Personality trait differences in law enforcement officers: The impact of career-related stress and lengths of service

Abstract

Purpose

Law enforcement is a stressful career, especially to US-based officers. Officers are typically psychologically screened and declared fit for duty prior to completing training. Current personality research has demonstrated the potential for traits to increase or decrease due to a variety of factors, including time and stress levels. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how officers’ personality traits may differ based upon their levels of stress and lengths of service. This quantitative non-experimental research design recruited potential participants from several online-based, law enforcement officer-centric channels. Participants then completed a five-factor model (FFM) personality measure, the Law Enforcement Officer Stress Scale, and an accompanying demographic questionnaire. The participants’ FFM personality trait levels (dependent variable) were measured and compared to other participants’ trait levels based upon the independent variables of lengths of service and stress levels. The authors found the current sample had a higher mean stress level than any previously reported law enforcement officer sample. The personality trait agreeableness was significantly correlated with extraversion, and extraversion was significantly correlated with openness to new experiences. The authors found significant differences in several FFM traits for both career-related stress and length of service. The findings support previous research, contribute to the job demand-control model, and suggest the continued stress of the job may psychologically impact an officer. It is recommended law enforcement administrators be more aware of this potential and consider findings strategies to mitigate these trait differences.

Design/methodology/approach

This quantitative non-experimental research design recruited potential participants from several online-based, law enforcement officer-centric channels. Participants then completed a five-factor personality measure, the Law Enforcement Officer Stress Scale, and an accompanying demographic questionnaire. The participants’ FFM personality trait levels (dependent variable) were measured and compared to other participants’ trait levels based upon the independent variables of lengths of service and stress levels.

Findings

The authors found the current sample had a higher mean stress level than any previously report law enforcement officer sample. The personality trait agreeableness was significantly correlated with extraversion, r(159)=0.36, p<0.000; and, extraversion was significantly correlated with openness to new experiences, r(159)=0.28, p<0.000. The authors found significant differences in several FFM traits for both career-related stress and length of service.

Research limitations/implications

These findings support previous research, contribute to the job demand-control model, and suggest the continued stress of the job may psychologically impact an officer.

Practical implications

It is recommended law enforcement administrators be more aware of this potential and consider findings strategies to mitigate these trait differences.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine how personality may differ in law enforcement officers (LEOs) with both high stress and long careers. Logical follow-ups to this study would be longitudinal studies on LEOs.

Citation

Challacombe, D.J., Ackerman, M. and Stones, A. (2019), "Personality trait differences in law enforcement officers: The impact of career-related stress and lengths of service", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 42 No. 6, pp. 1081-1096. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-01-2019-0004