Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Filters

2002 - 20062

Settings

Subject: search.filters.subject.Police recruits

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Locus of control, type A behaviours and coping style as predictors of police performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2006) Saunders, Iain
    The current study explores the relationship between individual differences, related to the human stress response, and performance of Police Recruits in training at the Royal New Zealand Police College (N = 114). Data was collected during training sessions on stress management in Policing using scales from the Pressure Management Indicator (PMI) for Type A behaviour, Locus of Control and the use of positive coping. These variables were regressed against three performance data sets. Performance on two of the three dependant variables were found to be significantly and positively related to the PMI measures of the independent variables. Hierarchical regression analyses were carried out with mental ability, gender and age controlled for and predictive relationships were found for each of the dependant performance variables also, the strongest relationship being for overall Wing performance, variation in which was 68% accounted for by the model. Entry of the three PMI scales as a block explained significant unique variance in each performance measure over and above the variance explained by GMA. Further research is suggested to further explore the utility of measures of hardiness and stress tolerance for Police selection.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The impact of traumatic and organizational stressors on New Zealand police recruits : a longitudinal investigation of psychological health and posttraumatic growth outcomes : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University Turitea Campus Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2002) Huddleston, Lynne Mary
    Police officers face exposure to traumatic events due to the inherent nature of their profession. As well, as with the employees of any large organization, they are subjected to daily organizational events within their workplace (resource concerns, interactions with co-workers, administrative hassles). Very little is known as to the extent to which these organizational events moderate the development of traumatic stress outcomes. Investigations of police well-being have almost inevitably focused on negative work events and their pathogenic consequences. However, this study seeks to widen this pathogenic orientation by also considering the impact of positive daily work events (uplifts), and by evaluating a possible salutogenic outcome; the development of posttraumatic growth. A longitudinal methodology was utilized to establish baseline measures of traumatic event exposure (the TSS) and psychological well-being (the IES and the HSCL-21). All the 673 recruits who entered police college over one year were invited to participate in the study, and the 512 who completed the first questionnaire were reassessed one year later. The second questionnaire contained measures to assess the impact of the organizational environment (Uplifts and Hassles Scales), police traumatic events (a modified TSS), and posttraumatic growth outcomes (the PTGI). Parametric analyses and hierarchical multiple regression were used to evaluate the study hypotheses and post-hoc analyses investigated moderating effects. The recruits entered the police with high levels of prior traumatic event exposure, which, during the following year substantially increased. Psychological health remained in a robust condition, and psychological distress did not increase, although officers who experienced on-duty and multiple traumatic events had significantly higher traumatic stress than those who did not. Other important findings were that the organizational environment contributed to psychological distress outcomes, and post-hoc analyses indicated that this had an important interrelationship with traumatic stress outcomes as well. Organizational uplifts had a salutogenic effect upon physical health, and aided the development of posttraumatic growth following traumatic exposure. This study has supported the development of a synthesized research orientation that combines salutogenic as well as pathogenic research methodologies.