NCJ Number
27206
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (MARCH 1975) Pages: 37-54
Date Published
1975
Length
18 pages
Annotation
REPORT OF A STUDY TO IDENTIFY PARTICULAR FEATURES OF POLICE BEHAVIOR WHICH ARE DIFFERENTIALLY PERCEIVED BY THE POLICE AND THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE AND TO RE-EXAMINE THE POLICE PERSONALITY.
Abstract
ATTITUDE AND OPINION SCALES WERE ADMINISTERED TO 53 POLICE OFFICERS AND 202 RESIDENTS FROM SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES EAST OF LOS ANGELES. SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALES CONSISTING OF 12 PAIRS OF BIPOLAR ADJECTIVES WERE DESIGNED TO ASSESS THREE DIMENSIONS OF SUBJECTIVE MEANING (ACTIVITY, POTENCY, AND EVALUATION) EMBEDDED IN THE CONCEPTS OF THE 'TYPICAL' AND 'IDEAL' POLICEMEN. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT POLICE RATED THE TYPICAL POLICEMAN MORE POSITIVELY ON BOTH THE EVALUATION AND ACTIVITY SCALES THAN DID ANY OF THE THREE ETHNIC GROUPS FROM THE COMMUNITIES SURVEYED.