AbstractThis study examines the structure of the role perceptions of self as deputy sheriff, average deputy, and ideal deputy and the effect of interpersonal relations training on those perceptions. Two‐day interpersonal relations training sessions were conducted in small groups for 177 courtroom deputy sheriffs. The sheriffs were assigned randomly to three conditions: pretraining testing, posttraining testing, and pre‐ and posttraining testing. Factor analyses revealed a consistent structure of three factors for all three role perceptions: an evaluation factor, a potency factor, and a machismo factor. Scores on the potency factor discriminated among ideal, self, and average role perceptions. Machismo factor scores declined after training for ideal and self role perceptions. No test sensitization effects were evid