Title: Qualitative and quantitative study of police investigative thinking styles

Authors: Geoff Dean, Ivar Andre Fahsing, Petter Gottschalk

Addresses: School of Justice Studies, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, G.P.O. Box 2434, Brisbane Qld 4001, Australia. ' Norwegian Police University College, P.O. Box 5027, Majorstua, Oslo 0301, Norway. ' Department of Leadership and Organization Management, Norwegian School of Management BI, Nydalsveien 37, Oslo 0442, Norway

Abstract: A qualitative study of detectives| investigative thinking in Australia identified four thinking styles: method style, challenge style, skill style and risk style. Multiple item scales were developed for these four constructs in a survey instrument. A quantitative study based on the questionnaire was conducted among detectives in Norway. None of the multiple item scales achieved acceptable reliability. Factor analysis suggests a number of new thinking styles, including entrepreneur style and architect style.

Keywords: profiling; police investigations; investigative psychology; investigative thinking styles; police knowledge management; Australia; Norway; detectives; cognitive psychology; criminal investigation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKL.2007.012601

International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 2007 Vol.3 No.1, pp.76 - 87

Published online: 26 Feb 2007 *

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