PSYC 3530 1st Edition Lecture 5 Chapter 4 Psychology of PoliceSelection of Police OfficersI. In the 1960s and 1970s, several national commissions recommended formal psychological assessment of police personnel in all departmentsII. By the 1990s, formal assessment of police candidates had become routineIII. Psychological evaluation of police applicants focuses on selecting candidates who appearmost psychologically fit or on eliminating individuals who appear least suited for police workIV. Most selection methods are developed to screen out disturbed candidates, because it is very difficult to agree on the “ideal” police profileV. Psychologists who evaluate police candidates rely on:a. 1. Personal interviewsb. 2. Observations of candidates in situations that reflect real-world police workc. 3. Psychological testsThe InterviewI. Widely used despite evidence that interviews are subject to distortion, low reliability, and questionable validity.II. Reliability does seem to be increased by the use of structured interviews – those in which the wording, order, and content of the interview are standardizedSituational TestsI. Situational tests (e.g., Foot Patrol Observation Test) use tasks similar to those done by officers on the job. They are designed to predict performance in the academy and on thejob.II. These tests are currently out of favor, in part because they are time-consuming and expensive. Current situational aspects of screening are more focused, involving tasks such as report-writingPsychological TestsI. Many standardized psychological tests have good reliabilityThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.II. Two types of tests are included in most selection batteries: tests of cognitive or intellectual ability and test of personality traits, integrity, or emotional stabilityIII. Intelligence scores tend to correlate fairly strongly with the performance of police recruits in their training programs, but are weakly related to police performance in the fieldIV. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (the 2008 revision is the MMPI-2-RF) isthe test of personality most often used in police screeningWatched Documentary on Ted Bundy Available on