NCJ Number
52861
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 452-461
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY EVALUATES THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES OF PRESERVICE LAW ENFORCEMENT STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE POLICE ROLE AND THE DEGREE OF AUTHORITARIANISM FOUND IN STUDENT INTERNS.
Abstract
STUDY DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM 48 RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRES SENT TO SOPHOMORE-LEVEL LAW ENFORCEMENT STUDENTS AT A NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE QUESTIONNAIRE ASKED QUESTIONS ON ROLE KNOWLEDGE, AUTHORITARIANISM, AND ITEMS PERTAINING TO THE RESPONDENTS' BACKGROUNDS. THE RESPONDENTS WERE THEN RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN EXPERIMENTAL AND A CONTROL GROUP, AND THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERN PROGRAM. IN ORDER TO MEASURE ROLE PERCEPTION, THE PROJECT STAR ROLE EXPECTATION QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE PROGRAM'S CONCLUSION TO BOTH GROUPS, AND THE RESPONSES WERE ARRANGED ON A LIKERT SCALE. THE F-SCALE, DEVELOPED BY ROKEACH, WAS USED TO ASSESS DOGMATISM-AUTHORITARIANISM. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERN PROGRAM CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THEIR POLICE ROLE PERCEPTIONS AND THAT THEIR ROLE PERCEPTIONS WERE MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED TO THOSE OF THE NATIONAL NORM THAN THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE CONTROL GROUP. IT WAS ALSO INDICATED THAT STUDENT INTERNS WOULD CHANGE IN THEIR DEGREE OF DOGMATISM-AUTHORITARIANISM AFTER COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. THE INTERN PROGRAM IS APPARENTLY VALUABLE AND PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH A CHANCE TO OBTAIN A REALISTIC PERCEPTION OF POLICE WORK AND ITS HARMFUL EFFECTS (E.G., ALIENATION) BEFORE MAKING FINAL CAREER CHOICES. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES, BUT NOT THE STUDY INSTRUMENTS, ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)