Test Development Proposal: Step Three

Introduction

This paper is going to present a test instrument that is to be used to measure a cognitive ability, in this paper being Geographic Policing. The purpose of this test instrument would be to measure cognitive ability, there exists other instruments which have been conceived to measure this construct but through literature review and analysis of these pre-existing test instruments, it became apparent that there are certain aspects of cognitive abilities which some of the instruments did not measure and therefore there arose a need for a new instrument to be conceived which would facilitate the measurement of this construct.

Test development

According to Derrington (2009), the way in which questions and response choices are written and presented determines how reliable the results are going to be. The road to reliability commences with a clear objective for each test question, a well-designed structure, as well as, a correct choice of responses to match the test questions. When created in this manner, the test instrument will deliver consistent responses with repeated use, which results to confidence in the results.Derrington (2009)Postulates three steps which are considered as important in developing an effective test instrument. These were specified as creating the right questions, making use of ordinal scales for responses and finally, reviewing and pre-testing the test questions.

This test is proposing to measure a cognitive ability particularly Geographic Policing. The instrument is to be administered to law enforcers in the form of a self filled questionnaire. It is meant to measure law enforcement personnel on their knowledge and judgment and evaluation of the impact and their perception on the effect of geographic policing. Geographic policing was opted for in this test instrument because it is an important practice in the field of law enforcement in ensuring the safety of the community and the public, however, little has been done to evaluate its effectiveness in meeting its pre-meant objectives, and also feedback from the perspective of law enforcers.

Test Instrument Questions

For each of the following statements, please indicate the appropriate true/false answer next to the statements

I have been trained to apply the philosophy of geographic policing in my daily work.

True  False 

Geographic policing has a positive impact in reducing crime in the city.

True  False 

Geographic policing creates better communication among officers and supervisors.

True  False 

Geographic policing has a positive impact on the relationship with the citizens

True  False 

Which of the following statements closely exemplifies your view of geographic policing?

Statement	Response
Statement	Yes	No
5. Geographic policing creates a perception of ownership with officers in their respective beat assignments
6. I feel that I am held accountable for the crime in my beat.
7. I frequently generate new approaches to dealing with crime in my beat.
8. I have positive working relationships with most of the citizens in my beat.

For each of the statements below, please indicate the extent to which you agree with the statements with regards to your position on geographic policing. (Circle the appropriate number where: 1- Strongly Agree, 2-Agree, 3- Neutral, 4-Disagree, 5-Strongly Disagree)

I am concerned with the crime prevention participation levels of the citizens in my beat.