NCJ Number
14371
Date Published
Unknown
Length
31 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF MULTIVARIATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INPUT, PROCESSES AND OUTPUT VARIABLES IN POLICE-CITIZEN INTERACTION IN THE CONTEXT OF PROBLEM SOLVING.
Abstract
FORTY-SIX POLICE-CITIZEN ENCOUNTERS WERE ANALYZED. ALL WERE PROBLEMS WHICH REQUIRED INTERACTION IN ORDER TO SOLVE, STATEMENTS WERE RECORDED BY TRAINED OBSERVERS. A STATISTICAL TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS PATH ANALYSIS WAS EMPLOYED TO MEASURE THE VARIABLES IN THE INPUT AFFECTING THE PROCESS WHICH IN TURN AFFECTED THE SOLUTION. THE DATA GATHERED TENDS TO LEND CREDENCE TO THE PREMISE THAT THE POLICE-CITIZEN COMMUNICATION PROCESS IN AN ENCOUNTER WILL AFFECT THE NATURE OF THE RESOLUTION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHAT HAPPENS AT THE BEGINING OF AN INTERACTION IS MORE INFLUENTIAL IN AFFECTING THE OUTCOME THAN DOES THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM.