NCJ Number
141149
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 56 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1992) Pages: 29-35
Date Published
1992
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Two hundred and six probation officers attending training programs in one State completed Form G of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in a research study conducted in 1991 to determine the personality characteristics of probation officers.
Abstract
The participants ranged from 22 to 74 years old and included 52.7 percent males, 66.3 percent whites, 23.9 percent Hispanic, and 6.8 percent blacks. They had 0 to 22 years of probation experience, with an average of 3.01 years. Ninety-two percent were involved in primary service delivery. Results revealed that the probation officers were split almost evenly on Extroversion and Introversion preferences, but had distinct trends in the other three groupings. Thus, the majority of those studied were Sensing, Thinking, and Judging, while few were classified in the Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceptive preference groupings. Although findings can aid both administrators and employees in understanding why different workers excel at different tasks, the personality characteristics indicated by this instrument should not be used to determine suitability for employment in probation-related work. Further research is recommended. Tables, notes, and 17 references