Organizational Psychology

Purpose. The purpose of the study is to identify the characteristics of professional personality deformation of employees of the internal affairs bodies of units performing the administrative and preventive function and units carrying out investigation and disclosure of crimes. The study developed the following classification of professional personality deformation of employees of internal affairs bodies: authoritarianism, professional aggression, overcontrol, behavioral transfer (manifestation of role transfer syndrome), irresponsibility or learned helplessness, conservatism and anxiety. Methodology. Research methods: questionnaires, psychological diagnostic, as well as statistical methods: descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and multivariate analysis of variance. To identify professional personality deformation, an author’s questionnaire was developed, and psychological testing methods were used, which are included in the base of the main battery of methods used in testing law enforcement officers. The study involved 70 employees of the Arkhangelsk police. Findings. As a result of the study,the severity of types of professional personality deformation among police officers was revealed; the features of professional deformation of employees of the internal affairs bodies of the departments carrying out the administrative and preventive function and of the units carrying out the investigation and disclosure of crimes with different efficiency have been identified; the relationship between the severity of professional deformations and the effectiveness of professional activities among employees is studied. Conclusions. The following types of professional personality deformation are characteristic ofpolice officers: authoritarianism, professional aggression, behavioral transfer, anxiety, irresponsibility, over-control and conservatism. The employees of the unit investigating and solving crimes have a higher level of professional aggression and behavioral transfer than employees performing a preventive function. Employees with reduced performance characteristics have higher rates on the scales of professional aggression, behavioral transfer, conservatism, and anxiety. Implications for practice. The results of this study have been introduced into the practical activities of the psychological service of the URLS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Arkhangelsk Region and are used in organizing the work on the moral and psychological support of the staff’s official activities.