Abstract
The goal of this study was to examine the predictive validity of the MMPI-2 content scales in differentiating successful from unsuccessful small-town police officers, using supervisory ratings. Although the MMPI-2 content scale scores of police officers differed from the normative sample, the content scales were not predictive of police officer performance. The authors suggest that the content scales may be especially vulnerable to socially desirable response styles.
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Authors' Note: Suzanne Daniels is a Forensic Psychology master's degree candidate at Castleton State College. Emily King is a master's degree candidate at George Mason University in the School of Public Policy. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors alone and do not reflect the views of any Vermont law enforcement agency. We would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Curt Bartol for granting us access to his data, along with his assistance on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
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Daniels, S., King, E. The predictive validity of MMPI-2 content scales for small-town police officer performance. J Police Crim Psych 17, 54–61 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02807115
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02807115