Which of the following is not a dimension of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Openness to experience
Eysenck reduced personality to broad dimensions that are biologically and genetically based, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire is the test used to study them.
Option (1) Introverted-extraverted — A dimension of the questionnaire (Incorrect). Extraversion vs. introversion is the degree to which people are socially outgoing or socially withdrawn.
Option (2) Psychoticism — A dimension of the questionnaire (Incorrect). In a later work Eysenck added a third dimension, psychoticism vs. sociability; a person high on psychoticism tends to be hostile, egocentric and antisocial.
Option (3) Openness to experience — Not a dimension of the questionnaire (Correct). Openness to experience is one of the Big Five factors of Costa and McCrae: those high on it are imaginative, curious and open to new ideas. It is not one of Eysenck’s dimensions.
Option (4) Emotionally stable-emotionally unstable — A dimension of the questionnaire (Incorrect). This is neuroticism vs. emotional stability, the degree to which people have control over their feelings.
NCERT (2025-26): “Eysenck's Theory … H.J. Eysenck proposed that personality could be reduced into two broad dimensions. These are biologically and genetically based. Each dimension subsumes a number of specific traits. These dimensions are: (1) Neuroticism vs. emotional stability : It refers to the degree to which people have control over their feelings. At one extreme of the dimension, we find people who are neurotic. They are anxious, moody, touchy, restless and quickly lose control.…” “Eysenck's Theory … (2) Extraversion vs. introversion : It refers to the degree to which people are socially outgoing or socially withdrawn. At one extreme are those who are active, gregarious, impulsive and thrill-seeking. At the other extreme are people who are passive, quiet, cautious and reserved. In a later work Eysenck proposed a third dimension, called Psychoticism vs. Sociability, which is considered to interact with the other two dimensions mentioned above. A person who scores high on psychoticism dimension tends to be hostile, egocentric, and antisocial. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire is the test which is used for studying these dimensions of personality.…” |