Law Enforcement Motivation

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Recommended: Police recruiting and selection processes

The study of motivation has long been a topic for psychologists. Motivation is described as an initiating and guiding force of goal oriented behavior. Motivation goes beyond the desires and examines the “why” of human actions. The proposed research seeks to investigate motivation of individuals seeking employment in law enforcement. Police work offers unique physical and psychological challenges. The potential for physical debilitation, mental trauma and even death is a constant stressor for law enforcement agencies and individuals. The evolution of police work has demanded that the individual engaged is physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared to handle the hazards of the job. The processes used in the selection of potential police …show more content…

Psychological well-being is evident through high levels of self-esteem and satisfaction with one’s overall emotional life. Physical well-being reflects the individual’s overall health (Duff, Rubenstien, & Prilleltensky, 2016). Vocational interests are defined as noncognitive constructs of individual preference toward certain consistent types of work environments (Iliescu, et al., 2015). This is where the research will posit that there are four general types of vocational interests (motivations) that drive individuals to seek employment in law enforcement. These …show more content…

This is evident in the significant amount of money that is distributed for training and outfitting new recruits. While staffing remains one of the biggest challenges for law enforcement agencies, Wilson (2012) suggests the lack of conceptualized staffing procedures gives greater priority for empirical studies pertaining to selection and retention. After all, ensuring a sound investment is critical to organizational health, and fiscal concerns (Wilson, 2012). By identifying characteristics pertinent to successful assimilation into policing, it also becomes easier to tailor continuing education and training specific to those individuals. Unfortunately, there remains no nationally recognized evaluative processes utilized during the pre-employment phases for police candidates (Wilson,

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