SSPO Survey Methodology and Administration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'norm group' mean in the context of a police selection survey?
- The group of candidates who scored at or above average
- A representative sample used to establish comparative score benchmarks (Correct answer)
- The panel of raters who scored open-ended responses
- Candidates from previous hiring cycles who became model officers
Correct answer: A representative sample used to establish comparative score benchmarks
A norm group is a reference sample whose scores are used to establish percentile ranks or standard scores, allowing individual results to be interpreted comparatively.
Question 2: An applicant's survey results flag a high score on 'negative impression management.' What behavior does this most likely indicate?
- The applicant tried to appear more positive than they truly are
- The applicant deliberately portrayed themselves in an unfavorable light (Correct answer)
- The applicant answered randomly without reading the questions
- The applicant showed elevated stress or anxiety during the survey
Correct answer: The applicant deliberately portrayed themselves in an unfavorable light
Negative impression management (faking bad) occurs when a respondent endorses overly negative attributes, possibly to appear modest or to avoid selection.
Question 3: Which statistical measure is used to assess the internal consistency of a multi-item survey scale?
- Pearson correlation coefficient
- Cronbach's alpha (Correct answer)
- Standard error of measurement
- Cohen's d
Correct answer: Cronbach's alpha
Cronbach's alpha measures how consistently items within a scale measure the same underlying construct, with values above 0.70 generally considered acceptable.
Question 4: A police agency uses the survey results to eliminate the bottom 20% of scorers before interviews. This practice is called:
- Banding
- Top-down selection
- Multiple hurdles (compensatory model)
- Cut-score screening (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cut-score screening
Cut-score screening establishes a minimum threshold; candidates below it are eliminated, reducing the pool before subsequent evaluation stages.
Question 5: In survey design, 'double-barreled questions' are problematic because they:
- Ask about sensitive topics that candidates may refuse to answer
- Measure two separate concepts within a single item, making responses ambiguous (Correct answer)
- Use reversed wording that confuses respondents
- Contain culturally biased language targeting specific groups
Correct answer: Measure two separate concepts within a single item, making responses ambiguous
A double-barreled question asks about two things at once (e.g., 'Are you honest and reliable?'), making it impossible to interpret a single 'agree' or 'disagree' response.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of 'construct validity' in a police selection survey?
- The survey was completed by at least 1,000 applicants
- Scores on the integrity scale correlate negatively with past disciplinary records (Correct answer)
- Items were reviewed by a panel of law enforcement officers
- The survey was administered in under 60 minutes
Correct answer: Scores on the integrity scale correlate negatively with past disciplinary records
Construct validity is demonstrated when scale scores relate to other measures in theoretically expected ways, such as an integrity scale predicting disciplinary outcomes.
Question 7: Why are survey items often 'reverse-scored' on some scales in police psychological assessments?
- To speed up administration time
- To detect careless or random responding by checking response consistency (Correct answer)
- To increase the number of usable score points on the scale
- To translate items for non-English-speaking applicants
Correct answer: To detect careless or random responding by checking response consistency
Reverse-scored items require a candidate who truly endorses a trait to respond differently to these items versus positively worded ones, catching those who answer the same way without reading.
SSPO Survey Methodology and Administration 3
What does the term 'norm group' mean in the context of a police selection survey?