The Revised NEO Personality Inventory as Predictor of Police Academy Performance

Abstract

Preemployment psychological evaluation utilizing personality inventories is common in law enforcement settings. The Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R), developed from the five-factor theory of normal personality functioning, has proven useful in personnel selection. This study examined the predictive validity of NEO PI-R facet scales for predicting academic, firearms, physical, and disciplinary elements of police academy performance, as well as academy graduation. Results indicated that recruits higher in Values and lower in Excitement-Seeking did better academically, those lower in Anxiety did better at firearms, and those lower in Deliberation and Fantasy and higher in Activity did better in physical training. In a logistic regression analysis, Excitement-Seeking, Ideas, and Values predicted disciplinary memos, whereas Self-Consciousness, Altruism, Feelings, Order, Positive Emotions, and Vulnerability predicted absenteeism. Vulnerability to stress was the sole multivariate predictor of graduation. The use of the NEO PI-R as a selection instrument for police officers appears promising.

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