NCJ Number
104536
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1986) Pages: 184-193
Date Published
1986
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Police motivational dispositions were studied by administering the Motivational Analysis Test to 3,027 police officials.
Abstract
The model profile obtained indicates that these personnel as a group were characterized by high levels of immature motives which did not orient them towards academic or career achievement. Instead, the model motivational predisposition is one which would orient individuals towards short term gains and impulsive sorts of activities. Very importantly, however, differences between older and younger officers were discovered: the older officers were characterized by increasingly mature types of motivational dispositions which do orient individuals towards professional accomplishment, self-esteem, and regulation of impulses. The major implication of the research is that rigid, controlling types of management styles (the 'military model') may have some adaptive significance for controlling abuse among young officers, but these very same administrative structures are ill-suited to managing mature officers who, because of personal developmental progress, inevitably come into disharmony with such systems. (Publisher abstract)