PREDICTING PERFORMANCE OF POLICE OFFICERS USING THE SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE

• NCJ Number: 57159
• Journal: American Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (1978) Pages: 63-70
• Author(s): J FABRICATORE; S AZEN; S SCHOENTGEN; H SNIBBE
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Contract Number(s): 72-DF-09-0005
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: V H Winston & Sons, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RELIABLE PREDICTORS OF SUCCESSFUL POLICE PERFORMANCE ARE IDENTIFIED ON THE BASIS OF PERSONALITY AS MEASURED BY THE SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTOR (16 PF) QUESTIONNAIRE.

Abstract

THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 333 YOUNG LOS ANGELES, CALIF., PATROLMEN RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM ALL 14 SHERIFF STATIONS DURING 1971 TO 1972. ONLY WHITE OFFICERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 39 WERE USED FOR THE PREDICTION ANALYSES TO ENSURE A HOMOGENEOUS SAMPLE WITH RESPECT TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTION VARIABLES. (STEN SCORES FROM THE 16 PF QUESTIONNAIRE WERE USED AS PREDICTOR VARIABLES). MULTIPLE AND CANONICAL CORRELATION ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED TO EVALUATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PREDICTORS AND CRITERIA. DISCRIMINATE ANALYSES AND CROSS-VALIDATION REINFORCED POPULAR CONCEPTIONS OF THE POLICE PERSONALITY. LIKE MEDIA PORTRAYALS, SUPERIOR OFFICERS WERE SEEN TO BE AGGRESSIVE, TOUGH-MINDED, CONSCIENTIOUS AND INCORRUPTIBLE, LOW KEYED AND CAUTIOUS. OCCUPATIONALLY, HIGHER DOMINANCE SCORES WERE ACHIEVED BY ATHLETES, RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, AND AIRMEN. IN ADDITION, FACTORS OF AGGRESSIVENESS AND TOUGH-MINDEDNESS WERE CONSISTENT PREDICTORS OF SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE. THESE RESULTS SUPPORT SUGGESTIONS OF THE HOMOGENEITY OF THE POLICE PERSONALITY AND ENCOURAGE THE INCLUSION OF THE 16 PF IN SUCH ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES AS BIODATA, GROUP PERFORMANCE, ROLEPLAYING SITUATIONS, AND BEHAVIORAL SAMPLING. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ACCOMPANY THE ARTICLE. (MJW)