The personality theories of H. J. Eysenck and J. A. Gray: a comparative review

Hans J. Eysenck and Jeffrey A. Gray have proposed influential theories of the biological bases of personality traits. Eysenck's theory concerns the extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism traits, whereas Gray proposes the use of new, rotated axes of impulsivity and anxiety. Eysenck uses mutiple arousal systems as the central explanatory constructs, where Gray describes more specific systems related to behavioural inhibition and activation. Reviews the evidence relating to these theories provided by studies of c.n.s. and a.n.s. psychophysiology, subjective affect, conditioning and attention and performance. (Original abstract - amended)