Unit 7: Communication Skills

The Psychological Interview

The psychological interview is usually based on the results of the written psychological tests and a report on the police department’s investigation of the candidate’s background. The interview often includes getting a brief life history from the candidate. Common questions focus on family relationships, friendships, and experiences in school. It is also common for the interviewer to ask some general questions like, “Tell me about yourself’ or “What are your strong points and what are your weak points as a person?”

The interview might include an imaginary scenario, such as: “Imagine that you are a police officer. You see a teenager shove a woman so that she falls to the ground, grab her pocketbook, and run. He is running too fast for you to catch. What would you do?” .... “if there was no other way to stop him, would you use your gun?”

During a psychological interview, bear in mind that the interviewer is trying to answer two basic questions. The first is, Should this person be entrusted with police powers and given a gun? The second is, Can this person be managed by superiors without much trouble?

To answer the first question, about entrusting you with police powers and a gun, the interviewer wants to determine whether you are prudent (not impulsive, not over-reacting), flexible (able to see different aspects of a situation), able to take charge of people and situations without overdoing it (use of minimum necessary force), and capable of maintaining emotional control even in stressful situations.

To answer the second question, about whether you are a manageable person, the interviewer wants to determine whether you can take orders without resentment, whether you can follow rules, whether you are candid or evasive in dealing with a superior, and whether you accept responsibility for your own actions. Obviously, if your conduct in the interview is improper, if you are evasive, if you get angry or hostile about the questions, if you lacked the common sense to dress appropriately or failed to make sure you got there on time, if you got impatient at being kept waiting, the interviewer is less likely to regard you as a suitable candidate.

Do not ask the interviewer how you did in the interview. Ordinarily, the interviewer is not allowed to tell you. You would get a vague reply, no matter how well you did. Leave with a pleasant “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.” After you leave, the interviewer will write up a report on the interview and a recommendation about whether you should be hired.