In Eysenck's model, what are the two primary superfactors that underlie personality?

In Eysenck's model, what are the two primary superfactors that underlie personality?

• A. Openness and Agreeableness
• B. Extraversion–Introversion and Neuroticism–Emotional Stability
• C. Introversion and Sensation-Seeking
• D. Psychoticism and Neuroticism

Answer: (B)

Two broad, biologically grounded dimensions form the core of Eysenck's personality theory: Extraversion–Introversion and Neuroticism–Emotional Stability. Extraversion captures how sociable, lively, and seekful of stimulation a person is, while introversion represents a quieter, more reserved tendency. Neuroticism, or emotional instability, reflects how prone someone is to anxiety, mood swings, and stress reactivity, with low neuroticism indicating steadier, more emotionally stable responses. These dimensions are tied to biology—differences in arousal and autonomic nervous system reactivity help explain why some people seek more interaction and stimulation, while others prefer calm environments, and why some individuals experience emotions more intensely than others. It’s worth noting that Eysenck later added a third dimension, Psychoticism, but the two primary superfactors are the Extraversion–Introversion and Neuroticism–Emotional Stability pair. Other options mix concepts from different personality theories (like the Big Five) or introduce a different third dimension, which is why they don’t represent the two principal superfactors in Eysenck’s model.

Two broad, biologically grounded dimensions form the core of Eysenck's personality theory: Extraversion–Introversion and Neuroticism–Emotional Stability. Extraversion captures how sociable, lively, and seekful of stimulation a person is, while introversion represents a quieter, more reserved tendency. Neuroticism, or emotional instability, reflects how prone someone is to anxiety, mood swings, and stress reactivity, with low neuroticism indicating steadier, more emotionally stable responses.

These dimensions are tied to biology—differences in arousal and autonomic nervous system reactivity help explain why some people seek more interaction and stimulation, while others prefer calm environments, and why some individuals experience emotions more intensely than others. It’s worth noting that Eysenck later added a third dimension, Psychoticism, but the two primary superfactors are the Extraversion–Introversion and Neuroticism–Emotional Stability pair.

Other options mix concepts from different personality theories (like the Big Five) or introduce a different third dimension, which is why they don’t represent the two principal superfactors in Eysenck’s model.