POLICE IN COLLEGE - THE VALUE GAP REVISITED

• NCJ Number: 51961
• Journal: Psychological Reports Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Dated: (1977) Pages: 1023-1029
• Author(s): J BALKIN; C KATZ; J LEVIN; D BRANDT
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 7 pages
• Grant Number(s): G00-75-00370
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DIFFERENCES IN VALUES AMONG FOUR GROUPS OF POLICE AND CIVILIANS WHO EITHER HAVE OR HAVE NOT ATTENDED COLLEGE ARE EXPLORED.

Abstract

THE ROKEACH VALUE SURVEY WAS COMPLETED BY 182 STUDENTS (114 POLICE, 68 CIVILIANS) AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN NEW YORK, N.Y., AND BY 173 PERSONS (38 POLICE, 135 CIVILIANS) WHO HAD NOT ATTENDED COLLEGE. ALL SUBJECTS WERE MEN FROM AN URBAN POPULATION. THE MEAN AGE WAS 22 YEARS (26 FOR POLICE, 21 FOR CIVILIANS). MOST OF THE NONCOLLEGE GROUP OF CIVILIANS WERE MINORITY ETHNIC YOUTHS PARTICIPATING IN A MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT TRAINING PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE ACADEMY. THE ROKEACH SURVEY MEASURES THE IMPORTANCE OF 18 INSTRUMENTAL VALUES (E.G., AMBITIOUS, HONEST, LOGICAL) AND 18 TERMINAL VALUES (E.G., AN EXCITING LIFE, INNER HARMONY, SOCIAL RECOGNITION). PERSONAL VALUES WERE MORE IMPORTANT TO POLICE, AND SOCIAL VALUES WERE MORE IMPORTANT TO CIVILIANS. THE KEY VALUES OF EQUALITY, BROADMINDED, AND FORGIVING WERE LESS IMPORTANT TO POLICE THAN TO CIVILIANS. THERE WERE MORE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLEGE POLICE AND CIVILIANS THAN BETWEEN NONCOLLEGE POLICE AND CIVILIANS. THE ADDITIONAL DIFFERENCES INVOLVED A GREATER EMPHASIS ON INTERPERSONAL VALUES (HONEST, LOVING, RESPONSIBLE) FOR COLLEGE POLICE. IN CONTRAST TO CIVILIANS, FOR WHOM CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STUDENTS AND NONSTUDENTS WERE FOUND, THERE WERE FEW VALUE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POLICE STUDENTS AND NONSTUDENT OFFICERS. COLLEGE POLICE VALUED RESPONSIBLE MORE AND OBEDIENT AND AMBITIOUS LESS THAN NONCOLLEGE POLICE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE KINDS OF VALUES AFFECTED BY COLLEGE ORIENTATION AND EXPERIENCE ARE NOT THE PERSONAL AND SOCIAL VALUES MOST CENTRAL TO THE VALUE GAP BETWEEN POLICE AND CIVILIANS. IT IS FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT THE VALUE CONFLICT BETWEEN POLICE AND POLICED MAY BE AN EXTERNAL MANIFESTATION OF AN INTERNAL CONFLICT RESOLVED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADAPTIVE PERSONALITY DEFENSES THAT ARE REINFORCED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)