Personality of Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cadets Following the Cadet Training Program

Police recruit training signifies a major shift in social roles that may change personality. While personality measurement is often used for police recruitment and selection processes, less is known about changes in personality following police recruit training. The current study examines changes in personality profiles of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cadets after completing the RCMP Cadet Training Program and compares to the general population. Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 449) from the larger RCMP Longitudinal PTSD Study who completed the RCMP Cadet Training Program and self-reported personality using the HEXACO-100 personality inventory at pre-training and pre-deployment. The current results indicated small, but statistically significant, differences on several HEXACO personality factors and facets among RCMP cadets completing the RCMP Cadet Training Program when compared to pre-training measures. However, despite small changes in personality, RCMP cadets completing training retained personality profiles different from the general population. The current results appear to contradict suggestions that the RCMP Cadet Training Program negatively impacts cadets’ personality and suggests instead that cadets completing the training display personalities suitable for contemporary policing. The current results provide insights into the impact police training may have on cadet personalities and personality development associated with life events.