Introduction to Industrial/

Organizational Psychology
CHAPTER 1
The Field of I/O Psychology
Industrial/Organizational Psychology – a branch of
psychology that applies the principles of psychology to the
workplace
-It examines factors that affect the people in an organization
as opposed to the broader aspects of running an
organization such as marketing channels, transportation
networks and cost accounting
-It relies extensively on research, quantitative methods and
testing techniques
Major Fields of I/O Psychology
Industrial Psychology – focuses on determining the competencies
needed to perform a job, staffing the organization with employees
who have those competencies, and increasing those competencies
through training
Organizational Psychology – creates an organizational structure
and culture that will motivate employees to perform well, give them
the necessary information to do their jobs, and provide working
conditions that are safe and result in an enjoyable and satisfying
work/life environment
Major Fields of I/O Psychology
1. Personnel Psychology – field of study that concentrates on the selection
and evaluation of employees
-Study and practice in such areas as analyzing jobs, recruiting applicants,
selecting employees, determining salary levels, training employees and
evaluating employee performance
2. Organizational Psychology – field of study that investigates the behavior
of employees within the context of an organization
- Concerned with the issues of leadership, job satisfaction, employee
motivation, organizational communication, conflict management,
organizational change and group processes within an organization
Major Fields of I/O Psychology
3. Human Factors/Ergonomics – field of study concentrating on the
interaction between humans and machines, workplace design and
physical fatigue and stress
- They work with engineers and other technical professionals to make
the workplace safer and more efficient
- Sample activities in this subfield have included designing the
optimal way to draw a map, designing the most comfortable chair,
and investigating the optimal work schedule
Brief History of I/O Psychology
1903 – Walter Dill Scott wrote The Theory of Advertising, in which
psychology was first applied to business
1910 – Hugo Munsterberg wrote Psychology and Industrial
Efficiency which was first published in English in 1913
1911 – Scott wrote the book Increasing Human Efficiency in Business
* The term “industrial psychology” was seldom used prior to World
War I, instead the common terms are employment psychology,
economic psychology and business psychology.
Brief History of I/O Psychology
John Watson – pioneer in behaviorism, served as a major in the U.S. Army
in World War I and developed perceptual and motor tests for potential
pilot
Thomas Edison – understood the importance of selecting the right
employees. In 1920, he created a 163-item knowledge test that he
administered to over 900 employees. The test and passing score was so
difficult that only 5% of the applicants passed. (45)
Frank Gilbreth & Lillian Mollet Gilbreth – they improve productivity and
reduce fatigue by studying the motions used by workers
-they had 12 children, they were the inspiration for the book and the
movie “Cheaper by the Dozen”
Brief History of I/O Psychology
Hawthorne studies – conducted at the Hawthorne plant of the
Western Electric Company in the Chicago area, demonstrated that
employee behavior was complex and that the interpersonal
interactions between managers and employees played a tremendous
role in employee behavior
- Initially designed to investigate such issues as the effects of lighting
levels, work schedules, wages, temperature and rest breaks on
employee performance.
Brief History of I/O Psychology
Hawthorne Effect – when employees change their behavior due solely to
the fact that they are receiving attention or are being observed
1890s and 1990s – brought 4 major changes to I/O Psychology
1. Involved an increased use of fairly sophisticated statistical techniques
and methods of analysis
2. New interest in the application of cognitive psychology to industry
3. Increased interest in the effects of work on family life and leisure
activities
4. Renewed interest in developing methods to select employees
2000s – rapid advances in technology in I/O Psychology
Employment of I/O Psychologists
*As of 2009, the median salary was $74,500 for Master’s level
positions and $105,000 for doctoral-level positions, the top 10% of
I/O psychologists with doctoral degrees earned more than $200,000
6%
7%

33%

15%
Consulting

Academic
Private

Public
Other

39%
Educational Requirements and Types of
Programs
Graduate Record Exam(GRE) – a standardized admission
test required by most psychology graduate schools
*Admission requirements vary greatly from school to school,
but an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least
3.0 and a score of 1,000 on the Graduate Record Exam(GRE)
Types of Graduate Programs
Terminal Master’s Degree Programs – graduate programs that offer a
master’s degree not a PhD
-Best suited for students wanting an applied HR position in an
organization
Master’s Program – requires 40 hours of graduate coursework
-Thesis that must be completed in the second year of graduate school
-Require a student to pass a comprehensive oral and/or written
examination before graduation
Types of Graduate Programs
Doctoral Program – 5 years to complete
-Common entrance requirements are 3.5 GPA and a GRE score of 1,200
-First two years are for academic subjects
Internship – a situation in which a student works for an organization,
either for pay or as a volunteer, to receive practical work experience
Practicum – a paid or unpaid position with an organization that gives a
student practical work experience
Dissertation – a formal research paper required of most doctoral students
in order to graduate
The End!