Abstract
This chapter explores personality theories as they relate to criminal behavior. According to these theories, criminal behavior is linked to the presence of certain personality traits or a specific criminal personality. Psychologists link personality to criminal behavior by examining an offender’s specific traits or certain clusters of traits that drive them toward the criminal behavior. This chapter focuses on personality theories that attempt to explain the major traits of criminal propensity, including undercontrolled vs. overcontrolled personality traits, Eysenck’s Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism dimensions, and Tellegen’s Positive Emotionality, Negative Emotionality, and Constraint. Empirical evidence for each theory is presented, and the relevance of personality to criminal behavior is discussed.