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Psychological hardiness predicts successful selection in a law enforcement special operations assessment and selection course
Author(s) -
Soccorso Cara N.,
Picano James J.,
Moncata Samuel J.,
Miller Caroline D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of selection and assessment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.812
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1468-2389
pISSN - 0965-075X
DOI - 10.1111/ijsa.12254
Subject(s) - psychology , hardiness (plants) , selection (genetic algorithm) , law enforcement , sample (material) , personnel selection , cognition , social psychology , applied psychology , law , political science , management , computer science , chemistry , chromatography , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , horticulture , cultivar , economics , biology
Abstract We studied the predictive effects of psychological hardiness on successful selection in a United States federal tactical law enforcement assessment and selection (A&S) program. Seventy‐one male experienced law enforcement personnel participated in a week‐long, physically and psychologically rigorous A&S course. Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS‐15) Total Hardiness scores predicted selection in this select sample. Age and cognitive ability moderated the predictive effects of psychological hardiness such that hardiness predicted selection in younger candidates and candidates with higher cognitive ability. Similar findings were obtained for DRS Commitment. DRS‐15 Control facet also differentiated selection in this sample but the predictive effects did not hold when age and cognitive ability were controlled. Findings extend the application of the DRS‐15 to law enforcement personnel selection and highlight the importance of examining moderating effects of psychological hardiness.