Personality Assessment in High-Risk Employment Contexts

Abstract This chapter examines the considerations necessary when conducting pre-employment psychological screening assessments for high-risk, public safety occupations. Emphasis is given to “select-out” procedures designed to either rule out or identify disqualifying psychological conditions and maladaptive traits. Considerations common to such psychological assessments for all high-risk occupations are explicated, with emphasis on the identification and management of response distortion and the use of multimethod assessment procedures that include the collection and review of collateral records and the administration of psychological tests with demonstrated utility and normative data for the occupation of interest. Test selection issues and the merits of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 are discussed. The chapter then discusses the psychological assessment issues that are specific to three high-risk occupations: airline pilots, air traffic controllers, and police officers. The normative personality characteristics for each of those occupational groups are discussed, and descriptions of effective assessment programs are provided.