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The MMPI-2 as a tool for preventing police misconduct: A Victoria (Australia) police study
Journal article   Peer reviewed

The MMPI-2 as a tool for preventing police misconduct: A Victoria (Australia) police study

Stuart Macintyre, Carol Ronken and Timothy Prenzler
International Journal of Police Science & Management, Vol.4(3), pp.213-232
2002
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http://www.sagepub.com/journals/Journal202319View
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Abstract

Criminology Policy and Administration police misconduct Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
The Police Department in the State of Victoria, Australia, has been conducting the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI and MMPI-2) on all recruits since 1985. In 1999, the Victoria Police Strategy and Services Group Tasking Committee commissioned an investigation that would test the usefulness of the MAMPI- 2 in identifying undesirable applicants. Using discipline data held at the Ethical Standards Department (ESD) and psychometric data held by the Force Psychology Unit, this study involved the analysis of the MMPI-2 scores for two independent samples of police officers. The 'undesirables' sample (n = 149) had an inappropriate complaint history, while no members in the 'desirables' sample (n = 151) had any complaints recorded against their names. The two samples were matched for age, years of service, duties and rank. The primary question addressed by this study was whether the sample of members identified as 'undesirables' attained significantly different MMPI-2 scores than members identified as 'desirables'. A discriminant analysis was conducted which produced a predictive model that, overall, correctly classified 81.9 per cent of all the cases. While the predictive model correctly classified 93.0-95.3 per cent of the 'undesirables', only 61.9-68.8 per cent of the 'desirables' were correctly categorised. These findings extend and refine the research literature on psychological testing and the prediction of unethical behaviour by police. They suggest that more use could be made of the MMPI-2 for screening out applicants who are at risk of future misconduct.

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