Hans Eysenck's Personality Theories (continued)

The major dimensions are independent of one another: for example, normal behavior may take introverted or extraverted forms, as may neurotic behavior.The table above describes some components of introversion(I), extraversion(E), and neuroticism(N), and depicts combinations of these dimensions and accompanying sets of traits. As you can see, for example, the normal extravert tends, among other things, to be lively and responsive, the normal introvert reliable and thoughtful. The neurotic extravert may be touchy and aggressive, whereas the neurotic introvert may be anxious and pessimistic.

The third major dimension, along which people vary, Eysenck proposes, is normality-psychoticism. Note that psychoticism (P) is not equivalent to psychosis as, for example, in schizophrenia-although a schizophrenic person would be expected to score high on psychoticism. The high-P person tends to be hostile and unconventional and considered "peculiar" by acquaintances (see also table 2).

Eysenck has devoted a great deal of study to intelligence. One of his major concerns, the heritability of intelligence focuses on the controversy surrounding this topic.

HOW ARE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AQUIRED?

Neurotic behavior is learned: traumatic events can produce particularly strong neurotic reactions in people who have inherited tendencies to neuroticism. Conditioned fears come to be elicited not only by the original events that triggered them but similar events. Learned neurotic behaviors can be unlearned, through behavior therapies.

Produced for Thinkquest Internet Challenge 2000.

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