Use of the California Psychological Inventory in Law Enforcement Officer Selection

An Investigation of Mental Health and Personality in Swedish Police Trainees upon Entry to the Police Academy

“…Our results confirm findings of Carpenter and Gaza (1987), Hogan and Kurties (1975) and of Hargrave and Hiatt (1989) more interests in developing and maintaining social relationships, reporting higher assertiveness and dominance, more potential for social mobility, more social poise and selfconfidence, higher self-acceptance, a greater need for autonomous achievement, more functional efficiency, more psychological mindedness, more masculine attitudes, and higher empathy in comparison with unsuccessful applicants. Gender differences occurred only in relation to personality characteristics and rather than mental ill health (question b).…”

Delinquent and criminal behavior as assessed by the revised california psychological inventory

“…Although the CPI generally has been used in studies of positive or socially approved behavior such as leadership (Gough, 1990), creativity (Helson, 1967), and superior job performance (Dyer, 1987; Hargrave & Hiatt, 1989), a fairly extensive literature also has accumulated on deviant behavior such as delinquency and criminality (Laufer, Johnson, & Hogan, 1981; Laufer, Skoog, &Day, 1982; Megargee, 1972), drug abuse (Kay, Lyons, Newman, Mankin, & Loeb, 1978; Kurtines, Hogan, & Weiss, 1975; McGuire & Megargee, 1968), pathological gambling (McCormick, Taber, Kruedelbach, & Russo, 1987), and violence (Heilbrun, 1979(Heilbrun, , 1982(Heilbrun, , 1990). Cross-cultural applications of the CPI Socialization (So) scale alone (Gough, 1965; Rosen & Schalling, 1974) and of the complete inventory (Mizushima & DeVos, 1967) also have been made, with results quite comparable to those obtained in English-language testing.…”

Personality of South African Police Trainees

“…When comparing the description of the South African police trainees to university students of a similar age from the same region based on Temperament and Character Inventory scores, the police trainees' temperament appeared to be very similar to traits reported from police officers from the USA, the U.K., and Spain, except for the high impulsivity reported in U.K. police officers (Hogan & Kurtines, 1975;Gudjonsson & Adlam, 1983;Cooper, Robertson, & Sharman, 1986;Hargrave & Hiatt, 1989;Eber, 1991;Lorr & Strack, 1994;Gomà-i-Freixanet & Wismeijer, 2002). The police trainees described themselves as curious and excitable but slow tempered, reflective, and systematic (Novelty Seeking, partly corresponding to adventurousness), and not shy with strangers, carefree, relaxed, outgoing, confident, calm, and energetic (Harm Avoidance, partly corresponding to low depression and anxiety, extraversion).…”

“…Corroborating this idea of a dispositional personality profile, Gomà-i-Freixanet and Wismeijer (2002) found Spanish police bodyguards characterized by EPQ scores as being "ambiverted," emotionally stable, low psychotic, sensation seeking, highly sincere, and having a low susceptibility to boredom compared to a control group. Using the California Personality Inventory, successful police applicants reported higher assertiveness and dominance, more potential for social mobility, more social poise and self-confidence, higher self-acceptance, more need for autonomous achievement, more functional efficiency, more psychological mindedness (in the sense of interpersonal skills characterized by interest in and responsiveness to others), more masculine attitudes, and higher empathy compared to unsuccessful applicants in the USA (Hogan & Kurtines, 1975;Hargrave & Hiatt, 1989). Similarly, Lorr and Strack (1994), in common with Eber (1991), described the average U.S. police officer as being highly controlled, independent, sociable, tough-minded, and emotionally adjusted.…”