Week 3 - Methods + Police Flashcards
Main components of any research endeavour
- Ideas and research questions
- Hypotheses
- Manipulation and measurement of
variables - Estimator variables – present at the
time of the crime/cannot be changed - System variables – may be manipulated
to increase effectiveness of procedures
Research Methods
- Archival research, e.g., court cases, police reports, etc.
- Laboratory research, e.g., computer-based lineup identification
- Field research, e.g., mock crime
Research Designs:
- Case studies – qualitative, e.g., serial killer
- Correlational designs – relationship between variables
- Experimental designs – causal explanation
- Longitudinal designs – e.g., effectiveness of treatment to reduce recidivism
- Meta-analysis – statistical techniques involving many studies on the same topic
Clinical Assessment Techniques used in Research
- Self-report
- Interviews (Free narrative or Structured)
- Standardized tests (e.g., personality test, IQ test, etc.)
- Projective tests (e.g., Rorschach Test, TAT, etc.)
- Behavioural observation
- Psychophysiological tests (e.g., polygraph)
Informed consent
- Participation is voluntary
- Knowledge and understanding of what one’s participation involves
- Ability to assess the risks of one’s participation
- Elimination or reduction of the perception of coercion
Police Culture
control, authority, solidarity and isolation
Common Activities and Tasks of a Police Psychologist
- Assessment (job analysis, Fitness-for-duty evals)
- Intervention (therapy & counselling, substance/alcohol abuse treatment)
- Operational Support (Crisis intervention, threat assessment)
- Consulting & Research (Research, consultation)
The Job Analysis Stage(development process)
- Identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities that make a good police officer (KSAs)
- Common problems with KSAs
- Determining who is right for the job
Most common KSAs
Honesty, reliability, sensitivity to others, good communication skills, high motivation, problem-solving skills, and being a team player
The Construction and Validation Stage (development process)
Selection Interview
Used to determine the extent to which a candidate possesses the KSAs deemed important for the job
Psychological Tests
- Cognitive ability tests
- Personality tests
Assessment Centres (situational tests)
Police discretion requires the following KSAs
Ability to adapt - Flexibility
Common sense - Good judgement
Ability to make efficient decisions
Good problem-solving skills
Factors influencing police discretion (Walker & Katz, 2001)
- Seriousness of the crime
- Strength of the evidence
- The victim asks for an arrest to be made
- The victim and offender are strangers to each other
- The suspect is resistant or disrespectful to the officer
Areas where police discretion is often used
- Youth Crime
- Offenders with Mental Illness
- Domestic Violence
How is police discretion controlled?
- Departmental policies
- Use-of-force continuum
Sources of police stress (Finn & Tomz, 1996)
- Intra-organizational stressors, e.g., excessive paperwork
- Inter-organizational stressors, e.g., jurisdictional isolationism
- Occupational stressors, e.g., human suffering
- Criminal justice stressors, e.g., unfavourable court decisions
- Public stressors, e.g., distorted press accounts
