NCJ Number
47304
Date Published
1978
Length
30 pages
Annotation
A PROJECT TO ASSESS POLICE OFFICER JOB STRESS THROUGH A QUESTIONNAIRE WHICH IS ADMINISTERED FOLLOWING A FILMED SIMULATION OF STRESSFUL EXPERIENCES IS DESCRIBED, AND A PROGRAM TO HELP OFFICERS COPE WITH STRESS IS OUTLINED.
Abstract
POLICE WORK IS CONSIDERED TO BE OCCASIONALLY HAZARDOUS AND FRAUGHT WITH STRESS. THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF JOB STRESSORS APPEAR TO INFLUENCE AND AFFECT THE POLICE OFFICER'S JOB SATISFACTION, INFLUENCE FUNCTIONING BOTH WITHIN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH WOULD APPROACH FREE WORLD PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS. THE ETIOLOGY OF STRESS FOR THE POLICE OFFICER IS SKETCHED. TO ATTACK THIS PROBLEM OF STRESS, THE PROGRAM HAS TWO GOALS: TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY COPING WITH STRESSORS INHERENT IN THE JOB OF POLICE OFFICER, AND TO FORMULATE A PROGRAM BASED ON A DECISIONMAKING MODEL OF COPING PATTERNS AND BEHAVIORAL OPTIONS TO HELP THE OFFICER TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS IN STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. THUS, THE PROJECT HAS BOTH A TESTING AND A TRAINING PHASE. THE ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUE BY FAST (FILMED ASSESSMENT OF STRESS TECHNIQUE) COMBINES FILM, WITH ITS UNIQUE CAPACITY TO SIMULATE REALITY, WITH A QUESTIONNAIRE AND PEER GROUP DISCUSSION. THE QUESTIONNAIRE IS DESIGNED TO ELICIT SUBJECTS' MODES OF RESPONDING TO THE STRESSFUL STIMULI DEPICTED IN THE FILM WITHIN THE CATEGORIES OF COGNITION, AFFECT, AND ACTION POTENTIAL. IT IS BELIEVED THAT FAST WILL PROVIDE MORE MEANINGFUL ASSESSMENT DATA THAN SEVERAL OTHER TECHNIQUES ALLUDED TO BECAUSE FAST IS CONCERNED WITH PREDICTING NONAFFECTIVE DECISIONMAKING OUTCOMES -- THE CONSEQUENCES OF NONEFFECTIVE STRESS COPING PATTERNS. AFTER EACH FILM, THERE WILL BE A PEER GROUP DISCUSSION IN WHICH TRAINEES WILL WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY SEE AS POSSIBLE OUTCOMES TO THE FILMED VIGNETTES, AND THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES GENERATED BY THE GROUP WILL BE DISCUSSED. THE PROCEDURE SHOULD INDICATE THE WIDE RANGE OF COGNITIVE APPRAISALS, AFFECTIVE RESPONSES, AND BEHAVIORAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO ALL THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION. THE STRESS TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROJECT (STEP) OF THE PROPOSED STUDY MAY BE CONSIDERED EITHER PREVENTIVE OR REMEDIAL. THE TRAINING PHASE IS BASED ON THE THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISIONMAKING MODEL OF STRESS ASSESSMENT. THE APPROACH USES EMOTIONAL CONFRONTATION AND BEHAVIORAL COMMITMENT VIA ROLE-PLAYING. TRAINEES WILL TAKE TURNS ROLE-PLAYING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE BEHAVIORAL OPTIONS WHICH THEY GENERATED IN THE CONCEPTUAL COMPONENT, ENACTING BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE OUTCOMES IN TERMS OF THEIR COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS. THE STUDY PROPOSES TO VALIDATE AND EVALUATE THE ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING PHASES BY BEHAVIORAL CRITERIA, SUCH AS ON-THE-JOB-PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND SUPERVISOR'S RATINGS. (DJM)