PERSONAL AUTONOMY – A KEY FACTOR IN THE PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE OFFICERS

Abstract

The study investigated personal autonomy in among police officers, analyzing four essential dimensions: cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions, as well as the influence of this construct on personality traits. The research sample consisted of 38 subjects (operational police officers) employed by the Romanian Police, with an average age of 39.8 years. The results showed that personal autonomy was manifested at an above-average level among the officers, with scores exceeding the theoretical average across all dimensions of personal autonomy. Additionally, significant correlations were identified between the dimensions of personal autonomy and certain personality traits, such as impulsive sensation- seeking, neuroticism-anxiety, and social desirability. The analysis revealed statistically insignificant differences related to demographic variables such as gender and age. These findings suggest that personal autonomy is a relatively stable trait, independent of demographic factors but influenced by the specific professional context. The conclusions highlight personal autonomy as an important factor in the development of police officers’ personality emphasizing the need to cultivate this trait within professional training and evaluation processes.

Keywords

• police officers
• personality traits
• personal autonomy
• value
• behavioral and emotional autonomy.