Study of Police Officers' Values and Their Attitudes Toward Homosexual Officers

• NCJ Number: 72120
• Author(s): J B Swerling
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 189 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. California School of Professional Psychology - doctoral dissertation

Annotation

This study examines the relationships between Los Angeles police officers' attitudes toward homosexual officers, their ratings of Rokeach values, and selected demographic factors.

Abstract

An extensive review of the literature on police personality traits and attitudes reveals that policemen have some typical psychological characteristics and that these characteristics are fostered to some extent by police roles and relationships. Specifically, the study was directed toward the assessment of police attitudes toward overt homosexual police officers as a social group and toward the investigation of the relationship of these attitudes to both instrumental and terminal values, as identified by the MacDonald modification of the Rokeach Value Survey. Instrumental values are listed as ambitious, clean, logical, obedient, polite, responsible, and self-controlled. Terminal values are listed as a comfortable life, national security, pleasure, salvation, self-respect, and social recognition. Independent variables in the study were demographic characteristics; dependent variables were responses to questions. Questionnaires were composed of two parts: (1) items on attitudes and values and (2) background information of respondents. The sample consisted of 643 police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (the sampling model is provided). Divisions were chosen for variability of felony crime, minority population, and homosexual population between divisions. Findings show that respondents had values that favored control and that they seemed to value universal, rather than particular, goals. While most attitude responses toward overt homosexual officers were highly negative, significant differences were observable between police divisions and by marital status, rank, and ethnic identification. Officers with the most extremely negative attitudes toward homosexual officers gave more importance to values of control than did officers with the least negative attitudes. Directions for further research are suggested. Tables, 150 references, and the survey instrument are appended.