MEASUREMENT AND PREDICTION OF POLICE JOB STRESS

• NCJ Number: 65725
• Author(s): R A LAWRENCE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 249 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SPECIAL PRICES FOR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXAMINED PROBLEMS IN MEASURING PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH POLICE WORK AND VARIABLES RELATED TO STRESS. PARTICIPANTS WERE FROM THREE TEXAS POLICE DEPARTMENTS.

Abstract

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN MANY OCCUPATIONS. CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED ON CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF STRESS AND ON MEANS OF TREATING OCCUPATIONAL STRESS. RESEARCH ON POLICE JOB STRESS HAS NOT BEEN AS EXTENSIVE AS THAT IN OTHER OCCUPATIONS, AND AVAILABLE RESEARCH LACKS CAREFULLY-CONTROLLED EMPIRICAL RESEARCH METHODS. IN THIS STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS, IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT POLICE OFFICERS EXPERIENCE STRESS OWING TO COURT APPEARANCES AND JUDICIAL DECISIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES, INADEQUATE OR FAULTY EQUIPMENT, AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS. A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE JOB STRESS AND PERSONALITY VARIABLES WAS ALSO ASSUMED. THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 104 POLICE OFFICERS FROM THREE METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN TEXAS. SUBJECTS WERE ADMINISTERED A POLICE STRESS INVENTORY, DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE STUDY, AND THE 16-PERSONALITY FACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE. STUDY RESULTS SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESES. POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDED THE FOUR JOB STRESSORS AS BOTHERSOME TO THEM. CANONICAL CORRELATION ANALYSIS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT LINEAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE JOB STRESS AND SEVERAL PERSONALITY FACTORS, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO PREDICT THE EXTENT TO WHICH POLICE OFFICERS ARE LIKELY TO RESPOND TO JOB STRESS BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS. STUDY FINDINGS CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO ELIMINATE CAUSES OF STRESS, TO IDENTIFY POLICE DEPARTMENT APPLICANTS WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE BOTHERED BY JOB STRESS, TO SELECT APPROPRIATE POLICE CANDIDATES, AND TO IDENTIFY EXPERIENCED OFFICERS WHO NEED STRESS TRAINING. FURTHER RESEARCH IS RECOMMENDED ON FACTORS THAT EXPLAIN POLICE JOB STRESS, EFFECTS OF ELIMINATING OR AT LEAST DIMINISHING CAUSES OF POLICE STRESS, AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT AND TRAINING METHODS USED TO HELP POLICE OFFICERS COPE WITH STRESS. SUPPORTING DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. THE STUDY INSTRUMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DEP)