FEATURES OF PROFESSIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SELECTION OF POLICE OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES

ABSTRACT

The article discusses the stages of professional and psychological selection of police officers in the United States and the features of each stage.

Keywords: personality, professional psychological selection, US police.

Service in the police belongs to the category of extreme professions that make high demands on irregular working hours, high neuropsychic stress, the requirement to make decisions in a short period of time, a heavy burden on eyesight and servants, life-threatening activities, carrying and using weapons, and more.

Of great importance are not only the professional knowledge and skills acquired in educational institutions and consolidated in the process of work, but also the personal qualities of a police officer. To do this, upon admission to the service, a professional and psychological selection of a candidate for service is carried out, during which the psychological qualities of a candidate for service are ascertained.

The professional and psychological selection of police officers in the United States has its own characteristics, which are different from those in Russia.

One of the stages of joining the police force in the United States is professional selection, which includes checking 3 levels of personality measurement:

1. Psychophysiological level, at this level the features of the nervous system (strength, dynamics, mobility, lability), attention, thinking, memory, psychomotor system, etc. are studied.

2. Psychological level, at this level the psychological characteristics of the candidate for service are studied: cognition, emotions, will and their manifestation in activities and behavior, this helps to determine the goals, motives, needs, interests, inclinations, abilities and personal qualities of the candidate.

3. Socio-psychological level, at this level the personality of the candidate in society is studied (social attitudes, positions, adaptation and socialization, communication skills, psychological compatibility).

Psychological professional selection of candidates for service is carried out by a clinical (medical) psychologist. He uses psychological tests, questionnaires and interviews. Basically, psychologists use 3-4 tests.

A clinical psychologist uses psychological tests in the selection process aimed at studying the personality traits of a candidate for service: the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the California CPI (California Psychological Inventory) personality questionnaire, the IPI Invald personality questionnaire, 16 Factor P-Personality Inventory B. Kettel, G. Eysenck's Personality Inventory (EPI), Five-Factor Personality Inventory, as well as the study of cognitive abilities: the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. Some psychologists in addition use projective techniques ("Incomplete sentences", "Rorschach spots").

Psychologists use situational tests or role-playing exercises that help to understand how the candidate will behave in situations of stress or conflict, with the threat of death.

Also, one of the research methods is a questionnaire survey, during which it will become known about the previous place of work, marital status and the nature of family relationships, health, about forms of behavior, including criminal behavior.

During the interview, the psychologist will check the accuracy of the test answers and ask additional questions that will help to understand the personality of the candidate.

After going through all the stages of psychological selection, the psychologist writes a conclusion, in which he gives his assessment to the candidate for service.

Thus, the process of professional-psychological selection of police officers in the United States is to some extent similar to the process of professional-psychological selection of police officers in Russia, the distinctive features are the methods and techniques used in the process of professional-psychological selection.

References:

1. Thomas M., Frost. Selection Methods for Police Recruits, 1995. – 135-145.
2. Dong-Kyun, Park. Recruitment and Selection of Police Officials in the United States -the System and it's Implications. 2011. – 160-189.