Psycho-diagnostic criteria of professional reliability of officers of the Russian Guard Troops

Introduction. The article is devoted to the studies of psycho-diagnostic criteria for the professional reliability of officers of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation as subjects of law enforcement activities performing important state tasks to protect public order and ensure public safety. Its purpose was to try to identify scale psycho-diagnostic indicators of test methods used for the professional psychological selection of candidates for training and psychological support for the professional development of future officers of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, which, could serve as criteria for evaluating and predicting their personal professional reliability. Research methods. The study used methods of psychological diagnosis (10 test psycho-diagnostic techniques, including for the study of the peculiarities of thinking – the Intelligence Structure Test (IST) – MIOM, self-assessment of the current mental state – SUPOS-8, studying the Schwartz’s basic values of personality, unconscious Self-structural elements of personality with the help of a Psycho-dynamic Oriented Personality Questionnaire (POPQ) “Resource” and etc.), previously selected by specialists of the professional psychological selection group and approved in accordance with the established procedure by the management, expert assessments of the results of the training and service activities of cadets and the professional activities of graduates at primary officer training positions, retrospective analysis of psychodiagnostic indicators of the methods used, statistical methods of comparative analysis (The Mann–Whitney U-test and Variance analysis). Based on the analysis of independent expert assessment and performance results, the gradation of cadets and graduate officers of the military institute into four groups with different levels (high, medium, below medium, low) of professional reliability was carried out. Results. As a result of a retrospective comparative analysis of data of psychodiagnostic tests of 221 male cadets, 52 scale indicators were identified from more than 200 psychodiagnostic indicators (scales) of the methods used, statistically significantly distinguishing subjects with different levels of professional reliability, 21 (58%) of which had a linear dependence on the level (group) of professional reliability and a 7-year depth the forecast. Depending on the nature of the differences obtained, some can be used as psychological (personal) predictors and protectors of professional reliability, while others can be used as limiting factors of its manifestation and development.The scientific novelty and practical significance of the obtained psycho-diagnostic indicators is determined by the possibility of their use for psychological forecasting of professional reliability not only of cadets during their studies at a military university, but also of graduate officers during their professional activities in the military on primary officer positions, including through the creation of special decision forecasting rules (regression equations and discriminant functions). In addition, the obtained psycho-diagnostic indicators (scales) can be correctly extrapolated as criteria (predictors, protectors and limiting factors) of professional reliability to the officer (commanding) staff of other state law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, and also used to create algorithms (decision rules) of psychological forecasting of their professional reliability at the stages of professional psychological selection, professional development and psychological support of professional activity.