UNIT #2 - Police psychology

Question 1

Assessment centre

Answer 1

A facility in which the behaviour of police applicants can be observed in a number of situations by multiple observers

Question 2

Cognitive ability tests

Answer 2

Procedure for measuring verbal, mathematical, memory, and reasoning abilities.

Question 3

Inwald personality inventory

Answer 3

Assessment instrument used to identify police applicants who are suitable for police work by measuring the personality attributes and behaviour patterns

Question 4

Job analysis

Answer 4

A procedure for identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities that make a good police officer

Question 5

Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory

Answer 5

Assessment instrument for identifying people with psychopathological problems

Question 6

Occupational stressors

Answer 6

In policing, stressors relating to the job itself

Question 7

Organizational stressors

Answer 7

In policing, stressors relating to organizational issues

Question 8

Police discretion

Answer 8

The freedom that a police officer often has for deciding what should be done in any given situation

Question 9

Police selection procedures

Answer 9

A set of procedures used by the police to either screen out undesirable candidates or select in desirable candidates

Question 10

Psychological debriefing

Answer 10

A psychologically-oriented intervention delivered to police officers following exposure to an event that resulted in psychological distress and an impairment of normal functioning

Question 11

Selection interview

Answer 11

In recruiting police officers, an interview used by the police to determine the extent to which an applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities deemed important for the job

Question 12

Situational test

Answer 12

A simulation of a real-world policing task

Question 13

Use-of-force-continuum

Answer 13

A model that is supposed to guide police officer decision making and use-of-force situations by indicating what level of force is appropriate given the suspect’s behaviour and other environmental conditions

Question 14

When (in what era) did psychologists become involved in police selection procedures?

Answer 14

Early 20th century

Question 15

Differentiate selecting in from screening out procedures in job selection

Answer 15

In selecting in selection interviews and cognitive ability tests are used. With the main goal to determine the extent to which the applicant possesses the knowledge, skill, and abilities that have been deemed important.

In screening out a series of psychological tests and personality tests are used to identify police applicants who are suitable for police work by measuring the personality attributes and behaviour patterns.

Question 16

Describe the challenges in measuring job performance for police officers

              (4)

Answer 16

(1) The knowledge, skills, and abilities of a good officer may not be stable overtime.
(2) KSAs make it difficult to determine what the selection procedure should actually be testing for.
(3) individuals may disagree over What KSAs are important.
(4) different types of officers/policing jobs, will likely be characterized by different KSAs.

Question 17

Define the nature, format, and goals of an interview for police selection

(3)

Answer 17

(1) interviewer has a preset list of questions that are asked of each applicant.
(2) This ensures a more objective basis for comparing applicants.
(3) main goal is to determine the extent to which the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills, abilities deemed important by job analysis.

Question 18

What types of psychological tests are used for police election? How useful are they?

Answer 18

(1) personality tests: Inwald personality inventory, - measures if suitable for police work and their personality attributes and behaviour patterns
- Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory: attempts to identify five psychopathological problems.

(2) possessed little power in predicting academy performance or on-the-job behaviour.

Question 19

What policing skills to situational assessment try to evaluate. Give examples.

Answer 19

1) Organizing, prioritizing, how they deal with stressful situations, self-control, decision-making, communication skills, team player
2) assessment centres where behaviour of police applicants can be observed in a number of situations by multiple observers and situational tests which simulate real life scenarios.

Question 20

Define police discretion. Give examples.

Answer 20

1) The power police officers have to decide which laws apply to a given situation and whether to apply them.
2) whether or not to charge someone with a criminal offence or, give them a warning.
3) what area should be patrolled
4) The level of force required

Question 21

Give five reasons why police discretion is necessary.

Answer 21

1) you cannot enforce all laws all of the time the officer would never be on the road and instead would be in the police station or in court all the time.
2) legislatures pass vague laws it is necessary for police to interpret their meeting and apply them.
3) most violations are minor-they do not require full enforcement the law.
4) Full enforcement of the law all the time would alienate the public and undermine support for the police.
5) Full enforcement of the law all the time would overwhelm the criminal justice system and prisons.

Question 22

What options do police have for dealing with a mentally disordered offender? Why is it so difficult to determine an appropriate action?

                  (4)

Answer 22

1) can transport to psychiatric facility, resolve informally, or arrest and take to jail.
2) sometimes, emergency hospitalization is barred for example if you’re dealing with a dangerous offender.
3) sometimes, police are forced to take actions that are not in the mental health offender’s best interests.
4) And mental health individuals become criminalized.

Question 23

What laws govern “use of force” by police?

Answer 23

Section 25 of the Canadian criminal code

Question 24

What is the use of force continuum?

3

Answer 24

1) Use level of force that is one step higher than that used by suspect resisting the officer.
2) encourage officers to use only what force is necessary to adequately deal with the situation.
3) Indirectly control force by ensuring officers carefully assess/evaluate potential use-of-force situations when deciding what action to take.

Question 25

Name and describe four sources of police stress

4

Answer 25

1) Organizational stressors
- Relating to organizational issues such as lack of career development, Little room for advancement regardless of job performance, excessive paperwork
2) occupational stressors
- Relating to the job itself such as your regular work schedule and shiftwork disruptive to personal lives, Constantly exposed to human suffering & Exposed to inequities and brutalities of life
3) public stressors
- Distorted press accounts, and ineffectiveness of referral agencies such as child social services
4) Criminal justice stressors
- Ineffectiveness of correction system, recidivism rate of criminals on street rather than being incarcerated

Question 26

Describe the consequences of police stress

Answer 26

Psychological and personal problems, PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse, marital problems, suicide, health problems such as Diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, Weight gain

Question 27

What are some useful methods of managing probably stress?

Answer 27

1) Psychological debriefings: psychologically oriented intervention delivered to officers following exposure to an event that resulted in psychological distress and an impairment of normal functioning.
2) preventative strategies such as adaptive coping strategies in teaching officers to communicate more effectively.