Module 2 Police Psychology
Would you be able to answer the famous riddle of the Sphinx?
Week 2: Psychology of the Police Professional
Would you be able to answer the famous riddle of the Sphinx? According to Greek mythology, when travelers came to the ancient Greek city of Thebes, the Sphinx (a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human) would ask them a riddle. If they responded correctly, they would live; if not, they would be killed. The riddle was, “What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?” The answer: “Man.” The meaning of the riddle relates to a human being’s lifespan. Man starts as a crawling child (four legs), then walks upright (two legs), and then walks with a cane in old age (three legs). This is an example of the stages a person goes through in a lifetime. Other stages could be developmental, maturational, and intellectual. A person’s cognitive abilities, biology, physiology, and environment can influence these lifespan stages. Similarly, when a man or woman joins the police force, he or she also goes through a series of stages, adapting to each depending on abilities, personality, and motivation. Their successful transition through these stages depends on the traits and skills they possess that assist them in addressing challenges of police work and situations that arise during their careers. This week, you learn about the lifespan of police officers, the stages they go through, and the traits they possess that make them either successful or unsuccessful as they move through their “career” lifespan while facing some unique challenges.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this week, you should be able to:
Analyze and evaluate similarities and differences between psychological characteristics of successful and unsuccessful police officers
Analyze intervention opportunities in the development of the police professional
Learning Resources
REQUIRED READINGS
Drew, J., Carless, S. A., & Thompson, B. M. (2008). Predicting turnover of police officers using the sixteen personality factor questionnaire. Journal of Criminal Justice, 36(4), 326–331.
Fagan, M. M., & Ayers, K., Jr. (1982). The life of a police officer: A developmental perspective. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 9(3), 273–285. Fagan & Ayers
Copyright 1982 by SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. JOURNALS. Reprinted by permission of SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. JOURNALS via the Copyright Clearance Center
McGrath, R., & Guller, M. (2009). Concurrent validity of the candidate and officer personnel survey (COPS). International Journal of Police Science & Management, 11(2), 150–159.
Sanders, B. A. (2008). Using personality traits to predict police officer performance. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 31(1), 129–147.
Sarchione, C. D., Cuttler, M. J., Muchinsky, P. M., & Nelson-Gray, R. O. (1998). Prediction of dysfunctional job behaviors among law enforcement officers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(6), 904–912.
Sollund, R. (2008). Tough cop—Soft cop? The impact of motivations and experiences on police officers’ approaches to the public. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, 9(2), 119–140.
REQUIRED MEDIA
Interactive Time Line: Developmental Lifespan Stages of Police Officers
Transcript: Developmental Lifespan Stages of Police Officers (PDF)
OPTIONAL RESOURCES
Crain, W. (2005). Theories of development: Concepts and applications (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Ellis, A., Abrams, M., & Abrams, L. D. (2009). Personality theories: Critical perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Dalton, G. W., Thompson, P. H., & Price, R. L. (1977). The four stages of professional careers—A new look at performance by professionals. Organizational Dynamics, 6(1), 19–42.
Van Maanen, J. E. (1973). Working the street: A developmental view of police behavior. In H. Jacobs (Ed.), Volume III: The annuals of criminal justice. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing Co. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/1873…
VerWys, C. (n.d.). Notes on police officer selection. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Retrieved May 31, 2010, from http://homepages.rpi.edu/~verwyc/lawchap6.htm
Discussion: The Police Professional Personality
Theorists, as far back as Sigmund Freud, have studied human personality and the changes that a person goes through from birth to adulthood. Since then, trait theorists have studied specific aspects of personality that are relatively enduring and can describe the way a person behaves, feels, and interacts with the environment. In 1937, Gordon Allport described personality traits as belonging to one of three categories. Cardinal traits were those that dominated a person’s life and often were named after people who lived their lives in a particular way, such as Christ-like or Machiavellian. Central traits, such as intelligence, shyness, and introversion, were used to describe an individual’s personality. Secondary traits described a person’s reactions and behaviors under certain circumstances, such as anxiety that emerges under test-taking conditions. Gordon Allport originally identified approximately 4,000 traits to describe people. Later, in the 1940s, Raymond Cattell reduced Allport’s list to 16 major personality traits, and in the 1950s, Hans Eysenck reduced the list to three. More contemporary personality theorists ascribe to five major categories of personality traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (i.e., emotional stability). Debates continue as to the number of traits and what they are. Regardless of the number of traits, personality tests, which identify personality traits, continue to be used to assess an individual’s psychopathology, IQ, leadership characteristics, and relationship attributes. These tests have been used in schools, mental health facilities, and employment areas to examine traits that assess and predict academic, emotional, and job performance capabilities.
In 1967, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice recommended a combined use of psychological tests and interviews to determine whether a candidate possesses the traits most suitable for police work. By the early 1970s, the most commonly used personality test for police officer applicants was the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Since then, police department psychological screenings have incorporated the California Personality Inventory, Inwald Personality Inventory, and a series of other personality tests to determine the best-qualified individual for police work, and to predict successful police performance. Psychology professionals continue to be tasked with measuring traits that would screen out unsuitable police officer candidates as well as measure traits that would make a police officer suitable for a specialized service such as undercover work or hostage negotiation.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review the article, “Predicting Turnover of Police Officers Using the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire.” Think about the psychological characteristics of successful and unsuccessful police officers.
Review the article, “Concurrent Validity of the Candidate and Officer Personnel Survey (COPS).” Consider the positive and negative indicators (characteristics) predictive of police officer job performance.
Review the article, “Using Personality Traits to Predict Police Officer Performance.” Think about the personality traits related to police officer job performance.
Review the article, “Prediction of Dysfunctional Job Behaviors Among Law Enforcement Officers,” and consider the psychological characteristics of unsuccessful police officers. Think about how these characteristics differ from those of successful police officers.
With these thoughts in mind:
BY DAY 4
Post a brief comparison (similarities and differences) between the psychological characteristics of successful and unsuccessful police officers. Then, explain any conclusions drawn or insights gained because of this comparison. Support your comparison with references to the Learning Resources.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
BY DAY 6
Respond to at least one of your colleagues’ postings. Respond in one or more of the following ways:
Ask a probing question.
Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
Offer and support an opinion.
Validate an idea with your own experience.
Make a suggestion.
Expand on your colleague’s posting.
Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of your colleagues’ comments.
SUBMISSION AND GRADING INFORMATION
Grading Criteria
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Post by Day 4 and Respond by Day 6
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Assignment: The Lifespan of the Police Professional
Over the course of a person’s life, he or she develops and matures physiologically, emotionally, and cognitively—these changes have been the focus of many developmental psychologists. In the 1920s, Jean Piaget began to publish his theories regarding cognitive changes that occur from birth through adolescence. Shortly after, Erik Erikson began his study of social development in which he explained that conflicts must be successfully resolved at each stage before moving to the next. Lawrence Kohlberg followed with his work related to moral development reasoning stages, which progress into adulthood. In general, those who have studied the human lifespan agree that psychological, intellectual, and spiritual growth continue in the midst of environmental, cultural, and social influences. Throughout this process of human development, the individual may acclimate to, suffer from, or rise above challenges that surface.
Developmental stages also may be applied to careers. Dalton, Thompson, and Price (1977) described changes that can occur throughout a person’s career based on an individual’s thoughts, behaviors, and actions. They described these changes as indicative of distinct developmental stages. Fagan and Ayers (1982) applied the study of developmental stages to the area of police work. They discussed specific psychosocial stages that a police officer could go through and the importance of stress management skills for successful coping at these different stages. Understanding the stages of a police officer’s career lifespan may assist the officer with successful transitions and choices throughout his or her career. This understanding also may help forensic psychology professionals recognize opportunities for beneficial intervention (e.g., support, training) during the police officer’s lifespan.
To prepare for this assignment:
Review the article, “The Life of a Police Officer: A Developmental Perspective.” Focus on a police officer’s stages of lifespan development. Consider how motivation relates to each stage. Also, think about types of interventions (e.g., training, support, counseling) that would benefit a police officer in each stage.
Review the article, “Tough Cop—Soft Cop? The Impact of Motivations and Experiences on Police Officers’ Approaches to the Public.” Consider the impact of a police officer’s motivations and experiences on his or her approaches to the public. Think about how motivation and experience influence and relate to police officer lifespan development.
Review this week’s media, “Developmental Lifespan Stages of Police Officers.” Consider the police career lifespan as it relates to other stages of adult development. Think about the stages at which intervention would be most useful to a police officer and consider which interventions would be the most effective for each stage.
Select three stages of the police professional lifespan in which interventions may be most useful to police officers.
Think about one intervention you would use at each of these stages and consider why.
The assignment (1–3 pages):
Identify and explain three stages of the police professional lifespan in which interventions (e.g., training, support, counseling) would be most useful.
Describe one intervention that you would recommend for each stage and explain why you selected each.
Support your responses with references to the Learning Resources and the research literature.
Support your Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course.
BY DAY 7
Submit your assignment.
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Answer preview would you be able to answer the famous riddle of the Sphinx?
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