Name: Geal Carmel V.

Lim
Offer code: Psych 245 6089

Eysenck’s Factor Theory - Has strong psychometric and biological components

Psychometric findings are meaningless unless they have been shown to possess a biological
existence.

Criteria for Identifying Factors

1. Psychometric evidence- Psychometric evidence for the factor's existence must be
established. Other investigators from separate laboratories a corollary to this criterion is that
the factor must be reliable and replicable.
2. Heritability- It must to fit an established genetic model. This criterion eliminates learned
characteristics, such as the ability to mimic the voices of well-known people or a religious or
political belief.
3. Make sense from a theoretical view- The deductive method of investigation, beginning
with a theory and then gathering data that are logically consistent with that theory.
4. Possess social relevance- Demonstrated in a way wherein its mathematically derived
factors have a relationship (not necessarily causal) with such socially relevant variables as
drug addiction, proneness to unintentional injuries, outstanding performance in sports, etc.

Hierarchy of Behavior Organization

 Lowest level - Specific acts or cognitions- individual behaviors or thoughts that may or
may not be characteristic of a person.
 Second level - Habitual acts or cognitions - responses that recur under similar conditions
and must be reasonably reliable or consistent.
 Third level- Trait- important semi-permanent personality dispositions and traits can be
identified intuitively. However, trait and factor theorists rely on a more systematic
approach, namely factor analysis. Traits, then, are "defined in terms of significant
intercorrelations between different habitual behaviors".
 Fourth level- Types or superfactors- it is made up of several interrelated traits. Like
persistence may be related to inferiority, poor emotional adjustment, social shyness, and
several other traits, with the entire cluster forming the introverted type.

Dimensions of personality

Cattell's 35 traits are all third level of the hierarchical structure, whereas Eysenck's super
factors are at the fourth level. Many current factor theorists insist that ample evidence exists
that five—and no more and no fewer—general factors will emerge from nearly all factor
analyses of personality traits.

Three personality dimensions- Eysenck regarded all three factors as part of normal
personality structure (Introversion vs. Extraversion, Neuroticism vs. Stability, Psychoticism
vs. Superego). All three are bipolar, with extraversion being at one end of Factor E and
introversion occupying the opposite pole. Similarly, Factor N includes neuroticism at one
pole and stability at the other, and Factor P has psychoticism at one pole and the superego
function at the other. The bipolarity of Eysenck’s factors does not imply that most people are
at one end or the other of the three main poles. Each factor is unimodally, rather than
bimodally, distributed.

1. Extraversion- Extraverts are being characterized as sociability and impulsiveness but also
by jocularity, lively, quick-witted, optimism, and other traits indicative of people who are
rewarded for their association with others. Introvertsion on the other hand are quiet, passive,
unsociable, careful, reserved, thoughtful, pessimistic, peaceful, sober, and controlled. The
primary cause of differences between extraverts and introverts is one of cortical arousal level.
Extraverts have a lower level of cortical arousal than do introverts have higher sensory
thresholds and has lesser reactions to sensory stimulation. To maintain an optimal level of
stimulation, introverts, with their congenitally low sensory threshold, avoid situations that
will cause too much excitement.

2. Neuroticism- Has a strong hereditary component. Moreover, it has the tendency to

overreact emotionally and to have difficulty returning to a normal state after emotional
arousal frequently complain of physical symptoms. People can score high on neuroticism and
be free of any debilitating psychological symptoms.
 Diathesis-stress model- Eysenck accepted this model of psychiatric illness, which
suggests that some people are vulnerable to illness because they have either a genetic or
an acquired weakness that predisposes them to an illness. The higher the neuroticism
score, the lower the level of stress necessary to precipitate a neurotic disorder.
 Eysenck's factor analytic technique assumes the independence of factors- It is depending
on their degree of introversion or extraversion, people can display quite different
symptoms.
 Normal distribution- As scores move toward the outer limits of the diagram, they become
Increasingly less frequent, just ass cores on the ends of a curve are less frequent than
those near the midpoint.

3. Psychoticism- Often egocentric, cold, nonconforming, impulsive, hostile, aggressive,

suspicious, psychopathic, and anti social.
 low on psychoticism (in the direction of superego function) tend to be altruistic, highly
socialized, empathic, caring, cooperative, conforming, and conventional
 high on psychoticism and who are also experiencing levels of stress have an increased
chance of developing a psychotic disorder. High P scorers are genetically more
vulnerable to stress than are low P scorers.