NCJ Number
57873
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1979) Pages: 37-51
Date Published
1979
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A 20-ITEM SCALE THAT MEASURES POLICE CYNICISM ARE TESTED, AND REFINEMENTS OF THE SCALE ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
THE ORIGINAL SCALE, CALLED THE NEIDERHOFFER POLICE CYNICISM INDEX, WAS TESTED BY ITS DEVELOPER ON 220 NEW YORK CITY POLICE OFFICERS. THE RESPONSES OF 50 OFFICERS FROM A SMALL MIDWESTERN POLICE FORCE ARE USED TO ASSESS THE ORIGINAL SCALE, TO IDENTIFY AND REFINE SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS (FACTORS) OF POLICE CYNICISM, AND TO COMPARE THE PREDICTIVE UTILITY OF THE FACTORS AGAINST THAT OF THE ORIGINAL SCALE. THREE FACTORS, EACH MEASURING A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF POLICE CYNICISM (PERCEPTION OF THE PUBLIC, PROFESSIONALISM, ROLE CONFLICT) ARE DEVELOPED. THEIR INTERNAL CONSISTENCY, RELIABILITY, AND PREDICTIVE VALIDITY ARE ASSESSED AND COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE ORIGINAL SCALE. ALTHOUGH LESS RELIABLE THAN THE ORIGINAL SCALE, THE FACTORS ARE BETTER PREDICTORS AND OFFER GREATER CONCEPTUAL CLARITY IN STUDYING POLICE CYNICISM. THE ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWS THAT THE NUMBER OF ITEMS IN THE SCALE CAN BE REDUCED TO 13. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT, RATHER THAN REPRESENTING A ONE DIMINSIONAL CONSTRUCT AS HAS BEEN THOUGHT, POLICE CYNICISM IS MULTIDIMENSIONAL; I.E., POLICE OFFICERS CAN BE CYNICAL TOWARD ONE ASPECT OF THEIR OCCUPATION AND NOT OTHERS, OR TOWARD ANY COMBINATION OF ASPECTS SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE IMPLICATION IS THAT THE SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF THE CYNICAL POLICE OFFICER IS NO LONGER JUSTIFIABLE. RATHER, SPECIFIC TYPES OF CYNICISM SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS THEY RELATE TO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS. SUPPORTING DATA, A LIST OF REFERENCES, AND THE ORIGINAL, REVISED (SHORTENED), AND FACTORED SCALES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)