Individual Differences Related to Shooting Performance, in a Police Night-training Shooting Exercise

Increased understanding of the stress and performance effects of gun range drills with police officers is of importance for law enforcement trainers. Seventy-one police officers participated in routine night shooting drills over a two week period as part of regular training regimen. This paper examines the effects of two shooting range tasks on police officer’s time perception, individual differences, and shooting performance. Theoretical considerations led to the hypothesis that performance changes under stress may be related to distortions in the perception of time. However, the results of this study do not provide strong evidence for nomothetic effects of time distortion. Rather, it is more likely a function of individual differences. Future studies will examine potential individual differences variables that influence the relation between time distortion under stress and task performance.