psychological explanations: eysencks theory of personality

Question 1

theory of personality (1963)

Answer 1

-all personalities made of different traits+that level of those will determine personality
-worked w serviceman to come to this ^

Question 2

og theory only 2 traits

extraversion

Answer 2

-extravert:
sociable,impulsive,expressive+ risk taker
-introvert:
happy in their own company+cautious

Question 3

og theory only 2 traits

neuroticism

Answer 3

-nervousness, anxiety + obsessiveness
-opposite is stable w/calm demeanour + carefree attitude
-ppl high in it act swiftly to stress (ANS)

Question 4

psychoticism

Answer 4

-1976: added after working w/ schizophrenics
-according to him its rarer than others
-insensitive, unconventional + lack a conscience
-more biological basis was due to autonomic nervous system

Question 5

support AO3

furnham 1984

Answer 5

-210 UK non-delinquents were tested for : personality, level of moral guidance, social skills
-results: psychoticism was a best predictor of self reported delinquency, followed by neuroticism, then level of moral guidance, then extraversion+ finally social skills

Question 6

biological basis to the theory

Answer 6

-criminals can be born w higher hnace of criminal behvaiour
-level of cortical arousal in brain: if the residual level of arousal is low a person will seek oustide stimulation to raise level so brain can be at max function

Question 7

extraverts seek stimulation

Answer 7

-from enviroment as their brain has lower residual activation levels

Question 8

introverts need to avoid stimulus

Answer 8

-to reduce arousal level so brain is at its best

Question 9

AO3 limitation

farrington 1992

Answer 9

-found research depends on measure used for level of offending behaviour
-low in extraversion: ‘official offenders’ are high in neuroticism
-high in extraversion: indivuals who report criminal behaviour (while self reported used to measure criminal activity) are low in neurotcism

Question 10

heaven 1996

Answer 10

-longditual study monitoring 282 14 yrs olds over 2 years. findings show that psychoticism waas the best predictor of later delinquency
-idea that personality is inherited has far reaching implications
-the legal system is based on idea a person is in chnage of their own actions+ if thats fixed at birth this doesnt fit w that idea

Question 11

eysenck critcised og sample

Answer 11

-it didnt cover an adequate range of ppl + therefore specific personality types will have emerged as dominant

Question 12

weakness

Lack of Reliability and Oversimplification

Answer 12

-self report studies (honesty,bias,awareness)
-other theories imply there are more factors to a personality (Five-factor model).