Citation

Gutshall CL, Jr DPH, Sebetan IM, Stein PC, Broxtermann TJ. Police Pract. Res. 2017; 18(5): 463-477.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15614263.2017.1288120

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The occupational stress of police officers, and its' effect on working memory and other psychological and behavioral factors over a two-week work period have been investigated. Cognitive performance and stress levels were examined at pre and post work cycles by using a memory test and several self-reporting surveys, each designed for a specific purpose and to gauge a particular set of behaviors and personality traits. The police officers were assigned to patrol duties at the time of the investigation and placed into three groups based on years of service (1-20 years). The results of the investigation identified a deficit in working memory in Junior, Veteran, and Senior Officers, based on the Ray Osterreith Complex Figure Scores at Baseline (pre-stress) vs. Test Day (post-stress). The other survey tools measuring stress impact on personality and behavior, did not demonstrate any statistical differences in the responding groups of officers in their survey performances.

Language: en

Keywords

burnout and dissociation; Cognition; memory; police officer; stress