Police Perfection: Examining the Effect of Trait Maximization on Police Decision-Making

Abstract

Police officers around the world must often select between equally unappealing, uncertain courses of action in an attempt to achieve the best outcome. Despite the immense importance of such decisions, there remains a lack of understanding in the study of individual differences in police decision-making. Here, using a sample of senior police officers recruited from decision-making training events across the United Kingdom ( n = 96), we used the Least-worst Uncertain Choice Inventory For Emergency Responses (LUCIFER) to measure the effect of maximization on both domain-specific (police) and domain-general (military) decisions. In line with a wealth of research on traditional “consumer” decisions, we found that police officers who were “maximizers” found decisions more difficult. Gender and previous military experience also influenced the process of decision-making. Specifically, police officers with military experience took more time to assess the situation but were faster to choose a course of action and commit to it. Female police officers also were slower to assess the situation. As recent events show, the outcomes of police decisions have significant consequences for the public, the officers involved, the police force as a whole, and the wider population, yet psychological research has yet to fully explore the role of individual differences in how such decisions are made. While this study does not seek to identify factors associated with “good” or “better” decision-makers, it provides strong support for the need to factor in perspectives of the individual when creating theory, or applied tools, in support of police decision-making.

Yes! Maximizers Maximize Almost Everything: The Decision-Making Style Is Consistent in Different Decision Domains

“…This supports the initial proposition of Schwartz et al ( 2002 ) that maximizing and satisficing would be personality traits. Previous results (Misuraca et al, 2015 ; Kokkoris, 2019 ), including a recent study on decision-making in situations of uncertainty in military contexts (Shortland et al, 2020 ) and ours, seem to support this proposition. From a theoretical perspective, we can infer that maximizers will experience other negative emotions in each of these five decision domains investigated in this study, thus reinforcing the relation between maximization and negative emotional consequences (Luan and Li, 2017 ; Moyano-Díaz and Mendoza-Llanos, 2020 ).…”

Towards a common framework to support decision‐making in high‐risk, low‐time environments

“…Under these conditions intuition can be confirmed, disconfirmed or over‐ridden by deliberative, analytical thinking (Kahneman & Klein, 2009). In multiphased decisions expert decision‐makers can implement a decision, learn from the outcome, and self‐correct before launching a new decision (Shortland et al, 2018; Shortland, Thompson, et al, 2020).…”

Performance of Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Emergency System in COVID-19 Pandemic. An Extensive Narrative Review

“…In fact, a previous study recommended changes in policy styling during various stages of disasters, aiming to maximize effectiveness [58]. In a study that applied the "least-worst" multi-criteria decision-making method (i.e., actions of high risk with possible negative consequences), it was found that police officers' gender and previous military experience influenced this process [59]. In the lack of studies focusing on the fMCDM method during the pandemic, characterized by time pressure, incomplete knowledge and limited resources by police and law enforcement officers, individual differences such as personality traits, intuitive styles, and sacred values should also be taken into account.…”