Police Officer Applicants Research Articles

NEO-PI-3 Descriptive Data for Police Officer Applicants

NEO-PI-3 Descriptive Data for Police Officer Applicants

Police applicant response bias on the California Psychological Inventory.

Positive response bias is common under the high demand conditions of personnel selection. This study investigated positive response bias on the California Psychological Inventory (CPI)-434 by police officer applicants as scored by the CPI-434-Police and Public Safety Report. Police officer applicants completed the CPI-434 under high and then again under low demand conditions. The high demand condition was represented by the CPI administration as part of the preemployment psychological evaluation. The low demand condition was represented by a CPI administration with no contingencies approximately 4 months later during the police academy. Demand effects were illustrated by comparing applicant scores (within-subject) under high versus low demand conditions on CPI-Police and Public Safety Report (CPI-PPSR) prediction equations and CPI scales. Significant demand effects were observed on 23 of 46 comparisons. Modest support for the construct validity of the Good Impression (Gi) scale and somewhat less for the Fake Good Index as measures of positive response bias were observed. Response bias potential impact on police officer performance predictions was discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Frame-of-Reference Effects on Police Officer Applicant Responses to the Revised NEO Personality Inventory

Prior investigations of the frame-of-reference effect have compared personality inventory responses using contextualized (e.g., at work) versus standard non-contextualized frames-of-reference primarily under low-demand or simulated high-demand conditions. Results generally suggest that a context relevant instructional set may increase reliability and validity. These findings have not been studied using actual applicants under high-demand conditions such as personnel selection. In the present study, actual police officer applicants completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) using either an “at work” or a standard (no context) frame-of-reference under both high- and low-demand conditions. Results indicated significant demand effects on 3/5 NEO PI-R domain scores and 25/30 facet scores. Frame-of-reference, on the other hand, yielded no significant main effects. An “at work” frame-of-reference, relative to a standard context, had no influence on police officer applicant NEO PI-R responses, irrespective of demand. Context effects on job applicant responses may not be of concern regarding reliability or validity of responding under high-demand conditions such as personnel selection.

Underreporting on the MMPI-2-RF in a high-demand police officer selection context: an illustration.

Positive response distortion is common in the high-demand context of employment selection. This study examined positive response distortion, in the form of underreporting, on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Police officer job applicants completed the MMPI-2-RF under high-demand and low-demand conditions, once during the preemployment psychological evaluation and once without contingencies after completing the police academy. Demand-related score elevations were evident on the Uncommon Virtues (L-r) and Adjustment Validity (K-r) scales. Underreporting was evident on the Higher-Order scales Emotional/Internalizing Dysfunction and Behavioral/Externalizing Dysfunction; 5 of 9 Restructured Clinical scales; 6 of 9 Internalizing scales; 3 of 4 Externalizing scales; and 3 of 5 Personality Psychopathology 5 scales. Regression analyses indicated that L-r predicted demand-related underreporting on behavioral/externalizing scales, and K-r predicted underreporting on emotional/internalizing scales. Select scales of the MMPI-2-RF are differentially associated with different types of underreporting among police officer applicants.

Revised NEO personality inventory normative data for catalan police officer selection: A preliminary study

Psychological screening of police officer applicants for selection purposes has become widespread. By contrast, Five Factor Model (FFM) personality inventories such as Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R, Costa & McCrae, 1992) are widely used in personnel selection, but its implementation in police officer selection has been relatively limited. Probably, the best reference in relation to NEO PI-R normative data about police officers is to study Detrick and Chinball (2013) which was done with American sample. The purpose of this study is to provide normative data using a sample of 140 Catalan police officer applicants who completed NEO PI-R during their formation at police academy. Data were categorized according the NEO PI-R Professional Manual (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Results showed that Catalan officer applicant profile is notable for Very Low levels of Neuroticism and Very High levels Conscientiousness (with high levels of Extraversion, and Agreeableness and low levels of Openness).

Revised NEO Personality Inventory normative data for police officer selection.

The Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) has demonstrated utility in the personnel selection context. Its use in police officer selection has been relatively limited, in part, because there are no published normative data for the NEO PI-R for police officer applicants. The authors present normative data on NEO PI-R domain and facet scores for a large sample (N = 288) of police officer applicants in a large, urban, Midwestern police department who completed the NEO PI-R as part of a preemployment psychological evaluation. Applicants reported low levels of Neuroticism and high levels of Extraversion and Conscientiousness. Neuroticism and Conscientiousness scores were strongly and consistently correlated with the Positive Presentation Management (PPM) research validity scale of the NEO PI-R. Extraversion and Agreeableness scores were moderately and less consistently correlated with PPM. These data may serve as a normative comparison group for professionals and researchers who use or may want to use the NEO PI-R in the police officer selection context.

Demand Effects on Positive Response Distortion by Police Officer Applicants on the Revised NEO Personality Inventory

Understanding and detecting response distortion is important in the high-demand circumstances of personnel selection. In this article, we describe positive response distortion on the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI–R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) among police officer applicants under high and low demand conditions. Positive response distortion primarily reflected denial/minimization of Neuroticism and accentuation of traits associated with moralistic bias (Agreeableness and Conscientiousness). Validity of the NEO PI–R research validity scale, Positive Presentation Management, was weakly supported with respect to the Neuroticism domain only. Results will be useful in interpreting personality inventory results in the police personnel selection process.

Positive Response Distortion by Police Officer Applicants

Interpretation of positive response distortion (socially desirable responding) in employment evaluations is an important validity issue. This study of police officer applicants examined the construct validity of the Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS)-Moralistic Bias (MB; exaggerated adjustment/agreeableness) and Egoistic Bias (EB; exaggerated power/ status)-in relation to validity scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; L, K, and S) and Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI; Guardedness). In regression analyses, MB was significantly associated with each validity scale (particularly L and Guardedness), whereas EB was significantly, but weakly, associated with L only. MB is consistent with response distortion as reflected in L ("perfect" adjustment/personality) and Guardedness (denial of shortcomings/faults). EB is a unique form of response distortion that is not reflected in MMPI-2 or IPI validity scales. The relevance of EB to self-assessment among police officer applicants is an important practical concern in personnel selection and an important theoretical question for future response distortion research.

Examination of Structured Interview Ratings Across Time: The Effects of Applicant Race, Rater Race, and Panel Composition

This study examined the relationship between race and interview ratings in a structured selection panel interview. Data from 1,334 police officer applicants who were interviewed by three-person panels were examined to explore how applicant race, rater race, and panel racial composition related to interview ratings and change from initial to final ratings. Results revealed the largest effect was for panel racial composition, such that predominately White panels provided significantly more favorable ratings to applicants of all races compared to panels composed of predominately Black raters. However, a significant three-way interaction between rater race, applicant race, and panel composition was also found. Specifically, Black raters evaluated Black applicants more favorably than White applicants only when they were on a predominately Black panel. These results may help explain past inconsistencies in the literature regarding the effects of rater race and applicant race on ratings.

Prediction of police officer performance with the inwald personality inventory

The Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI) was administered to police officer applicants during pre-employment psychological screening. Scores were used to predict applicant performance, as rated by supervisors, after one year of active duty and change in performance over a 10-month period. Performance was significantly predicted by IPI scales, including Family Conflicts, Guardedness, and Driving Violations. These findings support the predictive validity of the IPI and identify specific characteristics of applicants that may influence performance in the field.

The Reduction of Adverse Impact in an Employment Setting Using a Short-Term Memory Test

Research suggests that less adverse impact should result from the use of employment tests assessing memory abilities than is obtained from tests assessing cognitive abilities. To test the application of this principle, a Short-Term Memory test and a Reading Comprehension test were administered as part of a selection battery for entry level police. Subjects were 1423 police officer applicants for a Midwestern city in the U.S. The results for the overall sample showed a smaller standardized difference between the scores of Blacks and Whites on the Short-Term Memory test than on the Reading Comprehension test, a difference which was further reduced when a subsample of Blacks and Whites was created which had been matched on gender, years of education and age.

Setting an uncorrected visual acuity standard for police officer applicants.

Government agencies have used uncorrected visual acuity (UVA) standards for many years for police officer applicants. With the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, public employers have concern about the validity of these standards. This report shows how data can be used to set a reasonable standard. The report includes a description of a survey of incumbents, acuity testing of a sample of incumbents, collection of essential task information, and experimentation based on the essential tasks. A series of focus group meetings resulted in agreement that 2 essential tasks officers must be able to perform when visually incapacitated are identifying a weapon in a typical room and finding spectacles that have been dislodged. The experimentation showed that a noticeable performance decrement begins to appear at 20/125 level of acuity. As a result of the research, the City of Columbus, Ohio, changed the UVA standard from 20/40 to 20/125.

Setting an uncorrected visual acuity standard for police officer applicants.

Setting an uncorrected visual acuity standard for police officer applicants.

APPLICANT WITHDRAWAL: THE ROLE OF TEST‐TAKING ATTITUDES AND RACIAL DIFFERENCES

The role of test‐taking attitudes in the decisions of applicants to withdraw from a selection process was examined. Measures of test‐taking attitudes were administered to 3,290 police officer applicants. Interviews were conducted with 618 applicants who withdrew from the selection process. Comparative anxiety, motivation, and literacy scales were found to predict withdrawal, but the effects were quite small. African‐Americans were more likely to withdraw. Small race differences were found on test attitude scales. The requirement of taking a test was not a major factor in applicant withdrawal; procedural fairness and several other factors appeared to play a greater role. A model of applicant withdrawal is proposed based on the qualitative data from applicants who withdrew.

The Temporal Stability of the National Police Officer Selection Test

The National Police Officer Selection Test is a basic skills test of four subsections: mathematics, reading, grammar, and incident report writing. The purpose was to examine the temporal stability of the test in a sample of job applicants. Test-retest reliability coefficients were computed for a sample of 1215 police officer applicants. Reliability was evident at 17 different test-retest intervals. Also, the reliability of test did not differ significantly between applicants who had passed both times and those who failed both times. The results attest to the reliability and long-term stability of the test.

Police officer candidate MMPI-2 performance: gender, ethnic, and normative factors.

Eighty-four police officer applicants (61 White males, 12 White Females, and 11 minority males) were administered the MMPI-2 as part of an employment screening assessment. All the applications showed a defensive style, low scores on scales 2 and 0, and extreme scores on scale 5. Implications of high scale 5 scores for female and low scale 5 scores for male police officer applicants are discussed.