Citation

Faro J, Frosch CA, Barrett DJK. Police Pract. Res. 2022; 23(3): 355-369.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15614263.2021.1927730

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Experience is positively related to performance, but it is less clear whether experience might also minimise the deleterious effects of anxiety and arousal in stressful situations. One hundred and twenty-seven UK firearms officers of different experience levels participated in an experiment examining the extent to which anxiety affects performance during a bi-annual qualification shoot. Performance and anxiety were compared on a low-arousal development shoot and a high-arousal qualification shoot; qualification shoot failure would result in removal from operational duties. Heart rate and responses to the State-Trait Anxiety questionnaire were examined in relation to shooting performance. Less experienced officers demonstrated significantly higher baseline corrected mean heart rates, higher anxiety levels and lower accuracy than their more experienced counterparts, who maintained accuracy, despite a significant increase in heart rate during the qualification compared to the development shoot. The results, some of the first to examine British firearms officers in their natural training environment, suggest experience reduces the physiological impact of arousal on performance in pressurised situations. We discuss options for reducing the impact on performance in less experienced officers.

Language: en

Keywords

accuracy; arousal; authorised firearms officer; experience; Police; stress