What would you say the most important trait is in a police officer? I would say it’s the ability to keep your composure under intense pressure.

At the Indiana University Police Academy, the composure of new recruits is tested by what’s called “the chicken test”. Which does actually involve a chicken.

You may be pleased to hear that it isn’t a real chicken. Instead, a rubber chicken is dangled in front of the faces of the recruits. Their task is to stay composed throughout.

Given the number of recruits who fail this task it’s obviously harder than it looks. But the punishment, to adopt the plank position, is even tougher.