U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Personality Assessment Inventory as a Selection Device for Law Enforcement Personnel

NCJ Number
208886
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2004 Pages: 23-29
Author(s)
William U. Weiss; Cary Rostow; Robert Davis; Emily DeCoster-Martin
Editor(s)
William U. Weiss
Date Published
2004
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed the potential utility of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) in the police selection process.
Abstract
Over the years the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) has been used extensively in the selection of law enforcement personnel and has been found to be a useful tool in the screening process of police applicants and officers. A fairly new device in personality assessment is the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) which is an objective inventory of adult personality developed in 1991. The PAI is designed to assess the various psychopathological syndromes. Performance variables were collected on 800 officers who had taken the PAI prior to being hired. Matrix, a psychological assessment center, sent a follow-up questionnaire after the officer had been working for 1 year. An analysis was conducted assessing the categories of complaints, mistakes, misuse of equipment, and disciplinary actions. The analysis showed a significant effect in the data. The study demonstrates the potential utility of the PAI in the police selection process. References

Downloads

No download available

Availability