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What does Eysenck's psychoticism scale really measure?
Author(s) -
Howarth E.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1986.tb01996.x
Subject(s) - psychoticism , psychology , neuroticism , extraversion and introversion , eysenck personality questionnaire , trait theory , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , big five personality traits , personality
The following sources of evidence are discussed in order to examine the component parts — in terms of primary traits — of Eysenck's psychoticism scale, which he refers to as a ‘superfactor’ but which is here viewed as a composite or complex of primary traits. Factor analytic studies by the author and by Barratt & Kline not only showed agreement as to factor composition but also each found a psychoticism factor and supply evidence as to the question posed. Additionally ( a ) a correlational study by the author and ( b ) a study by Eysenck supply evidence. Thus from factor analytic and correlational evidence a high P scorer possesses these traits: impulsiveness, lack of cooperation, oral pessimism, rigidity, low superego controls, low social sensitivity, low persistence, lack of anxiety and lack of feelings of inferiority. Of the three main ‘superfactors' advocated by Eysenck — neuroticism (N), extraversion (E) and psychoticism (P) — the evidence indicated that psychoticism was the least univocal.