Using Multiple Sources of Information When Conducting Mandatory or Required Police Psychological Evaluations (From Personality Assessment in Police Psychology: A 21st Century Perspective, P 347-361, 2010, Peter A. Weiss, ed. - see NCJ-231933)

• NCJ Number: 231948
• Author(s): Eric Ostrov
• Date Published: 2010
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter from the book Personality Assessment in Police Psychology, discusses the need for using multiple sources of information when conducting police psychological evaluations.

Abstract

This chapter points out the need for using multiple sources of information when conducting mandatory police psychological evaluations to reach correct and defensible conclusions when conducting the evaluations. Several problems unique to required psychological assessments of police officers are examined. These problems include making inferences from accepted fact; the evaluator having difficulty in determining what caused the patient's problems. The evaluator having to decide between rival versions of what occurred; problems with the use of standard psychological tests that were not developed for the specific purpose of evaluating police officers for fitness, for duty, or for promotion; and the lack of a clear position on the part of the department requesting the evaluation. The author offers solutions to these challenges faced by police psychologists, and provides detailed examples highlighting the problems. References