| Affiliation: | (1) Department of Criminal Justice, Northern Arizona University, 86011 Flagstaff, Arizona;(2) Present address: College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 86011 Flagstaff, Arizona;(3) Present address: Department of Psychology, Northern Arizona University, 86011 Flagstaff, Arizona |
| Abstract: | This study compared the Niederhoffer Cynicism Scale, as a less costly alternative, to the MMPI-2 measure of cynicism. Data were collected on both scales from a sample of male and female police academy trainees to compare reliability and construct validity. Subgroup analyses by race and sex yielded comparable Cronbach alpha estimates for minority (.71) and majority (.83) males to MMPI-2 norms. The Niederhoffer reliability values were marginally smaller (.73 to .77) but within the acceptable range. Construct validity correlations between both scales were significant for minority and majority males. However, sample size was too small for both minority and majority females groups to use appropriate statistical techniques to determine reliability or validity. Continued use of the Niederhoffer is recommended for minority and majority males. Author's Note: This paper was presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Western Social Science Association in Albuquerque, NM, in April of 2002. |
