Individual Differences in the Police Force

Can psychometric testing to assess individual differences usefully complement the existing selection procedures used by state police forces in Germany?

Background
State police forces in Germany receive thousands of applications each year and must select the most suitable candidates for police service. This project evaluates current selection procedures in collaboration with several state police forces (including North Rhine-Westphalia). It also examines whether, and to what extent, these procedures can be usefully supplemented by psychometric assessments of individual differences to enable more reliable predictions of applicants’ suitability. Particular attention is paid to reducing attrition (dropout) rates.

Expected impact
The expected impacts include greater predictive validity of selection decisions and, accordingly, a more accurate identification of suitable applicants. Over time, this should reduce selection errors, lower training and attrition costs, and strengthen selection processes across the state police forces.