Criterion-related validity of Dutch police-selection measures and differences between ethnic groups

This study investigated the criterion-related validity of cognitive ability as well as non-cognitive ability measures and differences between ethnic majority (N=2365) and minority applicants (N=682) in Dutch police officer selection. Findings confirmed the relatively low predictive validity of cognitive ability generally found for police jobs. Previous research reported no differential prediction. The present study, however, found small but systematic evidence for differences in validity for the ethnic majority and minority group of both cognitive and non-cognitive measures. For the minority group, training performance appeared to be mainly predicted by the cognitive ability test. For the majority group, cognitive ability showed very little predictive power. Non-cognitive ability variables appeared to be somewhat more predictive in this group.

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