The entire second recruit class of 1986 (approximately 1,900) participated in the study. The study hypothesized that recruits from varied racial and occupational backgrounds, those who are female, and those from families whose members are police officers would experience training differently. Further, their preconceptions and expectations of the role would be rooted in social and sexual backgrounds. These would change as a result of the training experience. The guiding assumption of the study was that persons do not assume behavior and attitudes incrementally and discretely but rather adopt a whole repertoire of behaviors through which they anticipate the demands of the police role. Recruit backgrounds and academy training experiences were submitted to a systematic statistical description and evaluation of attitudes, perceptions, and impressions of the police officer's role when training began and when it ended. From the beginning to the end of training, recruit conceptions of policing were significantly modified. Those with strong enforcement orientations and those with strong service commitments moved toward a common perspective and definition of the police role that incorporated both dimensions. Study instruments, 42 tables, 105 references. (Author abstract modified)