NCJ Number
54772
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE IMPACT OF THE DAYTON (OHIO) POLICE RECRUIT TRAINING CURRICULUM ON 20 POLICE RECRUITS IS EVALUATED IN TERMS OF PERSONALITY PATTERNS.
Abstract
THE DAYTON POLICE RECRUIT TRAINING CURRICULUM IS A 29-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM FOR POLICE RECRUITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO PROVIDE A MODEL THAT WOULD ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING: (1) DETERMINE WHETHER SPECIFIC PHASES OF THE TRAINING INFLUENCED THE ATTRIBUTES AND ATTITUDES OF PARTICIPANTS; AND (2) YIELD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MODIFYING THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO HAVE GREATER IMPACT ON TARGET ATTRIBUTES AND ATTITUDES. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT RECRUITS COMPLETING THE TRAINING PROGRAM WOULD INCREASE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR AND FEELINGS, AND WOULD SHOW AN INCREASE IN POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES AS MEASURED BY THE SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTORS TEST. INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR AND FEELINGS WERE OPERATIONALLY DEFINED BY PARTICIPANTS' SCORES ON THE FIRO B AND COPE SCALES. IT WAS FOUND THAT TRAINING HAD DIFFERENT IMPACTS ON THE DIFFERENT GROUPS INVOLVED. WHITE MALES EASILY GRASPED THE MEANING OF THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE, PERCEIVED THE APPLICATION OF FACTS, AND WERE ABLE TO TRANSLATE THIS TO DEDUCTIVE THINKING WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A PROBLEM. WHITE MALES AND THE FEMALE RECRUITS GRASPED THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE MOST EASILY, THEY WERE ALSO THE MOST AWARE OF INCONSISTENCY WHICH TENDED TO FOSTER FEELINGS OF CYNICISM. BLACK RECRUITS, ON THE OTHER HAND, TENDED TO BENEFIT FROM THE ENTIRE PROGRAM. FEMALE RECRUITS TENDED TO BECOME DEPENDENT DURING TRAINING AND LOSE THEIR INDEPENDENT AND ASSERTIVE QUALITIES, BUT APPEARED TO REGAIN THESE QUALITIES AFTER THE TRAINING WAS OVER. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT FUTURE TRAINING PROGRAMS BE EVALUATED ROUTINELY. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MLC)