Intersect of the 5 Factor Model of Personality and Gender Relative to Perceived Levels of Stress for Law Enforcement Officers

Law enforcement officers experience stress on the job. Pre-employment assessments screen potential officers for personality characteristics that may affect job performance. Several researchers have studied stress for law enforcement officers, particularly gender differences in stress levels, as well as personalities of law enforcement officers. Using a multiple linear regression, this study uniquely examines if different personality types and gender correlate with perceived levels of stress. Perceived levels of stress were measured by the stress scores on the Police Stress Questionnaire, Operational and Organizational (PSQ-Op & PSQ-Org). Personality types were measured by the Big Five Personality Inventory, Ten Item (BFI-10). A total of 213 responses were used for analysis. The five domains of personality as a whole statistically correlated to both operational (p= .026) and organizational (p= .018) stress. However, only Extraversion and Neuroticism had statistically significant results when compared to both operational and organizational stress scores. For every 1 unit increase in the PSQ-Op, Extraversion decreased by 0.11 units and Neuroticism increased by 0.20 units. For every 1 unit increase in the PSQ-Org, Extraversion decreased by 0.14 units and Neuroticism increased by 0.20 units. A majority of reviewed studies did not document significant differences in stress levels between males and females. However, the regression as a whole for females was statistically significant when examining organizational stress (p= .006). Upon closer examination, for every 1 unit increase in the PSQ-Org, Conscientiousness decreased by .48 units for females.