Universal and Sex-Normed Benchmarks in Police Physical Fitness Requirements: A Factorial Vignette Design

Abstract

Physical fitness standards have long represented a key element thought to influence the representation of women in policing. Prior research using secondary data examined failure rates at police academies. Survey studies asked police officers about their viewpoints on physical fitness standards. Importantly, these studies focus on preexisting differences and inequalities, not the perspectives of potential applicants. Using a sample of 993 Amazon mTurk respondents, this project uniquely examines how experimentally manipulating the lack of discussion of a physical fitness test for admission, as well as a universal-normed test, and a gender-normed test, influence potential applicants’ job interest. The study findings indicate interaction effects between woman status and the universal physical fitness standards for male and female applicants, with significantly lower job interest for each of the four outcome variables. These findings have policy implications for police recruit diversity and physical fitness standards at the application stage.