NCJ Number
91070
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1983) Pages: 358-362
Date Published
1983
Length
5 pages
Annotation
These research findings suggest that measuring the moral development of police applicants is helpful in determining whether an applicant is likely to have long-range law enforcement career goals and the style of policing likely to be pursued.
Abstract
Kohlberg has formulated six culturally universal stages of moral development: the premoral stage, the preconventional level, the conventional level, and the autonomous or principled level. This study measured the moral development levels of two populations of police officers. One group (n=24) consisted of recruits 23-26 years-old who had been in service with the Salt Lake City Police Department for 3-8 months. The second population (n=48) was from the Utah State Basic Police Academy for basic police certification. The age and service ranges for this group were broader than those of the other group. The Defining Issues Test, which consists of six short stories posing moral dilemmas to be addressed by the respondents, was administered to all subjects during a class period. Ninety-two percent of the first group and 78 percent of the second group were found to be at Kohlberg's stage 4 of moral development; this involves orientation toward authority, fixed rules, and the maintenance of the social order. The career goals of the stage-4 officers were oriented toward being 'good' officers. Subjects found to be in stages 5 and 6, which involves a more flexible, relativistic, and individualistic posture toward moral decisionmaking had career goals of police administration or attorney. Implications of these findings for job satisfaction, job success, and job training for police officers are briefly examined. Eleven references are provided.