A critical review of psychological instruments used in police officer selection

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the instruments used in the screening process, with particular attention given to supporting research validation. Psychological screening is a well-established process used in the selection of employees across public safety industries, particularly in police settings. Screening in and screening out are both possible, with screening out being the most commonly used method. Little attention, however, has been given to evaluating the comparative validities of the instruments used. Design/methodology/approach-This review investigates literature supporting the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the California Personality Inventory (CPI), the Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI), the Australian Institute of Forensic Psychology's test battery (AIFP), and some other less researched tests. Research supporting the validity of each test is discussed. Findings-It was found that no test possesses unequivocal research support, although the CPI and AIFP tests show promise. Most formal research into the validity of the instruments lacks appropriate experimental structure and is therefore less powerful as "evidence" of the utility of the instrument(s). Practical implications-This research raises the notion that many current screening practices are likely to be adding minimal value to the selection process by way of using instruments that are not "cut out" for the job. This has implications for policy and practice at the recruitment stage of police employment. Originality/value-This research provides a critical overview of the instruments and their validity studies rather than examining the general process of psychological screening. As such, it is useful to those working in selection who are facing the choice of psychological instrument. Possibilities for future research are presented, and development opportunities for a best practice instrument are discussed.

Prediction model of effective studies at the Academy of criminalistics and police studies

“…9 Besides elimination of undesirable police candidates by selection process, some studies address the issue of predicting which candidates will be able to successfully complete the police academy (course for police officers). 10 The research presented in this paper differs from similar studies as it relates to the prediction of effective study at higher education institutions for police education, which lasts for 3 or 4 years.…”

Los procesos de formación de futuros policías, ¿mejoran su salud mental? || Do processes for training future police officers improve their mental health?

“…Thus, one of the most challenging critiques concerning police selection instruments (Lough and Von Treuer, 2013) -that normally the psychological instruments used in the selection of police officers do not have sufficient validity-does not affect this data because this test has not been used in our case to select candidates but rather to verify their possible personality changes. Nor in our case has the Derogatis test been used to do screening, as has been made clear in works such as Burkhart (1980), Sanders (2003), and White (2008).…”

“…Some of this work has focused on the study of personal, social, and demographic variables as predictors of a good future professional performance (Henson, Reyns, Klahm, and Frank, 2010), determining the possible existence of gender discrimination (Prenzler and Drex, 2013), how existing preferences for future police work impact good subsequent performance (Gray, 2011), police careers as a means to provide employment opportunities and integrate minority groups into society (Raganella and White, 2004;White, Cooper, Saunders, and Raganella, 2010), whether candidate behavior during the training period at the academy adequately predicts subsequent good performance at police work (Henson, Reyns, Klahm and Frank, 2010;Wright, Dai, and Greenbeck, 2011;White, 2008), and finally performance on the job after assuming the commission (Raganella and White, 2004;White, Cooper, Saunders, and Raganella, 2010). The selection process in and of itself, and the possible existence of some type of mental pathology among candidates (Lough and Von Treuer, 2013).…”

“…However, the main problem of such behavior, as authors such as Burkhart (1980) and Lough and Von Treuer (2013) discuss, is that the psychological tests used usually have limited validity.…”

Effect of Age upon Leadership Attributes from Recruitment Instrument: a Selective Developmental Trajectory

“…Assessments of personality have been defined traditionally along the lines of "factors" incorporating genetically influenced dispositions and interpersonal strategies associated with individuals' behaviors [3]. In a study comparing several psychological screening instruments used for recruitment purposes in selecting police officers and employees in safety services [4], examined critically and evaluated the comparative validities of these instruments which included the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the California Personality Inventory (CPI), the Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI), the Australian Institute of Forensic Psychology's test battery (AIFP), as well as some other less researched tests. They observed that none of these tests displayed unequivocal research support and, indeed, it was likely that several screening instruments added minimal value; they were deigned unsuitable.…”