HANS EYSENCK (1916-1997)

Hans Eysenck was a 20th century psychologist who studied a wide variety of psychological
phenomena. He is best known for his work in the fields of intelligence and personality.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Hans Eysenck was born on March 4, 1916 in Berlin. His mother was an actress, and his father
was a nightclub entertainer. With the rise of Nazi power in Germany, Eysenck moved to England
in 1934 to attend University College in London. He received his PhD in 1940 while working at
the college in the psychology department.
In 1955, Eysenck took a position at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College as a professor of
psychology. He held that position until 1983 and published much of his work during that time.
He focused his attention on intelligence and personality and helped launch the psychological
journal Personality and Individual Differences.
Eysenck was a prolific writer and he wrote thousands of articles and nearly 100 books. At the
time of his death in 1997, Eysenck held the distinction of being the most-cited psychologist in
scientific journals. Michael Eysenck, Eysenck's son from his first marriage to Margaret Davies,
is a well-known psychology professor. Eysenck was married a second time, to Sybil Rostal, with
whom he had three sons and a daughter.
CONTRIBUTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Eysenck's primary research interest was in the field of personality. He developed the concept of
neuroticism, arguing that it was a biological form of emotional instability. He frequently argued
that much of personality is genetically determined and published several papers on this topic.
He argued against psychoanalysis, claiming that it was unscientific. Instead, he favored a
behavioral approach to therapy. His theory of personality compares two central factors,
extraversion (E) and neuroticism (N), from which four basic personality types flow. His
personality types are based on Hippocrates's personality formulation:

BIOLOGICALLY-BASED FACTOR THEORY

The personality theory of Hans Eysenck has strong psychometric and biological components
Criteria for Identifying a Factor
 Psychometric Evidence - the factor must be reliable and replicable
 Heritability – genetics
 Make sense from a theoretical view - beginning with a theory and then gathering data that
are logically consistent with that theory
 Possess social relevance - it must be demonstrated that mathematically derived factors
have a relationship (not necessarily causal) with such socially relevant variables
Hierarchy of Behavior Organization
Level 1: Specific Behaviors
Individual behaviors or thoughts that may or may not be characteristic of person
Level 2: Habits/Habitual Acts or Cognition
Responses that occur under similar conditions
Level 3: Traits
Important semi-permanent personality dispositions
Level 4: Types or Super factors
Made up of several inter-related traits

Three Bipolar Factors

Extraversion – Introversion, Neuroticism – Stability, Psychoticism – Superego Function
Extraversion Neuroticism Psychoticism
Sociability and Impulsiveness Has a strong hereditary High P scorers
component
Lower level of cortical egocentric, cold, nonconforming,
arousal impulsive, hostile, aggressive,
suspicious, psychopathic, and
Introversion Quiet and People who score high on
antisocial
Passive High level of cortical neuroticism often have
arousal tendency to overreact
emotionally and to have
Low P scorers altruistic, highly
difficulty returning to normal
socialized, empathic, caring,
 Active state
cooperative, conforming, and
 Lively conventional

 Sociable Diathesis-Stress Model Some

people are vulnerable to illness
 Ventureso me High P scorers are genetically
because they have either a
more vulnerable to stress than are
genetic or on acquired weakness
 Dominant low P scorers
that predispose them to an
 Carefree illness

 Warm
 Kind  Tame

 Assertive  Low self-esteem

 Guilt feeling
 Depressed
 Anxious
 Emotional
 Moody
 Shy
 Irrational
EYSENCK’S TWO DIMENSION OF PERSONALITY
BIOLOGICAL BASES OF PERSONALITY
DISTAL= SITUATED AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE BODY
PROXIMAL= SITUATED NEAR FROM THE CENTER OF THE BODY DISTAL
DNA = GENETIC PERSONALITY
PROXIMAL = LIMBIC SYSTEM AROUSAL
PERSONALITY AS PREDICTOR
His personality types are based on Hippocrates's personality formulation:
High N, High E results in a choleric personality—an assertive, leader-like person.
High N, Low E results in a melancholic personality—a cautious and introverted type.
Low N, High E results in a sanguine personality—the sociable and charismatic type.
Low N, Low E results in a phlegmatic personality—a consistent, calm person.