Extraversion, Neuroticism and Criminality*
| Author | W. A. M. Black |
| Published date | 01 June 1972 |
| Date | 01 June 1972 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/000486587200500205 |
AUST. &N.Z. JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY (June, 1972): 5, 2
Extraversion, Neuroticism
and
Criminality*
w. A. M. BLACK**
99
INTRODUCTION
EXTRAVERSION
and
neuroticism
are
a
pair
of
constructs
associated
with
the
factor
analytic
study
of
personality
and
principally
with
the
name
of
H.
J.
Eysenck. Eysenck (1947, 1952)
reports
research
indicating
that
they
are
Independent
continua
along
which
normal
as well as
abnormal
groups
can
be placed.
The
conception of
extraversion
as a
personality
dimension is based,
says
Eysenck (1967),
"upon
the
intercorrelations
between a
number
of
different
traits,
in
this
case
those
of sociability, impulsiveness, activity,
liveliness
and
excitability". Moreover, Eysenck (1955)
stated
that
extra-
version is
related
to "conditionability", so
that
the
extravert
not
only
takes
longer
than
the
introvert
to develop conditioned responses,
but
also loses
them
more
rapidly:
for
in
the
extravert
"reactive
inhibition"
is
generated
swiftly
and
strongly
and
dissipated slowly.
Eysenck's
theory
of
extraversion-introversion
is
rather.
an
elaborate
one,
as
Carrigan
(1960)
comments,
and
is
"essentially
a
rapprochement
of
the
early
views of
Jung
(1923)
and
McDougall (1926, 1929), Pavlov's
concept
of
inhibition
and
Hull's
learning
theory".
Carrigan
also
raises
two questions: first, as to
whether
the
dimension
of
extraversion-introversion
is a
unitary
one
and
second, as to
whether
it
is
independent
of
neuroticism.
She
concludes,
with
reference
to
the
first,
that
unidimensionality
has
not
been
conclusively
demonstrated,
and
to
the
second,
that
a
clear-cut
answer
cannot
be given.
Eysenck
and
Eysenck (1963)
in
areply
point
out
that
Carrigan
fails to
define
the
meaning
of
the
term
"unitary".
They
found
in a
factor
analysis
of 70 Extraversion, Neuroticism
and
Lie scale
items
(from
data
on 300
subjects)
an
extraversion
factor
made
up
(inter
alia)
of two
main
traits,
sociability
and
impulsiveness, Which
correlated
to
the
extent
of 0.5.
Thus
they
conclude
that
extraversion
may, in fact, be
regarded
as a
unitary
factor
if
this
means
"composed of
non-independent
constituent
units".
As
regards
the
independence
of
extra
version
and
neuroticism,
the
Eysencks
say
that
their
results
do
not
indicate
any
contrary
association
between
the
dimensions.
The
repeated
slight
association on
the
Maudsley
Personality
Inventory
(M.P.I.) is
the
outcome of a
preponderance
of
sociability
items,
which
have
a
slight
positive
correlation
with
adjustment,
*A
paper
delivered to the Annual Conference of
the
New Zealand Psychological
Society, Dunedin,
August
14th to 18th,
.197D.
** B.Sc. (N.Z.),
M.A.
(Cantab.), M.A., Dip. Clin. Psych. (Cant.), Psychologist,
Waikeria
Youth
Centre, Te Awamutu, New Zealand. Now
Lecturer
in Clinical Psychology,
University of Canterbury,
New
Zealand.
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