Unit 2 - PSYC 2400

Police Selection

The process used to select police officers, involving assessments of physical fitness, cognitive abilities, personality, and job-related skills.

RCMP Eligibility Criteria

Requirements for applying to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, including being a Canadian citizen, having good character, language proficiency, a high school diploma, a valid driver’s license, and meeting age and physical fitness standards.

History of Police Selection

Evolution of police selection methods from IQ tests in 1917 to today's use of background checks, medical exams, interviews, cognitive tests, and personality assessments.

Essential KSAs

Key knowledge, skills, and abilities agreed upon for police officers, including honesty, reliability, communication skills, problem-solving skills, teamwork, motivation, and empathy.

Predictive Validity

The ability of selection instruments to predict an applicant's performance as a police officer, often measured through cognitive tests, personality assessments, and performance evaluations.

Selection Interview

A common method in police selection involving semi-structured questions to assess an applicant's KSAs, although its predictive validity and reliability can vary.

Psychological Tests

Assessments like cognitive ability tests and personality tests used in police selection to measure aptitude, memory, logic, observation, comprehension, stress reactions, and interpersonal difficulties.

Physical Tests

Evaluations such as the Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) used to assess the physical fitness of police applicants.

Assessment Centers

Situational tests simulating real-world police tasks to evaluate leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving skills of applicants.

Police Discretion

The ability of officers to decide when to enforce the law strictly or allow some flexibility based on factors like limited resources, minor laws, public relations, and youth crime.

Use of Force

Guidelines and levels of force used by police officers, considering situational factors, subject behaviors, and tactical considerations to ensure appropriate responses.

Sources of Police Stress

Various stressors faced by police officers, including occupational, intra-organizational, inter-organizational, criminal justice, and public stressors, leading to physical, psychological, and job-related consequences.

Prevention and Management of Police Stress

Programs like critical incident debriefings, resiliency training, coping strategy changes, and communication to manage and prevent the negative impacts of stress on police officers.