NCJ Number
200412
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2003 Pages: 38-44
Date Published
2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article examined a cohort of potential police recruits with Hispanic surnames to determine the outcomes of their scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) administered as part of the application process.
Abstract
The study explored the MMPI profiles of police applicants in South Texas. Of interest were the factors that correlated with the passing or failing of the psychological component of the application process by a cohort that included individuals with Hispanic surnames. The study analyzed 319 cases processed from 1985 through 1999 (15 years). A comparison of the scores of those who passed and those who failed found that both groups' mean T values were within the acceptable ranges on four of the six scales (D, Pd, Pa, and Sc), although the failed group's means were higher on the Pd, Pa, and Sc scales. Differences between the pass and fail groups were found on the L and K scales. Reasons for this difference were difficult to assess without greater knowledge of the individuals involved or the results of the other tools used by the attending psychologists. The study found that individuals with Hispanic surnames tended to score similarly to non-Hispanics, a finding of previous studies on ethnicity of police applicants. Because the sample was from one geographic area, however, and because all candidates were from one of two law enforcement agencies in the area, the authors caution against any generalization of these findings to all Hispanics. Additional research with a larger, more diverse Hispanic sample is recommended. 1 table and 31 references