NCJ Number
16169
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 41 Issue: 11 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1974) Pages: 51-54
Date Published
1974
Length
4 pages
Annotation
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INCIDENCES OF PHYSICAL ALTERCATION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY AND THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND INTELLECTUAL WELL BEING (BIORHYTHMS) OF THE OFFICER AND SUSPECT INVOLVED.
Abstract
A REVIEW OF THEORIES ON THE EFFECTS OF BIORHYTHMS ON PERFORMANCE IS PROVIDED. BIORHYTHMS CONSIST OF THREE CYCLES OF ACTIVITY IN THE BODY - THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND INTELLECTUAL. ALL THE CYCLES START AT ZERO AT BIRTH, AND THEN VARY AT REGULAR INTERVALS BETWEEN HIGH, ZERO, AND LOW POINTS OF ACTIVITY. DAYS IN WHICH A CYCLE CHANGES FROM HIGH TO LOW, PASSING OVER THE ZERO POINT, ARE CALLED 'CRITICAL DAYS'. THE THREE CYCLES ALL TAKE A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF DAYS TO GO FROM HIGH TO LOW, AND THEN BACK TO HIGH. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT A PERSON WILL BE MOST ACCIDENT PRONE ON DAYS IN WHICH ONE OR MORE CYCLES ARE AT LOW OR CRITICAL POINTS. ALL PHYSICAL ALTERCATIONS THAT OCCURRED IN ONE PATROL DIVISION IN LOS ANGELES IN 1972 WERE EXAMINED WITH RESPECT TO THE BIORHYTHMS OF THE SUSPECT AND THE POLICE OFFICER. NO RELATION BETWEEN CRITICAL OR LOW DAYS AND THE PROBABILITY OF AN ALTERCATION WAS FOUND. HOWEVER, MORE ALTERCATIONS WERE FOUND WHEN POLICE WERE AT HIGH POINTS IN THEIR PHYSICAL CYCLE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)