IS A POLICE OFFICER’S SENSE OF SELF-LEGITIMACY PREDICTIVE OF JOB SATISFACTION?

The primary purpose of this thesis was to determine whether self-legitimacy impacted police officer satisfaction. Using data collected through an online self-reported survey, perceptions of satisfaction among 266 St. Louis County police officers were analyzed, controlling for other factors previously determined to be important to satisfaction such as race, gender, educational achievement, stress, relationships with supervisors, and years of experience. Results showed that self-legitimacy did not significantly affect officer satisfaction; however, relationships with supervisors and stress were significant in determining officer satisfaction. A possible explanation is offered that takes into account the nature of law enforcement around the time of survey collection (i.e., in the aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting)