USING THE STRONG-CAMPBELL INTEREST INVENTORY IN POLICE SELECTION (FROM POLICE SELECTION AND EVALUATION, 1979, BY CHARLES D SPIELBERGER - SEE NCJ-59208)

• NCJ Number: 59217
• Author(s): R T FLINT
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Hemisphere Publishing Corp
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STRONG-CAMPBELL INTEREST INVENTORY AND HOW IT CAN BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT TESTS OF OF INTELLIEGNCE, ACADEMIC APTITUDE, AND PERSONALITY IN POLICE SELECTION IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

THE STRONG-CAMPBELL INTEREST INVENTORY (SCII) IS THE LATEST VERSION OF AN EMPIRICALLY DEVELOPED AND STANDARDIZED TEST WHICH HAS BEEN USED BY PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR MANY YEARS. ITS BASIC PREMISE IS THAT PEOPLE WHO SHARE SIMILAR LIKES AND DISLIKES ENJOY SIMILAR OCCUPATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND THAT A CANDIDATE'S INTEREST PATTERN SUGGESTS THE TYPES OF WORK IN WHICH THE INDIVIDUAL WILL BE MOTIVATED TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS. THE INVENTORY FRAMEWORK CONSISTS OF 23 SCALES OF BROAD FOCUSES AROUND WHICH PATTERNS OF DISTINCT BUT RELATED INTERESTS CLUSTER. THEY ARE CLEARLY LABELED FOR CONTENT, I.E., AGRICULTURE, ART, AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, AND RANGE IN LENGTH FROM 5 TO 24 ITEMS. THIRTY-DAY TEST AND RETEST CORRELATIONS SHOW A MEDIAN CORRELATION OF .88. THE POLICE OFFICER SCALE OF THE SCII WAS DEVELOPED IN 1969 USING A SAMPLE OF 196 MALE OFFICERS IN THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT; RESULTS WERE CROSS VALIDATED AGAINST VARIOUS OTHER SAMPLES. BOTH POLICE AND HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICERS SCORED HIGHEST ON THE REALISTIC, ENTERPRISING, AND SOCIAL THEMES. THESE DESCRIPTIONS CONTAIN MANY CONTRADICTORY ELEMENTS, YET SIMULTANEOUSLY DESCRIBE MANY ACTIVITIES IN WHICH POLICE OFFICERS ENGAGE. ONLY FIVE OF THE REMAINING 122 OCCUPATIONAL SCALES SHOW THE SAME INTEREST PATTERN CONFIGURATION. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE SCII CANNOT BE USED ALONE IN CANDIDATE ASSESSMENT, BUT CAN BE USED TO COMPLEMENT INTELLIGENCE TESTS, AND OTHER SUCH MEASURES BY ACCURATELY REFLECTING INTERESTS, ATTITUDES, AND WORLD VIEWS. IT IS DEMONSTRABLY FREE OF RACIAL BIAS, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POLICE OFFICER SCALE FOR WOMEN WILL CLEARLY INCREASE ITS VALUE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT DEVIATION FROM THE PATTERN OF THE AVERAGE POLICE OFFICER WILL NOT GUARANTEE FAILURE, NOR WILL A GOOD MATCH GUARANTEE SUCCESS. REFERENCES PROVIDED. (LWM)