Psychological Profile, Emotion Regulation, and Aggression in Police Applicants: A Swiss Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Although police officers are recurrently exposed to traumatic situations during their duties, only a minority report notable emotional complaints. This can be explained either by strong emotional coping skills or by a repressive self-presentation style. The current study describes the emotional profile and personality dispositions of police candidates (i.e., prior to exposure to occupational trauma) and explores the possible association between these personal characteristics and predisposition to aggression. In a cross-section design, 149 Swiss police applicants were compared to 110 individuals of the community matched by age, gender and level of education. Validated scales were used to obtain self-report markers of emotions and attitudes (anxiety, happiness/depression, aggressive attitudes) and personal dispositions (sensitivity to reinforcement, impulsivity, social desirability). Compared to civilian individuals, police candidates self-reported being happier, less anxious, less aggressive, and less impulsive. They declared being less sensitive to reinforcement, whether punishment or reward, but showed a higher degree of social desirability. Their aggressive tendencies were influenced by anxiety, urgency, and sensitivity to reward. The findings will be discussed within the framework of a diathesis-stress model of emotion regulation. It suggests that the repressive coping style described in police candidates may be a protective factor against negative and overwhelming emotions in the short term, but a risk factor for emotional imbalance in the long term, particularly if exposed to recurrent adverse events.