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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

Chapter 14: Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory Learning Objectives After reading Chapter 14, you should be able to: 1. Explain the basics of factor analytic procedures. 2. Describe Eysenck's approach to the measurement of personality. 3. Name and explain Eysenck’s criteria for identifying factors. 4. Name and describe Eysenck's three general types, or superfactors. 5.. Describe how Eysenck's three superfactors relate to and predict behavior. 6. List and describe the three bipolar dimensions of Eysenck’s type theory. 7. Explain how Eysenck's theory of personality relates to disease. 8. Briefly define the characteristics of someone who is high on extraversion or high on introversion. 9. Describe the three basic dimensions of Eysenck’s type theory and his view of how biology can influence personality.

Feist, Theories of Personality, 8e

Student Study Guide-14 | 1

Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

Summary outline I.

Overview of Factor and Trait Theories Hans Eysenck and others have used factor analysis to identify traits, that is, relatively permanent dispositions of people. Eysenck extracted only three general factors,which yielded three general bipolar factors or types: extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/stability, and psychoticism/superego. II.

Biography of Hans J. Eysenck Hans J. Eysenck was born in Berlin in 1916, but as a teenager, he moved to London to escape Nazi tyranny. Eysenck was trained in the psychometrically oriented psychology department of the University of London, from which he received a bachelor's degree in 1938 and a PhD in 1940. Eysenck was perhaps the most prolific writer of any psychologist in the world, and his books and articles often stirred worldwide controversy. He died in September of 1997. III.

Eysenck's Factor Theory The personality theory of Hans Eysenck has strong psychometric and biological components. Hans Eysenck (1) was more likely to theorize before collecting and analyzing data; (2) extracted fewer factors; (3) used a wider variety of approaches to gather data.

A. Criteria for Identifying Factors Eysenck insisted that personality factors must (1) be based on strong psychometric evidence, (2) fit an acceptable genetic model, (3) make sense theoretically, and (4) possess social relevance. B. Hierarchy of Behavior Organization Eysenck recognized a four-level hierarchy of behavior organization: (1) specific behaviors or cognitions; (2) habitual acts or cognitions; (3) traits, or personal dispositions, and (4) types or superfactors.

Feist, Theories of Personality, 8e

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

IV.

Dimensions of Personality Although many triads exist, Eysenck's methods of measuring personality limited the number bipolar personality types to only three—extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/stability, and psychoticism/superego function. Each of three bipolar factors has a strong genetic component.

A. Extraversion Extraverts are characterized by sociability, impulsiveness, jocularity, liveliness, optimism, and quick-wittedness, whereas introverts are quiet, passive, unsociable, careful, reserved, thoughtful, pessimistic, peaceful, sober, and controlled. Eysenck, however, believed that the principal difference between extraverts and introverts is one of cortical arousal level. B. Neuroticism Like extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/stability is largely influenced by genetic factors. People high in neuroticism have such traits as anxiety, hysteria, and obsessivecompulsive disorders. They frequently have a tendency to overreact emotionally and to have difficulty returning to a normal state after emotional arousal. They often complain of physical symptoms such as headache and backache, but they also may be free from psychological symptoms. C. Psychoticism The latest and weakest of Eysenck's personality factors is psychoticism/superego. High psychotic scores may indicate anxiety, hysteria, egocentricism, nonconformance, aggression, impulsiveness, hostility, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Both normal and abnormal individuals may score high on the neuroticism scale. V.

Measuring Personality Eysenck and his colleagues developed four personality inventory to measure superfactors, or types The two most frequently used by current researchers is the Eysenck Personality Inventory (which measures only E and N) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (which also measures all three factors). VI.

Biological Bases of Personality Eysenck believed that P, E, and N all have a powerful biological components, and he cited as evidence the existence of these three types in a wide variety of cultures and languages.

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

VII.

Personality as a Predictor

Eysenck's complex model of personality suggests that the psychometric traits of P, E, and N can combine with one another and with genetic determinants, biological intermediates, and experimental studies to predict a variety of social behaviors, including those that contribute to disease. A. Personality and Behavior According to Eysenck's model, P, E, and N should predict both proximal and distal consequences (see Figure 14.7), and he and his colleagues cited studies that predicted behavior in both laboratory studies and studies of social behavior. They found a relationship between superfactors and a large number of behaviors and processes, such as academic performance, creativity, antisocial behavior, as well as behaviors that may lead to disease. B. Personality and Disease For many years, Eysenck researched the relationship between personality factors and disease. He teamed with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek to study the connection between personality characteristics and both cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to this research, people with a helpless/hopeless attitude are more likely to die from cancer, whereas people who react to frustration with anger and emotional arousal are more much more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. VIII.

Related Research The three-factor theory of Eysenck has drawn a considerable amount of research, and is very popular in the field of personality. Eysenck developed the Eysenck Personality Inventory and its offshoots (Eysenck, 1959; Eysenck & Eysenck, 1964, 1968, 1975, 1993) Biology and Personality Eysenck assumed that personality springs from genetic and neurophysiological bases. If this assumption has validity, neurophysiological differences should exist between people high on one end of a dimension (for instance, introversion) and those high on the other end of that dimension (extraverts). Second, the basic personality dimensions should be universal and not limited to a given culture. Over the last 30 years, a substantial amount of research has shown physiological differences between extraverts and introverts, thus supporting Eysenck's biology-based theory (Beauducel, Brocke, & Leue, 2006; Eysenck, 1990; Stelmack, 1990, 1997). Interestingly, one study found that extraverts may move faster, but they do not think faster than introverts (Doucet & Stelmack, 2000). Another of Eysenck’s hypotheses that has generated some research is optimal level of arousal. Eysenck theorized that introverts should work best with lower levels of sensory stimulation and extraverts with higher levels (Dornic & Ekehammer, 1990). Russell Geen studied this (1984), and his findings supported Eysenck’s theory. IX.

Critique of Factor Theories The factor theories of Eysenck and others rate high on parsimony, on their ability to generate research, and on their usefulness in organizing data; they are about average on falsifiability, usefulness to the practitioner, and internal consistency. X.

Concept of Humanity Factor theories generally assume that human personality is largely the product of genetics and not the environment. Thus, we rate these two theories very high on biological influences and very low on social factors. In addition, we rate both about average on conscious versus unconscious influences and high on the uniqueness of individuals. The concepts of free choice, optimism versus pessimism, and causality versus teleology are not clearly addressed by these theories.

Feist, Theories of Personality, 8e

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

Fill-in-the-Blanks 1.

Eysenck was a native of Germany, but he lived most of his life in ___________________.

2.

Eysenck used __________________ analysis to identify personality variables.

3.

Factor analysis is based on ______________________ coefficients.

4.

Introversion versus extraversion would be a ________________ trait.

5.

Eysenck advocated a ______________-level hierarchy of behavior organization.

6.

Several habitual responses form a __________________.

7.

Several interrelated traits form a _____________________.

8. Eysenck believed that differences in ____________________ arousal are primarily responsible for differences in the behavior of extraverts and introverts. 9.

In Eysenck's theory, psychoticism is on one pole and _________________ on the other.

10.

Eysenck's N factor stands for ________________________ .

11.

Eysenck insisted that personality has a ___________________ basis.

12.

The ______ model assumes that some people are more vulnerable to disease than other people.

13. Eysenck’s encounter with the fascist right and his later battles with the radical left suggested to him that the trait of _______________, was equally prevalent in both extremes of the political spectrum. 14.

Hans J. Eysenck’s early theoretical ideas led to the publication of his first book, ______________.

15.

The personality theory of Hans Eysenck has strong psychometric and _____ components.

16.

Eysenck’s final criterion for the existence of a factor is that it must possess ___________.

17. Eysenck’s original theory of personality was based on only two personality dimensions extraversion and ___________. 18.

According to Eysenck, extraverts have a ______ threshold of arousal than do introverts.

19. Eysenck Personality Inventory, or EPI contains a ______ scale to detect faking, but more importantly, it measures extraversion and neuroticism independently. 20.

The first domain to test Eysenck’s biological model of personality is in ___________.

Feist, Theories of Personality, 8e

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

True-False _____1. Most psychologists regard Eysenck as a follower of Cattell. _____2. As a schoolboy in Germany, Eysenck expressed a passion for psychology. _____3. The orthogonal rotation method tends to result in a greater number of traits than does the oblique rotation method. _____4. Correlations of scores with factors are called unipolar traits. _____5. Eysenck proposed that personality can be explained by three major types. _____6. Traits are more stable than states. _____7. Eysenck would say that his relationship with his parents, as well as other childhood experiences, played a significant role in shaping his personality. ____8. Eysenck's theory is based mainly on trait level factors. ____9. Eysenck believed that the main differences between extraversion and introversion are not behavioral but biological and genetic in nature. ____10. People who score high on Eysenck's P scale are likely to be warm, affectionate, conforming, and sociable. ____11. Eysenck's P type is a bipolar factor consisting of psychoticism and superego. ____12. In Eysenck's theory, P, E, and N are basically unrelated to each other. ____13. The personality theory of Hans Eysenck is lacking in sufficient psychometric and biological components. ____14. Eysenck listed four criteria for identifying a factor of which the fourth criterion is psychometric evidence. ____15. Eysenck recognized a seven-level hierarchy of behavior organization. ____16. Neuroticism and psychoticism are always limited to pathological individuals. ____17. Intraversion and neuroticism (or anxiety) are basic factors in nearly all factor analytic studies of human personality. ____18. People who score high on neuroticism often have a tendency to be highly cognitive functioning people. ____19. Eysenck’s original theory of personality was based on only two personality dimensions—extraversion and emotionalism. ____20. The 16PF is the famous Personality Inventory Assessment developed by Eysenck.

Feist, Theories of Personality, 8e

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

Multiple Choice ______1. a. b. c. d.

Eysenck identified traits through the use of twin studies. factor analysis. intuition. ability tests.

______2. A trait is best described as a. a cluster of surface factors. b. a temporary attitude toward a person or event. c. a relatively permanent disposition of a person. d. an environmentally determined hypothetical construct that shapes an individual's behavior and thought. _____3.Mathematically, the technique of reducing a number of variables to a smaller number is called a. induction. b. the experimental method. c. variance. d. factor analysis. _____4.Which of the following would be a bipolar trait? a. height b. extraversion/introversion c. general intelligence d. artistic interest _____5.Which of the following statements is true? a. Traits are of two kinds—dispositional and hypothetical. b. Traits are more permanent than states. c. Traits represent a broader concept than factors. d. Traits cannot be extracted through the use of factor analysis. _____6.Which label best fits Hans Eysenck? a. psychologist b. psychoanalyst c. physician d. sociologist _____7.In Eysenck's theory, superfactors are also called a. source traits. b. personal dispositions. c. states. d. types.

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

_____8. According to Eysenck, introverts and extraverts are different in many respects. The most important difference is a. psychological health versus psychological disturbance. b. subjectivity versus objectivity. c. their way of viewing the world. d. level of cortical arousal. _____9. a. b. c. d. _____10. a. b. c. d.

People who score high on the psychoticism (P) scale are egocentric, aggressive, and hostile. empathetic, caring, and cooperative. obsessive-compulsive, hysterical, and suggestible. introverted, quiet, and thoughtful. People who score high on the neuroticism (N) scale are egocentric, aggressive, and hostile. emotionally overreactive. suffering from a psychological disorder. vulnerable to illness even when they experience little stress.

_____11. According to research reported by Eysenck, sick people who react to their illness with anger and aggression are most likely to die from a. cancer. b. heart disease. c. AIDS. d. unintentional injuries (accidents). _____12. a. b. c. d.

Eysenck's P factor stands for psychoticism. personality. proactive. probability.

_____13. to _________. a. b. c. d.

The key for Eysenck was that the individual differences in people’s personalities were due ethnicity environment biology nurture

_____14. Eysenck’s encounter with the fascist right and his later battles with the radical left suggested to him that the trait of__________, was equally prevalent in both extremes of the political spectrum. a. egomania b. narcissism c. greed d. authoritarianism

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

_____15. a. b. c. d.

Eysenck’s second wife, Sybil Rostal, was a _________. great homemaker superb secretary beautiful quantitative psychologist excellent accountant

_____16. a. b. c. d.

People who score low on ______________ tend to be quiet and reserved. intelligence psychoticism compromise extraversion

_____17. a. b. c. d.

Which of the following is not one of Eysenck’s criteria for identifying factors? inductive method of investigation social relevance psychometric evidence heritability

_____18. by Eysenck? a. b. c. d.

Which is not one of the four levels of hierarchy behavior organization recognized spontaneous acts specific acts habitual acts types

_____19. a. b. c. d.

Which one of the following is not one of Eysenck’s superfactors? extraversion neuroticism introversion psychoticism

_____20. Which of the following is not one of the personality assessments created and developed by Eysenck? a. MMPI b. MPI c. EPI d. EPQ

Feist, Theories of Personality, 8e

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Chapter 14 Eysenck’s Biologically Based Factor Theory

Short Answer I. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Define a unipolar trait. List Eysenck's four criteria for identifying factors. List and briefly describe Eysenck's three types, or superfactors. Discuss Eysenck's research on personality and disease. Discuss Eysenck's research on personality and behavior.

Answers Fill-in-the-Blanks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

True-False

Multiple Choice

England. 1. F 1. factor 2. F 2. correlation 3. F 3. bipolar 4. F 4. four 5. T 5. trait 6. T 6. type 7. F 7. cortical 8. F 8. stability 9. T 9. neuroticism 10. T 10. biological 11 F 11. diathesis-stress12. T 12. authoritarianism13. F 13. Dimensions of Personality14. F14. biological 15. F 15. social relevance16. F 16. neuroticism 17. F 17. lower 18. F 18. lie (L) 19. F 19. neurophysiology20. F 20.

Feist, Theories of Personality, 8e

b c d b b a d d a b b a c d c d a a c a

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