Eysenck's theory of crime

What type of theory did Eysenck propose?

A personality theory

Originally, Eysenck proposed that most of the variations between people could be reduced to just 2 dimensions of personality. What were they?

Neuroticism & extraversion

If someone has high N, what behaviours would they display?

Prone to unstable moods

If someone has high E, what would this mean?

They require more stimulation from the environment, due to a chronically under-aroused nervous system

How did Eysenck know if someone had high N or high E?

Used the EPI

What does EPI stand for?

Eysenck Personality Inventory

N & E were found to be normally distributed in the population. What does this mean?

The majority of people scored neither very high nor very low but fell in the middle

How is E related to the human nervous system?

Low cortical & autonomic stimulation (i.e. under-aroused) means more stimulation is required from their environment

How is N related to the nervous system?

• High N: nervous system reacts very strongly to adverse stimuli (over-aroused)

• Due to their high anxiety levels, high N scorers are difficult to condition/learn socially appropriate behaviours (e.g. not behaving aggressively) through the normal means of reinforcement & punishment

What normal process would fail to work properly in someone with a high N & E score to result in a high probability of criminal behaviour?

Socialisation

Eysenck later suggested the existence of a third personality dimension. What was this?

Psychoticism

What did a high P score indicate?

People who are cold, uncaring, solitary & aggressive

What did Eysenck believe determined high E, N & P?

Genetics

Overall, what personality did Eysenck believe a criminal would have?

High E, N & P

Outline and evaluate Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality (16 marks)

Write your AO1 paragraph

• Eysenck proposed that criminal behaviour arises from personality traits, particularly extraversion (E) & neuroticism (N), measured using the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). A high N score denotes individuals who are prone to unstable moods, depression & anxiety, whereas a low N score represents individuals who are emotionally stable.

• Extraverts seek external stimulation from the environment due an under-aroused nervous system, while those high in neuroticism have nervous systems that react strongly to adverse stimuli (over-aroused) & are difficult to condition through reinforcement & punishment.

• He argued that individuals high in both E & N are more likely to offend, as they constantly seek excitement & stimulation but don’t learn from their mistakes or consequences - the normal process of socialisation fails to work properly.

• Eysenck later added a third trait, psychoticism (P), describing individuals who are cold, aggressive & antisocial. Ultimately, he suggested that criminals tend to have a high E, P & N score.

Outline and evaluate Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (Hollin)

• Point: One strength of Eysenck’s theory is its potential usefulness in reducing later criminal behaviour.

• Evidence: For example, Hollin argues that identifying individuals with high E, P & N scores enables early intervention strategies (e.g. behavioural modification programmes).

• Explain: This suggests that if criminal tendencies are partly learned through ineffective conditioning, then reinforcing pro-social behaviours during childhood could reduce the likelihood of later offending.

• Link: Overall, this practical value enhances the usefulness of Eysenck’s theory & strengthens its contribution beyond purely theoretical explanations.

Outline and evaluate Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (Eysenck & Gudjonsson)

• Point: One strength of Eysenck’s theory is that there is empirical evidence in support of the differences in personality traits between offenders & non-offenders.

• Evidence: For example, Eysenck & Gudjonsson found that offenders had significantly higher E, P & N scores than control participants using self-report measures.

• Explain: This supports Eysenck’s proposal that individuals with certain personality traits are biologically predisposed towards criminality due to differences in nervous system functioning & conditioning.

• Link: Overall, the presence of empirical support increases the external validity of Eysenck’s theory.

Outline and evaluate Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (Hollin → oversimplification)

• Point: One limitation of Eysenck’s theory is that it assumes personality traits are stable & determine behaviour across all situations.

• Evidence: For example, Hollin argues that situational factors (e.g. peer groups, social deprivation & opportunity) play a key role in offending.

• Explain: This suggests that individuals may behave differently depending on context, meaning criminal behaviour cannot be fully explained by stable personality traits alone.

• Link: Therefore, Eysenck’s theory is reductionist & lacks consideration of environmental influences (oversimplification), limiting its explanatory power.