fei75766_ch14_435-462.indd 442  02/06/20 01:10 PM
Part V    Biological/Evolutionary Theories442
Criteria for Identifying Factors
With these assumptions inmind, Eysenck listed fourcriteria foridentifying afactor. 
First, psychometric evidence forthefactor’s existence must beestablished. Acorollary 
tothiscriterion isthatthefactor must bereliable andreplicable. Other investigators, 
from separate laboratories, must alsobeabletofindthefactor, andthese investiga -
torsconsistently identify Eysenck’s extraversion, neuroticism, andpsychoticism.
Asecond criterion isthatthefactor must alsopossess heritability andmust fit
anestablished genetic model. Thiscriterion eliminates learned characteristics, such
astheability tomimic thevoices ofwell-known people orareligious orpolitical 
belief.
Third, thefactor must make sense from a theoretical view. Eysenck employed 
thedeductive method ofinvestigation, beginning withatheory andthengathering data
thatarelogically consistent withthattheory. 
Thefinalcriterion fortheexistence ofafactor isthatitmust possess social 
relevance; thatis,itmust bedemonstrated thatmathematically derived factors have
arelationship (notnecessarily causal) withsuchsocially relevant variables asdrug
addiction, proneness tounintentional injuries, outstanding performance insports, 
psychotic behavior, criminality, andsoon.
Hierarchy of Behavior Organization
Eysenck (1947, 1994c) recognized afour-level hierarchy ofbehavior organization. 
Atthelowest levelarespecific acts or cognitions, individual behaviors orthoughts that
mayormaynotbecharacteristic ofaperson. Astudent finishing areading assign -
ment would beanexample ofaspecific response. Atthesecond levelarethehabitual 
acts or cognitions, thatis,responses thatrecur under similar conditions. Forexam -
ple,ifastudent frequently keeps atanassignment untilitisfinished, thisbehavior 
becomes ahabitual response. Asopposed tospecific responses, habitual responses 
must bereasonably reliable orconsistent.
Several related habitual responses form atrait—thethird levelofbehavior. 
Eysenck (1981) defined traits as“important semi-permanent personality disposi -
tions” (p.3).Forexample, students would havethetraitofpersistence iftheyhabitu -
allycomplete class assignments andkeepworking atother endeavors untiltheyare
finished. Although traits canbeidentified intuitively, traitandfactor theorists rely
onamore systematic approach, namely factor analysis. Trait-level behaviors are
extracted through factor analysis ofhabit-level responses justashabitual responses 
aremathematically extracted through factor analysis ofspecific responses. Traits, 
then, are“defined interms ofsignificant intercorrelations between different habitual 
behaviors” (Eysenck, 1990, p.244). Most ofCattell’s 35normal andabnormal pri-
mary source traits areatthisthird leveloforganization, which accounts forthefact
thatheidentified farmore personality dimensions thaneither Eysenck oradvocates 
oftheFive-Factor Theory (seeChapter 13).
Eysenck concentrated onthefourth level, thatoftypes orsuperfactors. Atype
ismade upofseveral interrelated traits. Forexample, persistence mayberelated to
inferiority, pooremotional adjustment, social shyness, andseveral other traits, with
theentire cluster forming theintroverted type. Each ofthefourlevels ofbehavior orga-
nization areshown inFigure 14.1.Final PDF to printer