NCJ Number
54958
Journal
ABSTRACTS ON POLICE SCIENCE Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (MAY-JUNE 1978) Pages: 123-131
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE ROKEACH DOGMATISM SCALE WAS ADMINISTERED TO A SAMPLE OF 400 POLICE OFFICERS, CITIZENS, AND STUDENTS IN A STUDY OF AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS.
Abstract
THE POLICE ARE AUTHORITARIAN FIGURES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AMONG COLLEGE CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJORS, POLICE OFFICERS, STUDENTS IN GENERAL, AND CITIZENS. FOUR HYPOTHESES WERE PROPOSED: (1) HIGHER LEVELS OF FORMAL EDUCATION ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN REDUCING LEVELS OF AUTHORITARIANISM AMONG THE GENERAL CITIZENRY, THE STUDENT POPULATION, AND POLICE OFFICERS; (2) THE GENERAL STUDENT POPULATION WILL HAVE A LOWER LEVEL OF AUTHORITARIANISM AS MEASURED BY THE ROKEACH DOGMATISM SCALE THAN WILL CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJORS; (3) CRIMINAL JUSTICE LAW ENFORCEMENT STUDENTS WILL SCORE HIGHER ON THE DOGMATISM SCALE THAN WILL CORRECTIONSORIENTED CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJORS; AND (4) AUTHORITARIANISM LEVELS WILL BE TEMPERED BY AGE. EACH OF THE FOUR GROUPS OF SUBJECTS NUMBERED 100 AND WAS CHOSEN THROUGH A METHOD OF STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING. IT WAS FOUND THAT AS THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION INCREASED, THE LEVEL OF AUTHORITARIANISM DECREASED. SUBJECTS UNDER THE AGE OF 23 AND OVER THE AGE OF 50 DISPLAYED HIGHER LEVELS OF AUTHORITARIANISM THAN THE REST OF THE SAMPLE. THE HYPOTHESES COMPARING THE GENERAL STUDENT POPULATION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE MAJORS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT STUDENTS TO CORRECTIONS STUDENTS WERE NOT SUPPORTED BY THE DATA. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IN THIS AREA SHOULD AIM AT DETERMINING WHETHER A POLICE SUBCULTURE CREATES OR SIMPLY PERPETUATES AUTHORITARIANISM PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MLC)