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Home
Psychology
Key terms
Psychoticism

GCSE Psychology · key term

Psychoticism

Definition

Eysenck’s personality dimension involving aggression, egocentrism and lack of empathy.

Used by OCR

How each exam board covers it

OCR GCSE Psychology · J203

Paper 1

Eysenck described three dimensions: extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism. People can score high, low or somewhere between these extremes; they are not three mutually exclusive categories. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) measures these dimensions.
Revise: Eysenck’s Criminal Personality Theory and Its Biological Basis
A personality dimension associated with traits such as aggression, coldness and low empathy. It is not the same as a diagnosis of psychosis.
Revise: Heaven (1996): Personality, Self-Esteem and Delinquency

Exam tips

1
Distinguish the strongest predictor from a strong predictor: psychoticism was the best predictor measured, but overall prediction was relatively weak.

Related key terms

Extraversion
Arousal
Attrition
Autonomic nervous system
Central nervous system

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Psychoticism — OCR GCSE Psychology Definition

OCR Psychology past papers

Cerebral cortex