https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1181-7123
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Abstract
Whilst the link between personality and decision-making has been studied across various domains, the predictive capability of the Big Five model (openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism) for police decisions in high-risk ambiguous situations under time pressure remains unexplored. One-hundred and fifty-six cadets in a Spanish police force’s commanders’ school (78.8% male, aged 21–54) responded to two expert-designed policing scenarios necessitating quick decisions in ambiguous and high-risk conditions, where they had to act or wait for more information through different stages. They then completed the Mini-IPIP. Statistical tests revealed no significant relationships between the Big Five and (a) participants’ decision timing or (b) the appropriateness of their decisions (all p > 0.05). Linear regressions found no mediation by participants’ gender or prior experience. The predictive power of the top tier of the Big Five in these scenarios is not supported; consideration is given to analysing at the facet or subdimension level.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Guardia Civil Officer Academy’s (AOGC) direction and staff for their support in data collection; to the three GC officers who acted as subject matter experts (Captain Daniel Calvelo-Vázquez, Lieutenant David Galán Ruíz-Poveda and Lieutenant Beatríz Maestro-Pimentel); and to the student candidate Úrsula Da Silva, for her valuable contribution to the development of the vignettes.
CRediT author statement
Ricardo Tejeiro: Conceptualisation, Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing Draft. David McIlroy: Conceptualisation, Review and Editing. Marek Palace: Methodology, Review and Editing. Rui Paulo: Review and Editing. José Luis González: Investigation, Resources.
Disclosure statement
The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article. No funds, grants or other support was received.
Data availability statement
Access to the data collected in this study is restricted in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Organic Law 3/2018 of Personal Data Protection and the Assurance of Digital Rights in Spain. Interested parties can gain access to the data by submitting a request to the corresponding author.
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Notes on contributors
Ricardo Tejeiro
Ricardo Tejeiro is Principal Lecturer at LJMU; he is member of the British Psychological Society’s Forensic Division Training Committee and has been a consultant and trainer or police forces across 12 countries.
David McIlroy
David McIlroy has been a lecturer in Psychology at LJMU since 2001. For seven of those years he served as Psychology programme leader. He is also a member of the Academic Board and has professional memberships with the British Psychological Society, the Psychological Society of Ireland, the Association of National Teaching Fellows and the International Federation of National Teaching Fellows.
Marek Palace
Marek Palace is Senior Lecturer at LJMU, part of the Forensic Psychology research group. His areas of expertise are psychology of war, health promotion, visual persuasion, and risk assessment.
Rui Paulo
Rui Paulo is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at LJMU, having previously worked as Course Leader for the BSc in Forensic Psychology at Bath Spa University and as an Assistant Professor in Forensic Psychology at ISPA University (Portugal), among other places. His research is focused on cognition and memory (particularly eyewitness memory) and investigative interviewing of crime witnesses, victims, and suspects.
José Luis González Álvarez
José Luis González Álvarez is a Colonel Head of Psychological Services at Guardia Civil and guest lecturer at a variety of universities in Spain.