Theories of Personality 9th Edition

422 Part V Biological/Evolutionary Theories

are in the middle of a five-step progression from DNA to social behavior, with bio-

logical intermediaries and experimental evidence anchoring the three major personality

dimensions. In other words, personality has genetic determinants that indirectly shape bio-

logical intermediaries, and these biological intermediaries help mold P, E, and N. In turn, P,

E, and N contribute to a wide variety of laboratory learnings as well as social behaviors.

Personality as a Predictor

Eysenck’s complex model of personality shown in Figure 14.5 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.

Personality and Behavior

Do Eysenck’s three general personality dimensions predict behavior? According to

Eysenck’s model shown in Figure 14.5, psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroti-

cism should predict results of experimental studies as well as social behaviors.

Recall that Eysenck’s theory assumes that extraversion is a product of low cortical

arousability. Therefore, introverts, compared with extraverts, should be more sen-

sitive to a variety of stimuli and learning conditions. Eysenck (1997a) argued that

an effective theory of personality should predict both proximal and distal conse-

quences (see Figure 14.5), and he and his son Michael (H. J. Eysenck & M. W.

Eysenck, 1985) cited studies that demonstrated extraverts’ greater demand for

change and novelty in both laboratory studies and studies of social behavior.

Eysenck (1997a) further argued that many psychology studies have reached

erroneous conclusions because they have ignored personality factors. For example,

DNA

Limbic

system

arousal

P

E

N

Personality

Conditioning

Sensitivity

Vigilance

Perception

Memory

Reminiscence

Sociability

Criminality

Creativity

Psychopathology

Sexual behavior

Distal

antecedents

Proximal

antecedents

Proximal

consequences

Distal

consequences

Genetic

personality

determinants

Psychometric

trait

constellations

Biological

intermediaries

Experimental

studies

Social

behavior

FIGURE 14.5 A model of the major components of Eysenck’s theory of personality.