PSYC 2400 Chapter 2: Psych Chapter 2.doc
Document Summary
The police selection process: there are two separate stages to the process of selecting officers, stage one is referred to as the job analysis stage. The agency must define the knowledge, skills and abilities (ksa"s) of a good" police officer: stage two is referred to as the construction and validation stage. The agency must develop an instrument for measuring the extent to which police applicants posses these ksa"s. The agency must also determine the instrument"s validity, or the extent to which the scores on the instrument actually relate to measures of actual, on-the-job police performance. Personality tests: the most common personality test is the minnesota multiphasic personality. Why is police discretion necessary: police cannot and do not always enforce the law, they have great latitude in how they apply the law. Good judgement must, therefore, be used in establishing enforcement priorities.