Humans often experience patterns of thoughts and feelings that are likely to influence their behaviors throughout a specific period or lifetime. These patterns of thoughts and feelings are the individual’s personal traits. They are the person’s characteristics and help distinguish the individual from others. Personality traits are influenced by a myriad of factors, such as genetic and environmental factors (Avinun, 2020). Stakeholders in human psychology have Traits have studied personality traits extensively and developed various taxonomies in which such traits are classified. One of the attempts to explain and classify personality traits is the five-factor model, also known as the “Big Five” model. This approach explains that personality can be broken down into five broad dimensions: extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and open-mindedness (Lace et al., 2020). Each of these dimensions contains several specific traits. For example, the extraversion dimension incorporates traits such as sociability, assertiveness, and a tendency to seek excitement. Personality traits are some of the most important aspects to consider when studying various behavioral patterns and especially in relation to criminal behavior.
Stakeholders and scholars in human psychology have established that certain personality traits pose an increased risk of criminal behavior. Several studies demonstrate that having certain personality traits implies that the individual is more susceptible to criminal behavior. For example, individuals who score high on certain personality traits, like impulsivity, aggression, and low empathy, are more likely to engage in criminal behavior (Falkenbach et al., 2017). Such individuals are more likely to act on their impulses without considering the potential consequences of their actions, which could lead to criminal behavior. Similarly, individuals who score high on aggression may be more prone to engaging in violent or destructive behavior. In addition, individuals who score low on empathy may be less likely to consider the harm their actions could cause others, leading to criminal behavior. Therefore, personality traits can effectively predict criminal behavior. Personality theories like Eysenck’s and psychoanalytic theories are instrumental in understanding how personality traits can predict criminal behavior. This essay will explain these theories and evaluate how they can be used to predict criminal behavior.
Eysenck’s personality theory is a biological approach to personality. It suggests that an individual’s personality is determined by three dimensions: neuroticism, extraversion, and psychoticism. Extraversion is characterized by outgoing and sociable behavior. Neuroticism is characterized by emotional instability and anxiety, while psychoticism is characterized by aggression, impulsivity, and lack of empathy. The approach, developed by German-British psychologist Hans Eysenck, suggests that individuals with high levels of psychoticism are at a greater risk of committing crimes due to their impulsivity and lack of empathy (Matthews, 2016). Various empirical studies, including current literature, support Eysenck’s theory of personality. Eysenck’s theory has been supported by some empirical research, which has found that individuals with high levels of psychoticism tend to have higher rates of criminal behavior. For example, Mehmet et al. (2019) found that individuals with high levels of psychoticism are more likely to engage in violent crime than those with low levels. This finding is consistent with Eysenck’s theory, which proposes that individuals high in psychoticism are more prone to aggressive and impulsive behavior.
However, various studies and scholars have criticized Eysenck’s theory of personality due to its lack of explanatory power (Baryshnikov et al., 2020). For example, many individuals who score high on the psychoticism scale do not necessarily engage in criminal behavior, which suggests that personality may not effectively predict criminal behavior. Instead, other factors, such as an individual’s social and environmental factors, may also play a critical role in the development of criminal behavior in an individual. Therefore, the lack of explanatory power is the primary weakness of Eysenck’s theory and negatively affects the theory’s ability to explain how well an individual’s personality is likely to predict criminal behavior. Additionally, Eysenck’s theory does not consider the role of cognitive and behavioral factors in the development of criminal behavior (Gudjonsson, 2016). This implies that the theory is limited in demonstrating how personality traits may predict criminal behavior, as cognitive and behavioral factors are likely to play an essential role in shaping personality and behavior. The theory focuses on the predispositions of individuals and does not consider external stimuli or daily life practices that can influence the individual’s behavior. It also fails to provide a framework for understanding how personality develops and changes over time and how an individual’s interaction with situational factors may influence criminal behavior.
On its part, the psychoanalytic theory of personality also plays a critical role in explaining how well an individual’s traits could predict criminal behavior (Lester, 2019). The theory, proposed by Australian psychologist and neurologist Sigmund Freud, suggests that criminal behavior results from unconscious conflicts and repressed desires that are present within an individual (Lester, 2019). According to this theory, criminal behavior results from an individual’s inability to cope with the demands of society and the superego, which is the part of the mind that represents internalized moral standards. The theory explains that when an individual’s superego conflicts with their id, which is the part of the mind that represents instinctual desires, such as aggression and sexuality, the individual is likely to engage in criminal behavior (Lester, 2019). Further, the theory demonstrates that when an individual’s superego becomes too oppressive, the individual is likely to show their aggressive and sexual desires by engaging in criminal behavior.
Various psychologists use the psychoanalytic theory to explain various types of criminal behavior, such as homicide, sexual offending, and drug abuse (Schlesinger, 2021). Psychologists use the psychoanalytic theory to examine the unconscious desires, conflicts, and motives that drive individuals to engage in criminal activity. For example, psychologists use the theory to explain homicide as an individual’s aggressive impulses, which the individual has repressed for an extended period, eventually resulting in violent behavior to express the impulses. While explaining sexual offenses, psychologists use the theory to explain that the offender may harbor unresolved conflicts related to their sexual desires, which may lead to committing sexual offenses on others (Schlesinger, 2021). Psychologists also use the psychoanalytic theory to explain drug abuse, a major criminal behavior. Using the theory, psychologists explain drug abuse as an effort to suppress or escape from emotional distress caused by unconscious conflicts.
However, the psychoanalytic theory has some significant weaknesses, which negatively affect its ability to demonstrate how well personality traits predict criminal behavior. One of the theory’s weaknesses is that it lacks empirical support (Yakeley, 2018). This means that scientific theory evidence and no research studies have been tested to validate the theory. Empirical support is critical in providing evidence for the validity and reliability of a theory. It helps to establish the theory’s credibility and practicality. In addition, a lack of empirical support can make it difficult to draw generalizations from the theory and make it challenging to communicate the theory to other researchers, professionals, or the general public, which means that a lack of empirical support can make it challenging to establish the theory as a useful framework for understanding and explaining phenomena, which is a significant disadvantage for any theory (Borsboom et al., 2021). The lack of empirical support implies that the psychoanalytic theory does effectively explain how well personality traits predict criminal behavior. Another weakness of the psychoanalytic theory is that the methodology for conducting psychoanalysis is entirely subjective. In addition, the theory fails to consider the role of free will and individual agency in the development of criminal behavior.
Conclusion
In conclusion, personality traits are one of the primary ways of predicting criminal behavior. Current literature in human psychology and criminal behavior demonstrates that certain personality traits predict criminal behavior. Personality theories like Eysenck’s personality theory and the psychoanalytic theory of personality also offer valuable insights into the relationship between personality traits and criminal behavior. However, the two theories also have several limitations. While Eysenck’s theory prides itself in significant empirical support, it lacks explanatory power and does not consider the role of cognitive and behavioral factors, which are some of the theory’s limitations. On the other hand, the psychoanalytic theory lacks empirical support, and the methodologies used in conducting psychoanalysis are quite subjective. Therefore, while personality traits may play a role in predicting criminal behavior, it is essential to consider other factors, such as social, environmental, and cognitive factors, in understanding the development of criminal behavior.
References
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