CHAP1- INTRODUCTION TO I/O PSY Flashcards
Psychology
Is the science of the —–
human behavior, cognitions, emotions, and motivation.
I/O psychology is the science of
human behavior, cognitions, emotions, and motivation as it relates to work
Dual focus =
Organization & Employee
Efficiency/productivity of organizations
Health/well-being of employee
Dual nature =
Scientist & Practitioner
Application of the science of psychology and its principles to the workplace (organization & Employees)
What is I/O Psychology? In summary: I/O psychology is:
The branch of psychology that applies the principles of psychology to the workplace
The Purpose of I/O Psychology:
“to enhance the dignity and performance of human beings, and the organizations they work in, by advancing the science and knowledge of human behavior”
Work and Sleep are…
Major Life Activities
Workers spend the majority of their time doing one or the other
Millions of people in UAE Work
I/O psychology can impact all of these individuals, PLUS those around them!
Organizational Effectiveness:
I/O psychologists can help organizations reduce costs, improve performance/productivity, etc.
Approx. …% of Psychologists work within the I/O field
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I/O Related Organizations
SIOP – “The Governing I/O Organization”
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Division 14 of APA (American Psychological Association)
SHRM
Society for Human Resources
Are I/O’s licensed like clinical psychologists?
Little reason to get licensed and has no effect on typical I/O jobs
Key Differences between I/O vs. Business Programs
I/O psychologists rely on application of psychological principles.
I/O psychologists focus on the factors in businesses that affect people.
I/O psychologists rely heavily on research, quantitative methods, and testing techniques for guiding decisions.
Personnel Psychology (The “I” in I/O Psychology)
Defining and analyzing jobs
Recruiting and selecting employees for jobs
Training employees
Assessing performance
Promoting and retaining employees
Test development and Validation
Legal Issues
Organizational Psychology (The “O” in I/O)
Determining how people feel about work
Determining why people act as they do at work
Examining the effects work has on people
Examining the effects people have on one another
How organizations are structured and function
How work is designed
Examining work relevant health, safety, and well-being issues
EmploymentIO psych
Little Or (Self-Employment)
4 Main Work Settings:
Universities
Consulting Firms
Industry/Corporations
Government Agencies
I/O psychologists often work/consult with
MBAs
CEOs,
VPs,
HR staff
Healthcare/Health Science Staff (in Occupational Health Specialty)
Early 1900s
Merging of two forces: Applying psychology & industrial engineers improving efficiency
Four Major Figures
Walter Dill Scott
Frederick Taylor
Lillian (and Frank) Gilbreth
Hugo Munsterberg
Walter Dill Scott
“Psychology of Advertising” 1908
“Increasing Human Efficiency”
Contributed WWI to application to Army
Frederick Taylor
Engineer focused on redesigning work
“Principles of Scientific Management” 1911
Frederick Taylor’s 4 principles of Scientific Management” 1911
Four Principles
Science over rule of thumb
Scientific selection and training
Cooperation over individualism
Equal division of work best suited to management and employees
Lillian (and Frank) Gilbreth
Lillian - Focused on Stress and fatigue on workers
Frank - Focused on technical aspects of worker efficiency
- “Cheaper by the Dozen” –Things are handled more efficiently in groups rather than individually.
Hugo Munsterberg
Considered the “Father of Industrial Psychology”
“Psychology and Industrial Efficiency” 1913
Trolley Car Simulator Creation
Systematically studied all aspects of job through observations
Analyzed behaviors and asked questions
Basically, he pioneered Job Analysis
Army Alpha Project (1914 – 1918) –
army hires psychologists including Robert Yerkes
Screen recruits for intelligence
Army Beta – created for those that were illiterate (30%). non-verbal intelligence test
Journal of Applied Psychology (1917) –
first I/O journal
Documented Army Alpha & Beta projects
Still most prestigious journal in the field
Between the Wars (1919-1940) James Cattell (1921)
forms Psychological Corporation to provide services to industry
Between the Wars (1919-1940) Hawthorne Studies (1924)
Research by Harvard & MIT
Led by Elton Mayo
Conducted at Hawthorne Plant of Western Electric Co.
Looking for cost effective ways to reduce expenses
adjusted lighting levels
Hawthorne Studies (1924)
Hawthorne Effect- behavior changes
Novelty of intervention influences behavior (i.e., I observe you working, and you perform better because of my presence as an observer)
World War II (1941-1946)
Army hires I/O psychologists to select & classify recruits
Army General Classification Test (AGCT)
Group testing, sorted applicants into 5 categories based on if they could learn duties, etc
Post World War II
Toward Specialization (1946-1963)
Evolved into legitimate area of practice, schools, terminology, etc
Information Age (1994–Present)
Higher demands for organizations and employees
More complex, computer generated statistical analyses are becoming common (MANOVA, Multilevel Modeling, Structural Equation Modeling, Item Response Theory, etc.)
Application of cognitive psychology to I/O, specifically performance appraisal
Increased focus on selection methods (selecting the “right person” for the job is becoming more important)
