The development and validation of the general attitudes toward police scale (GAPS)

The research describes the development of the General Attitudes toward Police Scale (GAPS). In Study 1, participants completed a 60-item questionnaire designed to capture general attitudes toward police. IRT was used to develop a 14-item scale. In Study 2, the validity of the GAPS was examined. Participants completed the GAPS, viewed a police-civilian confrontation video, and were asked about the officer’s use of force. Results revealed participants’ scores on the GAPS related to their judgments of police use of force. The GAPS serves as an alternative to existing measures of attitudes when a brief and more general measure is needed.