causes issue of biological determinism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Cultural factors

A

Hispanic and AA offenders in max security prison in New york studied. Divided into groups based on history - all groups were less extravert than a non-offender control group, Eysenck would expect them to be more. Could be due to sample having different culture to one investigated by Eysenck - cannot be generalised

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Measuring personality

A

Theory offers a way to measure personality through a test so can see how criminal personality differs from rest of the world.
HOWEVER
Personality type may not be reducible to a score, personality too dynamic and complex to be quantified.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly