Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law

police applicants’ interview performance to supple-

ment their psychological test scores. They usually

gather background information obtained from a per-

sonal history questionnaire, which includes questions

about work, family, health, and criminal behavior.

Sometimes, police agencies supply psychologists with

applicants’ background investigation reports. Such

reports help psychologists check applicants’ psycho-

logical test data.

Interviews can involve asking standardized questions,

while allowing psychologists to probe the responses of

police applicants. Standardized interviews let psychol-

ogists compare applicants and check cross-interviewer

reliability. The interview process can expose personal

characteristics not revealed by self-report question-

naires; for example, the applicant’s body language dur-

ing the interview may show anxiety or tension.

Sometimes, psychologists ask questions requested by

their police clients who have uncovered personal char-

acteristics of applicants that are suspect. Personal

interviews, when used with psychological tests, help

interpret test data and help answer the complex ques-

tion, Who is a suitable applicant?

Situational Tests

Psychologists have used situational tests or role-play-

ing exercises designed to measure a sample of behav-

iors the police applicant might use on the job.

Situational tests are usually representative of job-

related work conditions. Some preliminary empirical

evidence supports the use of situational tests in the

selection of police officers. For example, police appli-

cants who performed well on a “Clues Test,” which

asked them to investigate clues about the disappear-

ance of a hypothetical employee, also performed well

during their recruit training.

Situational tests have a practical appeal. Advanced

computer technology allows police trainers to adminis-

ter situational training and tests to incumbent officers.

For example, an interactive computer simulation asks

police officers how they would respond to different sus-

pect behaviors directed toward them during an arrest.

Officers make decisions, and trainers evaluate them.

Police psychologists appear to be slow at develop-

ing situational tests and using computer technology to

administer them as part of the selection process. Law

enforcement assessment centers, however, are typi-

cally private agencies that have a history of using

situational tests to evaluate incumbent officers and

sometimes police applicants. Situational tests make

possible the observation of hidden values that only

appear under conditions that require quick decisions.

With situational tests, psychologists can measure

behaviors deliberately concealed from pencil-and-

paper tests and personal interviews. Situational tests

have a lifelike quality, are time-consuming and expen-

sive, but are becoming attractive to psychologists.

Selection Recommendation

Police agencies that psychologically screen their

police applicants consider the importance of the eval-

uation differently. Some consider it modestly, with

other selection procedures frequently used, such as

the civil service exam, physical fitness assessment,

background investigation, and personal interview with

police personnel. Most consider it a pass-or-fail com-

ponent of the selection process. They no longer con-

sider employing applicants whom psychologists fail.

Psychologists’ selection recommendations are not

always simple dichotomies: pass or fail, or suitable or

unsuitable for law enforcement training. There are

psychologists who use Likert-type scales to make

their recommendations—3, 4, or 5 points ranging

from not suitable to suitable.

A favorable recommendation or endorsement of an

applicant by a psychologist does not guarantee that

the applicant will be successful on the job. Selection

recommendations are probabilistic events. They might

be wrong because psychologists make their decisions

under probable or uncertain conditions and with lim-

ited information that is sometimes imperfect.

Psychologists will be incorrect (or False Accept) if

their decision is “suitable” when the applicant’s actual

status is “not suitable.” Psychologists will also

be incorrect (or False Reject) if their decision is “not

suitable” when the applicant’s actual status is “suit-

able.” Best evaluation practices to maximize “True

Accept” and minimize the total number of “False

Accept” and “False Reject” errors involve psycholo-

gists using personal interviews and multiple tests and

validating them.

Current Trends

The Commission on Accreditation for Law

Enforcement Agencies and the International

Association of Chiefs of Police have recommended

the psychological evaluation of police applicants.

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