NCJ Number
160619
Journal
Journal of Clinical Psychology Volume: 51 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1995) Pages: 536-540
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study reports the results of the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) collected over 4 years in the assessment of police officer candidates who were applying for positions in small and medium-sized towns.
Abstract
There were 61 white male applicants, 12 white female applicants, and 11 minority male applicants. The minority male group included five Hispanics, four African-Americans, and two Asian-Americans. The candidates were required to complete only the first 370 items, because these yield the L, F, K, and the 10 clinical scales on the MMPI-2 required for the screening process. The results of this study show that on the MMPI-2, both white and minority male and white female police officer applicants gave defensive profiles and presented themselves as psychologically healthy individuals who are comfortable with people, free of worry, and self-confident. White male applicants presented themselves as having stereotypical male interests and attitudes. The white female group high scale 5 score suggests that they rejected traditional feminine roles and stereotypical behaviors in so far as they are measured by the MMPI. The overall MMPI-2 profiles of white and minority male police officer candidates were basically similar. Although the small minority sample size of 11 cautions against any generalizations, the similar MMPI-2 profile of the white and minority male groups is consistent with the MMPI literature. The study concludes that psychologists involved in screening job applicants with the MMPI-2 require additional normative data, especially for female and minority police officer candidates, to ensure fairness in the employment decision process. 1 table and 13 references