NCJ Number
54383
Date Published
1977
Length
156 pages
Annotation
CORRELATIONS BETWEEN JOB PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN SCREENING TEST SCORE, ORAL INTERVIEW RATING, ACADEMY GRADES, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST SCORE ARE EXPLORED IN A STUDY OF 40 POLICE OFFICERS IN ALBUQUERQUE, N. MEX.
Abstract
THE STUDY SUBJECTS WERE 38 MALES AND 2 FEMALES, AGED 21 TO 34, WHO GRADUATED FROM THE POLICE ACADEMY IN APRIL 1973 AND HAD BEEN ON THE JOB FOR 22 MONTHS AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY. SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS WERE FOUND BETWEEN WRITTEN EXAM SCORES AND FINAL ACADEMY GRADES, BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL (MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY) RATINGS AND JOB PERFORMANCE RATINGS, AND BETWEEN ORAL INTERVIEW RATINGS AND JOB PERFORMANCE. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN JOB PERFORMANCE AND EITHER WRITTEN TEST SCORES OR ACADEMY GRADES. THE WRITTEN EXAM ACCOUNTED FOR 72 PERCENT OF THE PREDICTION OF CANDIDATE SUCCESS IN ACADEMY COURSEWORK. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS ACCOUNTED FOR 14 PERCENT AND INTERVIEW RATINGS FOR 19 PERCENT OF THE PREDICTION OF JOB PERFORMANCE SUCCESS. STUDY SUBJECTS CITED INTELLIGENCE AND JUDGMENT AMONG CHARACTERISTICS IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS IN POLICE TRAINING. EMOTIONAL STABILITY, SELF-EXPRESSION, HONESTY, JUDGMENT, AND GOOD HEALTH WERE FREQUENTLY MENTIONED AS IMPORTANT FACTORS IN JOB PERFORMANCE. THE SUBJECTS FELT THAT HONESTY, JUDGMENT, CONFIDENCE, GOOD APPEARANCE, AND SELF-EXPRESSION WERE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO SUCCESS IN ORAL INTERVIEWS. THE POSSIBILITY OF USING A BATTERY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS RATHER THAN THE PERSONALITY INVENTORY ALONE IS RAISED. SUGGESTIONS FOR MAKING THE ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROCEDURE MORE OBJECTIVE ARE SUGGESTED FOOTNOTES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)