Post Job Offer Products:
Psychological History Questionnaire (PsyQ) and PsyQ-Required Explanations (PsyQ-RE) Post-Offer The Psychological History Questionnaire (PsyQ) is a self-report questionnaire that collects behavioral and psychological history information that is pertinent to the evaluation of applicants for public safety positions. This information is used by the examining psychologist to determine the extent to which the findings from psychological testing are corroborated by an applicant's actual behavioral history. The PsyQ questionnaire is available in two versions. The first version is limited to multiple choice questions and may be taken via paper and pencil or online. The second version which is available only online includes all the PsyQ questions but adds the "required explanations" feature in which applicants who make certain responses are required to provide further information (who, what, why, where, and when) about their responses, in their own words, before they can proceed with the rest of the questionnaire. |
Sample Reports:
Authors of the Test and Report
JRA, Inc., is the creator, copyright holder, and sole provider of the Psychological History Questionnaire and the PsyQ Police and Public Safety Selection Report. |
The PsyQ contains 340 questions covering 14 topic areas:
The questions are worded clearly, in language that is easy for applicants to understand. They contain question-specific response categories, as required to reflect the range of relevant responses to each question. For example, the question "What is the highest level of education you have completed?" is followed by the following response categories:
Police and Public Safety Selection Report
The PsyQ Police and Public Safety Selection report summarizes the information from the PsyQ questionnaire in a concise, well-organized format, which is intended to be used as a guide or template for the psychologist when conducting an interview with the applicant.
The Report Begins With a "Problem Profile" Section That:
The Report Then Has a Comprehensive Section That:
- Education
- Employment
- Military Experience
- Law Enforcement Experience
- Driving Record
- Financial History
- Legal History
- Substance Use
- General Information
- Developmental History
- Adult Relationships
- Parental Responsibilities
- Psychological Treatment And Evaluation History
- Job Relevant Sexual History
The questions are worded clearly, in language that is easy for applicants to understand. They contain question-specific response categories, as required to reflect the range of relevant responses to each question. For example, the question "What is the highest level of education you have completed?" is followed by the following response categories:
- G.E.D.
- Graduated from high school
- 1-2 years of college (1-59 semester units)
- 3-4 years of college (60+ semester units); no bachelor's degree
- Graduated from a four year college (e.g., B.A., B.S.)
- Postgraduate degree (e.g., M.A., L.L.B., Ph.D.)
Police and Public Safety Selection Report
The PsyQ Police and Public Safety Selection report summarizes the information from the PsyQ questionnaire in a concise, well-organized format, which is intended to be used as a guide or template for the psychologist when conducting an interview with the applicant.
The Report Begins With a "Problem Profile" Section That:
- lists the most problematic applicant responses, assigning each of these responses to one of five levels of increasing seriousness (two "critical" and three "serious")
- computes an overall problem score, which compares the applicant described in the report -- on a percentile basis -- to a nationwide sample of applicants for the same type of position (police officer, corrections officer, etc.)
- The problem level for each PsyQ response was determined by a panel of veteran police psychologists, who had extensive experience interacting with background investigators as part of the psychological screening process.
The Report Then Has a Comprehensive Section That:
- lists the responses to each question in the PsyQ questionnaire, along with its problem rating and the percentage of applicants who make the same response or one that is even more problematic
- indicates selected admissions that the psychologist should verify with the applicant during the interview
- suggests additional questions that the psychologist should ask during the interview to supplement the information provided by the questionnaire responses. (For example, if the applicant indicates that he has had personality conflicts with a peer or supervisor at work, the report will suggest that the psychologist prompt for additional details about these conflicts.