NCJ Number
14299
Date Published
1971
Length
148 pages
Annotation
STUDY TO PSYCHOLOGICALLY ASSESS, SELECT, AND STUDY THE RELATIONSHIP OF CERTAIN FACETS OF A PERSON'S FUNCTIONING PERSONALITY WITH HIS PERFORMANCE ON THE JOB.
Abstract
THIS INVESTIGATION BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU HYPOTHESIZED THAT THOSE PERSONAL FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE JOB PERFORMANCE WERE PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S MODE OF ADJUSTMENT TO LIFE RATHER THAN BEING SPECIFIC TO HIS JOB OF POLICEMAN. OPERATIONALLY, THE FUNCTIONING PERSONALITY WAS DEFINED IN TERMS OF ACHIEVEMENT, SOCIAL INSIGHTS, INTERESTS, AND STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED DIMENSIONS OF SELF. INSTRUMENTS DEVELOPED TO COLLECT DATA WERE ADMINISTERED TO RECRUITS ALREADY SELECTED INTO THE PROGRAM VIA ACHIEVEMENT TEST, LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION, PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW BY PERSONNEL OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND A CLEARANCE CHECK. THE SAME INSTRUMENTS WERE ADMINISTERED TO A RANDOMLY SELECTED SAMPLE OF SERGEANTS AND DETECTIVES IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT MEN WHO APPLY FOR POLICE WORK, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE ACCEPTED OR NOT, ARE MORE SIMILAR THAN THEY ARE DIFFERENT. BOTH GROUPS TESTED SHOW HIGH MOTIVATION AND DRIVE. A VERY REALISTIC ORIENTATION, FLEXIBILITY, AND LIKE PEOPLE. SERGEANTS AND DETECTIVES WERE SHOWN TO BE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE PASSIVE AND WITHDRAWAL RESPONSES IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS THAN THE RECRUITS. FOR PART TWO OF THIS STUDY, SEE NCJ-14300.