CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO I/O PSYCHOLOGY
BES3142: INDUSTRIAL / ORGANIZATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER # 1: INTRODUCTION TO I/O
PSYCHOLOGY
The Field of I/O Psychology
What is I/O Psychology?
• A branch of psychology that applies the
principles of psychology to the workplace.
• Industrial – organizational psychologists are able
to apply psychological theories to explain and
enhance the effectiveness of human behavior in
the workplace. (Canadian Psychological
Association)
• I / O Psychologists “enhance the dignity and
performance of human beings, and the
organizations they work in, by advancing the
science and knowledge of human behavior”
(Rucci, 2018)
Major Fields of I/O Psychology
• Personnel Psychology
o Study and practice in such areas as
analyzing jobs, recruiting applicants,
selecting employees, determining salary
levels, training employees, and
evaluating employee performance.
o The field of study that concentrates
on the selection and evaluation of
employees.
• Organizational Psychology
o Concerned with the issues of
leadership, job satisfaction, employee
motivation, organizational
communication, conflict management,
organizational change, and group
processes within an organization.
o Conducts surveys, team building
o Consultant
o The field of study that investigates
the behavior of employees within the
context of organization.
• Human Factors / Ergonomics
o Concentrate on workplace design,
human-machine interaction,
ergonomics, and physical fatigue and
stress.
o To make employees feel safe
o The field of study concentrating on
the interaction between humans and
machines.
• Occupational Health and Safety
o Health at work (According to Sir K)
o If you feel safe at work
Difference Between I/O and Business Program
I/O
BUSINESS
o Research Methods
o Finance
o Quantitative Methods
o Marketing
o Employee Selection
o Accounting
o Organizational
Psychology / Behavior
o Information Systems
o Psychometrics / Test
Construction
o Economics
o Training and
Development
o Operations
Management
o Performance Appraisal
o Culture / Global /
International Business
o Ethics
o Corporate Strategies
and Policies
I/O Graduate Programs
Characteristics
M.A.
Average GPA
3.41
Years to complete
2
Internship
Yes
Dissertation
No
HISTORY OF I/O Psychology
I/O started since 1879
• Walter Dill Scott
o The Theory of Advertising (1903)-
psychology was first applied to business
o Increasing Human Efficiency in
Business
• Hugo Münsterberg
o Psychology and Industrial Efficiency
(1910)
➢ During world war 1, term “industrial psych” was
seldom used, instead, “economic pysch”,
“business pysch”, and employment pysch” were
used.
• WWI → I/O psych were hired to test recruits and
place them in appropriate positions
Employment Settings of I/O Psychologists
Highest Degree
Attainment
Employment
Settings
M.A.
Ph.D.
Education
0.8
40.0
Private Sector
44.0
23.3
Public Sector
10.5
8.2
Consulting
37.3
25.0
Others
7.4
3.5
o Tools that were used
▪ AA = Army Alpha
❖ An intelligence test
developed during World
War I and used by the
army for soldiers who
can read. (literate)
▪ AB = Army Beta
❖ An intelligence test
developed during WWI
and used by the army
for soldiers who cannot
read. (Illiterate)
o Thomas A. Edison- created a 163- item
knowledge test administered to 900
applicants
o Frank and Lillian Gilbreth
▪ Motion of workers
▪ Examine the bricklayers in
developing improvements in
bricklaying that reduced the
number of motions from 18 to 4
½ (4.5).
▪ “THERBLIG”
o Hawthorne Studies
▪ Initially designed to investigate
such issues as the effects of
lighting levels, work schedules,
wages, temperature, and rest
breaks on employee
sophisticated
statistical
techniques and
methods of
analysis.
✓ Path analysis,
structural
equation
modeling, meta-
analysis,
multivariate
analysis of
variance
(MANOVA),
and causal
modeling.
❖ 2nd Change
✓ Interest in the
application of
cognitive
psychology to
industry
❖ 3rd Change
✓ New interest in
the effects of
work on family
life and leisure
activities
❖ 4th Change
✓ Interest in
developing