THE STUDY TESTS HERZBERG'S THEORY OF MOTIVATION-HYGIENE AND HOLLAND'S THEORY OF CAREERS. THE MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORY HOLDS THAT TWO INDEPENDENT GROUPS OF JOB CHARACTERISTICS--MOTIVATOR FACTORS (E.G., ACHIEVEMENT, RECOGNITION, THE WORK ITSELF, RESPONSIBILITY, ADVANCEMENT) AND HYGIENE FACTORS (E.G., COMPANY POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION, SUPERVISION, SALARY, COWORKERS, WORKING CONDITIONS)--ACCOUNT FOR JOB SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION. THE MOTIVATOR FACTORS CREATE SATISFACTION BY THEIR PRESENCE AND NO SATISFACTION BY THEIR ABSENCE, WHEREAS THE HYGIENE FACTORS CREATE DISSATISFACTION BY THEIR ABSENCE AND NO JOB DISSATISFACTION BY THEIR PRESENCE. THE CAREER THEORY IS BASED ON THE CONGRUENCE OF A PERSON'S PERSONALITY PATTERN, PERSONALITY TYPE, AND OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. TO TEST THESE IDEAS, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS SOUGHT: JOB CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT AS SOURCES OF SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION AMONG POLICE OFFICERS; THE MOST PREVALENT PERSONALITY TYPE OR PATTERN AMONG POLICE; AND VARIATION OF MOTIVATION-HYGIENE FACTORS WITH PERSONALITY TYPE. DATA WERE GATHERED FROM SMALL OR RURAL CITY AND COUNTY POLICE OFFICERS FROM AUGUST 1974 THROUGH OCTOBER 1974. MOTIVATOR FACTORS PROVED MORE IMPORTANT THAN HYGIENE FACTORS AS SOURCES OF BOTH SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION. THE MOST COMMON PERSONALITY PATTERN WAS RSC (REALISTIC, SOCIAL, CONVENTIONAL). PERSONALITY PATTERNS VARIED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE BUT NOT WITH AGE. THE MOST COMMON PATTERN FOR SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WAS RCS (REALISTIC, CONVENTIONAL, SOCIAL). MOTIVATOR-HYGIENE FACTOR RATINGS FOR BOTH SATISFACTION AND DISSATISFACTION DID NOT VARY WITH PERSONALITY TYPE OR WITH OTHER FACTORS. ONE MOTIVATOR FACTOR--'WORK ITSELF'--WAS HIGHLY IMPORTANT AS A SOURCE OF SATISFACTION BUT RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT AS A SOURCE OF DISSATISFACTION. THE RESULTS DO NOT SUPPORT THE MOTIVATION-HYGIENE THEORY BUT OFFER PARTIAL SUPPORT FOR THE CAREER THEORY. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)