Pre-employment screening of police officers: Limitations of the mmpi-2 K-Scale as a useful predictor of performance

Abstract

The present study sought to clarify the utility of the MMPI-2’s K Scale as a measure of future professional performance by comparing supervisor job performance ratings of law enforcement officers who had been hired with high K Scale scores with those of law enforcement officers who had been hired without elevated K Scale scores on the psychological assessment portion of screening using the MMPI-2. Supervisors were asked to rate each officer’s level of defensiveness, the trait targeted by items on the K-Scale. Results of this study found that officers scoring in the high K group received similar supervisor ratings regarding their overall performance. Results were consistent with past research that indicates a lack of statistically significant support for the utility of the K Scale as a sole criterion for disqualification of an applicant who manifests highly defensive tendencies. This study supports previous research and substantiates the need to look beyond the K-score when screening police personnel.