NCJ Number
73657
Journal
Journal of Occupational Psychology Volume: 50 Issue: 1 Dated: (1977) Pages: 15-22
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This British study measured students' attitudes toward the police and their tendency to manipulate and exploit others. Findings correlate negative attitudes toward the police with manipulative and exploitive personalities.
Abstract
The subjects, 63 male and 16 female students at a British University, were given a questionnaire assessing their beliefs about police job motivation, personality, frequency of abuse of power, and the morality of police power abuse in certain circumstances. In addition, the subjects were administered a Machiavellian scale assessing their degree of exploitiveness and manipulativeness. Although many of the students believed the police are motivated by a desire for power and a desire to manipulate others, ('high Machs') attributed the worst motives to the police. Moreover, although most respondents also regarded the police as more aggressive and authoritarian but also more honest than normal, high Mach scores correlated with aggression only. Although the students generally believed that frequency of police power abuse varies with the circumstances, high Machs were more likely to believe that police abused their power when dealing with people suspected of serious crimes. High Machs also tended to view police abuse of power less harshly than most students. Tabular data and seven references are included.