Personality Traits and Its Relationship to Psychological Stress Among Investigation Officers in the Northern Governorates

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the most common personality traits and psychological stress among investigation officers in the northern governorates, and to investigate the relationship between personality traits and psychological stress among them. To achieve its objectives, the study adopted the descriptive correlative approach, and the study sample was chosen from the investigation officers in the Palestinian police by means of a stratified random sample according to age, educational level, and military rank. The study sample include 450 officers from the investigation officers in the northern governorates, and the study two scales were applied to them: personality traits scale, and psychological stress scale. Researcher preparation. The results of the study showe that the level of personality traits among the investigation officers in the northern governorates was moderate, as the average value of the percentage of their responses was 61%, and the level of psychological stress among the investigation officers in the northern governorates was in a little degree, the average percentage on the total scale was 51%. The results also showe a positive linear relationship between the stress trait as one the personality traits and psychological stress and between each dimension of psychological stress represented by the dimension of cognitive stress, physiological stress, psychological stress, and occupational stress. The study also showe that there is a negative linear relationship between the control trait as one of the personality traits and occupational stress dimension of psychological stress, as well as the existence of a positive linear relationship between the personality trait of suspicion and psychological stress combined, and between each dimension of psychological stress represented by the dimensions of cognitive stress, physiological stress, psychological stress and job stress. The study indicate that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤.05) between the average personality traits of the investigation officers in the northern governorates due to the variables of age, educational level, and military rank. The study also show that there are no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤.05) between the average psychological stress of the investigation officers in the northern governorates due to the variable of age on the combined psychological stress (total score), and all of dimensions of cognitive stress, psychological stress , and job stress, and that psychological stress differs among investigation officers in the northern governorates according to their ages on the physiological stress dimension. The results showed a positive correlation between personality traits and psychological stress combined, and accordingly the null hypothesis was rejected.