PREDICTION OF POLICE ACADEMY PERFORMANCE AND ON-THE-JOB PERFORMANCE FROM POLICE RECRUIT SCREENING MEASURES

• NCJ Number: 54382
• Author(s): F D BERTRAM
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 150 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THE ABILITY OF SCREENING MEASURES (WRITTEN TEST, PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST, ORAL INTERVIEW) TO PREDICT PERFORMANCE IN POLICE ACADEMY TRAINING AND ON THE JOB IS ASSESSED IN A STUDY OF POLICE RECRUITS IN MASSACHUSETTS.

Abstract

STUDY SUBJECTS WERE 532 APPLICANTS, OF WHOM 51 ENTERED THE POLICE ACADEMY AND EVENTUALLY BECAME PATROL OFFICERS. CORRELATIONS WERE SOUGHT BETWEEN SCORES ON WRITTEN, ORAL, AND PHYSICAL SCREENING TESTS AND MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE IN THE ACADEMY (BASED ON 10 FIELD TRAINING RATINGS) AND ON THE JOB (BASED ON 8 MONTHLY RATINGS BY SUPERVISORS). THE WRITTEN TEST PREDICTED ON-THE-JOB PERFORMANCE. ALTHOUGH THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT CERTAIN ITEMS IN THE TEST NEED TO BE MODIFIED OR REMOVED, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE TEST MEETS EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS AND SHOULD BE RETAINED. PHYSICAL AGILITY TEST SCORES SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL CORRELATIONS WITH SEVERAL MEASURES OF ACADEMY PERFORMANCE, BUT IN ALL CASES THE CORRELATIONS WERE NEGATIVE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE AGILITY TEST SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED AS A SCREENING DEVICE. THE ORAL INTERVIEW DEMONSTRATED MINIMAL CORRELATION WITH PERFORMANCE MEASURES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE INTERVIEW BE RETAINED AS A MEANS OF ESTABLISHING PERSONAL CONTACT BETWEEN APPLICANTS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION BUT DISCONTINUED AS A MEANS OF RANKING APPLICANTS ON THE ELIGIBILITY LIST. THE MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA ARE CONCLUDED TO OFFER A USEFUL APPROACH TO ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SELECTION PROCEDURES AND PERFORMANCE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)