UNIT #2 - Police psychology Flashcards
Assessment centre
A facility in which the behaviour of police applicants can be observed in a number of situations by multiple observers
Cognitive ability tests
Procedure for measuring verbal, mathematical, memory, and reasoning abilities.
Inwald personality inventory
Assessment instrument used to identify police applicants who are suitable for police work by measuring the personality attributes and behaviour patterns
Job analysis
A procedure for identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities that make a good police officer
Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory
Assessment instrument for identifying people with psychopathological problems
Occupational stressors
In policing, stressors relating to the job itself
Organizational stressors
In policing, stressors relating to organizational issues
Police discretion
The freedom that a police officer often has for deciding what should be done in any given situation
Police selection procedures
A set of procedures used by the police to either screen out undesirable candidates or select in desirable candidates
Psychological debriefing
A psychologically-oriented intervention delivered to police officers following exposure to an event that resulted in psychological distress and an impairment of normal functioning
Selection interview
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
Situational test
A simulation of a real-world policing task
Use-of-force-continuum
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
When (in what era) did psychologists become involved in police selection procedures?
Early 20th century
Differentiate selecting in from screening out procedures in job selection
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.
Describe the challenges in measuring job performance for police officers
(4)
(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.
Define the nature, format, and goals of an interview for police selection
(3)
(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.
What types of psychological tests are used for police election? How useful are they?
(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.
What policing skills to situational assessment try to evaluate. Give examples.
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.
Define police discretion. Give examples.
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
Give five reasons why police discretion is necessary.
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.
What options do police have for dealing with a mentally disordered offender? Why is it so difficult to determine an appropriate action?
(4)
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.
What laws govern “use of force” by police?
Section 25 of the Canadian criminal code
What is the use of force continuum?
3
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.
