Lecture 2: Police Selection and Police Stress Flashcards
assessment centre
A location where police applicants are tests using situational tests (i.e., simulations of real world policing tasks). Multiple observers assess the applicant’s behaviour
cognitive ability tests
A selection instrument used by the police whereby an individual is assessed for memory, logic, observation, comprehension, etc.
IPI
The Inwald Personality Inventory is a personality test used to assess specific personality traits and behaviours that are related to law enforcement.
job analysis
- A process whereby the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that make a good police officer are defined.
- This can be done formally (using surveys or observational methods) or informally (by asking)
MMPI
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is a personality test used to assess psychopathology.
performance measure
A measure of police performance, which could include supervisor ratings, commendations, complaints, punctuality, academy success, etc.
personality tests
A selection instrument used by the police whereby an individual is assessed for various personality traits (e.g., honesty).
police selection
- The process by which police agencies select police officers from a pool of applicants.
- Applicants are assessed for physical fitness, cognitive abilities, personality, and job-related activities
predictive validity
in the context of police selection this refers to the extent to which a measure of KSAs predicts future police performance.
range restriction
A problem that arises when attempting to validate a police selection instrument, which occurs because of the screening of unqualified applicants as a result of the selection instrument being validated.
selection interview
A selection instrument used by the police whereby an applicant is asked a series of semi-structured questions that are intended to assess whether they possess particular KSAs.
acute stressor
A short-term intense stressor
adaptive coping strategies
Coping strategies that allow an individual to effectively cope when encountered with a stressor.
chronic stressor
A long-term but often less intense stressor (compared to an acute stressor).
Selye’s three stage model
A model of stress that consists of three stages: (1) Alarm - consisting of intense arousal resulting in the body mobilizing for fight or flight, (2) Resistance - consisting of an attempt by the body to adapt and stabilize, and (3) Exhaustion - consisting of physical exhaustion and illness due to the body not being able to cope with demands.
stress
The automatic state that results when the body must make changes in order to adapt to demand.
stressor
Events that people encounter that they perceive as harmful, threatening, or challenging. In the policing context stressors fall into one of four categories: (1) occupational stressors, (2) organizational stressors, (3) criminal justice stressors, or (4) public stressors.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
A law dealing with the relationship between stress and performance. According to this law, too little stress or too much stress decreases one’s ability to perform (some moderate level of stress is optimal).
how is police selection done?
- Either by screening out those with undesirable qualities or selecting in those with desirable qualities
- Screening out is more common because it’s easier
police selection vs. recruitment
police selection is not the same thing as police recruitment, which involves developing the largest pool of applicants possible
history of police selection
- 1917: Terman uses IQ tests to select officers in California (minimum score of 80 is recommended)
- 1922: Thurstone uses IQ tests to select police officers in Detroit (police officers are unintelligent)
- 1950: Humm and Humm use psychological tests to select police officers in Los Angeles with reasonable degree of accuracy
- 1960s-70s: Psychological and psychiatric screening procedures standard in many agencies
- Today: background checks, medical exams, physical fitness tests, selections interviews, cognitive ability tests; personality assessments, etc.
police selection in Canada
- There are some Provincial and Territorial differences
- All agencies conduct background checks and require medical exams
- Most use cognitive ability tests and personality tests
- Some have applicants take a polygraph, but others don’t
- Many agencies view a multi-hurdle approach (you must pass each level to continue on in the process)
two stages of police selection
job analysis & construction and validation
issues with job analysis
- Stability of KSAs over time
- Different KSAs for different jobs
- Agreement on KSAs
key KSAs for police work
include honesty, reliability, sensitivity, communication skills, motivation, problem solving skills, teamwork
construction and validation
Develop an instrument to measure these qualities and ensure these qualities are related to performance (predictive validity)