NCJ Number
57640
Date Published
1977
Length
22 pages
Annotation
THE FEASIBILITY OF USING PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS IN THE SELECTION OF U.S. ARMY MILITARY POLICE IS ASSESSED.
Abstract
THERE IS GOOD EVIDENCE THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS CAN MEASURE HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN WORK SITUATIONS, INCLUDING POLICING. HOWEVER, IT IS PREMATURE TO DECIDE WHETHER THESE TESTS CAN BE USED TO SELECT MILITARY POLICE (MP'S). FIRST THE JOBS PERFORMED BY MP'S MUST BE IDENTIFIED AND ANALYZED TO DETERMINE WHAT BASIC ABILITIES AND SKILLS ARE REQUIRED, WHAT CHARACTERISTICS ARE RELATED TO THOSE ABILITIES AND SKILLS, AND WHETHER THE CHARACTERISTICS ARE OF A PERMANENT OR MODIFIABLE NATURE (I.E., WHETHER AN UNDESIRABLE TRAIT MIGHT BE CHANGED THROUGH TRAINING OR COUNSELING). ONCE THE JOB ANALYSIS IS COMPLETE, EXISTING SELECTION CRITERIA SHOULD BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ACCOMPLISH THEIR OBJECTIVES. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AVAILABLE FOR POLICE SCREENING, PARTICULARLY THE SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE, SHOULD BE EVALUATED CAREFULLY, WITH ATTENTION TO THE COST-EFFICIENCY OF EACH TEST IN COMPARISON TO THAT OF THE EXISTING SELECTION SYSTEM. THERE IS ALSO A NEED FOR THE ARMY TO ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR MP'S. A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF EXISTING SCREENING CRITERIA FOR ARMY MP'S WHICH INDICATES THAT THE CRITERIA MAY NOT BE AS DISCRIMINATING AS THEY WERE DESIGNED TO BE, A REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS THAT HAVE BEEN USED BY CIVILIAN POLICE FORCES, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)