NCJ Number
58824
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 201-206
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES FROM 260 POLICE OFFICERS IN 3 MEDIUM-SIZE DEPARTMENTS SHOWED THAT A SENSE OF CALLING TO THE PROFESSION AND A BELIEF IN AUTONOMY REDUCED FEELINGS OF CYNICISM.
Abstract
THE STUDY SURVEYED OFFICERS FROM POLICE DEPARTMENTS OPERATING IN WASHINGTON STATE COMMUNITIES RANGING IN POPULATION FROM 100,000 TO 500,000; THE COMBINED RESPONSE RATE WAS 76 PERCENT WITH NO LESS THAN A 70 PERCENT RESPONSE RATE FROM ANY 1 DEPARTMENT. RESPONSE DATA WERE SUBJECTED TO HALL'S PROFESSIONALIZATION, 25-ITEM LIKERT SCALE AND REGOLI'S 17-ITEM LIKERT SCALE TO MEASURE CYNICISM. DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THREE OF THE FIVE PROFESSIONAL SUBSCALES EXAMINED SHOWED SIGNIGFICANT INVERSE RELATIONSHIP WITH CYNICISM TOWARD THE PUBLIC. THE GREATER THE BELIEF IN AUTONOMY, THE GREATER THE BELIEF IN PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THE GREATER THE IDENTIFICATION WITH THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION, THE LESS THE CYNICISM. BELIEF IN AUTONOMY EXERTED THE GREATEST DIRECT EFFECT AND EXPLAINED 12 PERCENT OF THE VARIANCE. A SENSE OF CALLING TO THE FIELD RANKED AS THE MOST IMPORTANT PREDICTOR, EXPLAINING 16 PERCENT OF THE VARIANCE. A COMPARISON OF BETA COEFFICIENTS SHOWS THAT BELIEF IN AUTONOMY AND BELIEF IN SELF-REGULATION EXERT THE STRONGEST EFFECTS. FOUR OF THE PROFESSIONALISM SUBSCALES WERE RELATED TO REDUCED CYNICISM TOWARD POLICE SOLIDARITY WHILE NONE HAD ANY MEASURABLE EFFECT ON CYNICISM ABOUT EDUCATION AND TRAINING. A TABLE DETAILS THE STUDY DATA AND REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)