The Psychology Book (100 page)

THERE IS AN

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN

INSANITY

AN

HANS J. D G

EYSENCK ( E

1916 N

–199 I

7) US

318 HANS J. EYSENCK

IN CONTEXT

D
iscussion about genius has

been dominated for most

of its history by the nature-

APPROACH

versus-nurture debate: is a genius

Personality

born or made? Prior to the early

BEFORE

1900s, ideas about genius were

There is a common

1926
American psychologist

based largely on stories of people

genetic basis for great

Catharine Cox tests the

who were perceived as geniuses,

potential in creativity and

intelligence and personalities

such as Leonardo da Vinci and

for psychological deviation.

of 300 geniuses and finds the

Beethoven. As early as Aristotle,

Hans J. Eysenck

average IQ to be 165+; key

creative genius and madness were

characteristics are tremendous

seen as linked, and both assumed to

be largely genetic in nature. In 1904,

persistence and motivation.

British psychologist Havelock Ellis’s

1956
J.P. Guilford develops the

A Study of British Genius,
reported

concept of divergent thinking

controlled studies of both psychotic

to discuss creativity.

patients and creative people to

establish a link between the two.

than the detailed characteristics

AFTER

Seventy years later the German

that make up a whole person. He

2009
In
Genius 101: Creators,

psychologist Hans Eysenck reviewed

was a biologist, and like others

Leaders, and Prodigies
,

the early evidence and concluded

before him, notably the ancient

American psychologist Dean

that it is not psychosis (full blown

Greek physicians Hippocrates and

Keith Simonton argues that

insanity) that is related to genius,

Galen, he believed that physiological

geniuses are the result of good

but psychoticism, which he defined

factors account for temperament.

genes and good surroundings.

as an underlying disposition to

Hippocrates had suggested that

develop psychotic symptoms.

personality type arises from an

2009
Swedish psychologist

excess or deficit of a particular type

Anders Ericsson attributes

Temperament and biology

of bodily fluids, known as humors.

expert performance to 10,000

Many psychologists have defined

Galen expanded upon this idea to

hours of practice.

and measured personality traits,

suggest there are four types of

but Eysenck’s interests focused

temperament: sanguine, choleric,

on human temperament rather

phlegmatic, and melancholic.

…and combined with

…this can lead

an
IQ of 165
or above…

to genius.

A capacity for

over-inclusive thinking

can lead to original and

creative ideas…

…but combined with

…this can lead

psychotic symptoms
…

to insanity.

PSYCHOLOGY OF DIFFERENCE 319

See also:
Galen 18–19 ■ Francis Galton 28–29 ■ J.P. Guilford 304–05 ■ Gordon Allport 306–13 ■

Raymond Cattell 314–15 ■ Walter Mischel 326–27 ■ David Rosenhan 328–29

He claimed that sanguine people

Eysenck’s model of personality
provides an overarching

have an excess of blood, and are

paradigm for defining temperament. Each of the superfactors

cheerful and optimistic. Those with

(Extraversion and Neuroticism) is made up of lower-order

habits, such as “lively.” The two superfactors divide habits

a choleric temperament, stemming

into four types that reflect Galen’s four temperaments.

from an abundance of bile, are

quick and hot-tempered. Phlegmatic

individuals, with too much phlegm,

neuroticism

are slow, lazy, and dull. Melancholics,

who suffer from black bile, are sad,

pessimistic, and depressed.

moody

touchy

Galen’s biological approach

c

anxious

restless

h

cholic

o

appealed to Eysenck, who considered

n

le

la

rigid

aggressive

r

temperament to be physiological

e

ic

m

and genetically determined.

sober

excitable

He proposed a measure of two

pessimistic

changeable

dimensions, or overarching

reserved

impulsive

e

“superfactors” of personality, that

n

x

unsociable

optimistic

tr

encompass all the detailed traits:

o

a

Neuroticism and Extraversion–

rsi

quiet

active

v

Introversion, which he then mapped

e

e

v

rsi

against Galen’s four temperaments.

passive

sociable

tro

o

careful

outgoing

n

Eysenck’s scales

in

thoughtful

talkative

“Neuroticism” was Eysenck’s name

for a personality dimension that

peaceful

responsive

ph

ranges from emotionally calm and

le

controlled

easy-going

stable at one extreme, to nervous

g

e

m

reliable

lively

in

and easily upset at the other. He

a

u

t

g

ic

claimed that neurotics (at the less

even-tempered

carefree

san

stable end of the spectrum) have a

calm

cheery

low activation threshold in terms of

triggering the sympathetic nervous

system, which is the part of the

emotional stability

brain that activates the “fight or

flight” response. People with

this more responsive system are

be more likely to develop a variety

under-aroused and bored; so the

hyperactive in this regard, so they

of nervous disorders. Eysenck’s

brain must either wake itself up

respond to even minor threats as

second dimension of temperament

through seeking further excitement

though they are seriously dangerous,

was “Extraversion–Introversion.” He

with other people (extraverts) or

experiencing an increase in blood

used these terms very much as we

calm itself down through seeking

pressure and heart rate, sweating,

use them to describe people around

peace and solitude (introverts).

and so on. They are also more likely

us: extraverts are outgoing and

to suffer from the various neurotic

talkative, while introverts are shy

Psychoticism

disorders. However, Eysenck was

and quiet. Eysenck claimed that

Eysenck tested his ideas on large

not suggesting that people who

variations in brain activity explain

groups of people, but realized there

scored at the nervous end of this

the difference: introverts are

were some sections of society that

dimension are necessarily neurotic

chronically over-aroused and jittery,

he was missing; so he took his

in practice, merely that they would

while extraverts are chronically

studies into mental institutions. ❯❯

320 HANS J. EYSENCK

said that, as with the neuroticism

involves originality and novelty,

dimension, psychoticism ranges

and is based on aspects of both

along a scale; his tests looked for

intellectual ability and personality.

the occurrence of personality traits

In his paper,
Creativity and

commonly found among psychotics.

Personality: Suggestions for

Eysenck found that a number of

a Theory
, Eysenck aimed to throw

Introverts are characterized

personality traits relate to each other

some light on the nature of creativity

by higher levels of activity

to produce psychoticism; those who

and its relationship to intelligence,

than extraverts and so are

score highly on this scale are usually

personality, and genius.

chronically more cortically

aggressive, egocentric, impersonal,

Genius is held to be the highest

aroused than extraverts.

impulsive, antisocial, unempathic,

form of creativity, and it rests upon

Hans J. Eysenck

creative, and tough-minded. A high

very high intelligence: an IQ score

score on the scale does not mean a

of at least 165 is considered to be a

person is psychotic, and it is not

prerequisite. However, a high IQ is

inevitable that they will become so;

not enough on its own. Another

they simply share characteristics

relevant component of intelligence