NCJ Number
59222
Date Published
1979
Length
21 pages
Annotation
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A FLEXIBLE BATTERY OF ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES FOR NATIONWIDE USE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AS DONE BY THE FLORIDA POLICE STANDARDS RESEARCH PROJECT IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
IN 1973 THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE REQUESTED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE FLORIDA POLICE STANDARDS BOARD IN DEVELOPING PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING PROCEDURES FOR THE SELECTION OF WELL-QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. THE FIRST THREE PHASES OF THE FOUR-PHASE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. PHASE I WAS CONCERNED WITH A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH ON POLICE SELECTION MEASURES, AND INCLUDED AN EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH. DURING PHASE II, SELECTION AND REFINEMENT OF THE CRITERION MEASURES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEST BATTERY WAS COMPLETED. PHASE III INVOLVED TESTING OF THE METHODS AT SELECTED POLICE ACADEMIES. PHASE IV, CROSSVALIDATION, IS IN PROGRESS. AFTER SELECTION PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES WERE EVALUATED IN PHASE I, PHASE II ACTIVITIES CENTERED ON TEST BATTERY DEVELOPMENT, USING TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES OF PREDICTOR VARIABLES, PHYSICAL, BIOGRAPHICAL, AND DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT CATEGORY WAS FURTHER DIVIDED TO INCLUDE INTELLECTUAL ABILITY AND APTITUDE, VALUES, ATTITUDES, AND INTERESTS, AND PERSONALITY AND MOTIVATION. THE TEST BATTERY WAS USED TO TEST 317 RECRUITS AT SEVEN FLORIDA POLICE ACADEMIES DURING PHASE III. APPROXIMATELY NINE MONTHS AFTER GRADUATION FROM THE POLICE ACADEMY, INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF EACH OFFICER WAS OBTAINED. TWO-HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE OFFICERS WERE CONSIDERED SUCCESSES, THIRTY-THREE FAILURES; THE FIFTY-ONE GRADUATES WHO COMPLETED TRAINING BUT WHO WERE NOT HIRED WERE NOT CONSIDERED FURTHER. SUCCESSES AND FAILURES WERE THEN COMPARED TO DETERMINE THE PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF EACH PREDICTOR MEASURE FOR SCREENING OUT POTENTIAL FAILURES. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT FOUR BIODATA ITEMS DISCRIMINATED BETWEEN CAUCASIAN MALE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES. SUCCESSES WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE PARTICIPATED IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS, MOVED LESS FREQUENTLY, NEEDED LESS JOB ENCOURAGEMENT, AND HAD HIGHER VALUES FOR ACHIEVEMENT AND SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION. SUCCESSFUL FEMALES DIFFERED FROM THIS PATTERN ONLY ON TWO ITEMS. SEVERAL PERSONALITY VARIABLES SIGNIFICANTLY DISCRIMINATED BETWEEN SUCCESSES AND FAILURES, INCLUDING INTELLECTUAL EFFICIENCY, SOCIABILITY, AND DOMINANCE. IT IS CAUTIONED THAT FINAL CONCLUSIONS MUST AWAIT FURTHER CROSSVALIDATION STUDIES WITH A LARGE NEW SAMPLE. REFERENCES, TABULAR DATA, AND FOOTNOTES PROVIDED. (LWM)