RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND AUTHORITARIANISM IN POLICE RECRUITS BEFORE AND AFTER POLICE ACADEMY TRAINING

• NCJ Number: 42931
• Author(s): J WILSON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 119 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA-THESIS

Annotation

THIS PAPER STUDIES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND AUTHORITARIANISM IN POLICE RECRUITS.

Abstract

GIVEN THE METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS INHERENT IN ANY STUDY OF AUTHORITARIANISM WHICH HAVE BEEN CITED EARLIER IN THIS REPORT, THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSITION THAT HIGHER EDUCATION REDUCES THE LEVEL OF AUTHORITARIANISM IN INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDES. THE NEGATIVE DIRECTION OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND EACH OF THE THREE INDICES OF AUTHORITARIANISM CONSTRUCTED HERE REMAINED ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF TWENTY SOCIAL BACKGROUND CONTROL VARIABLES. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY SUGGEST, HOWEVER, THAT THE DEGREE OF REDUCTION IN AUTHORITARIANISM EFFECTED BY HIGHER EDUCATION MAY VARY FOR DIFFERENT SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF THE CONCEPT AS INDICATED BY THE DIFFERENCES IN THE STRENGTHS OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND THE THREE INDICES. IN ADDITION, THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT MANY SOCIAL BACKGROUND VARIABLES CAN AFFECT THE STRENGTH OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND AUTHORITARIANISM, AND SUGGEST THAT AN INDIVIDUAL VARIABLE MAY AFFECT SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS OF THE CONCEPT IN VARYING WAYS.