I/O Psychology: Common Misconceptions

• Industrial/Organizational Psychology is a field of study that applies psychological principles and research methods to the workplace.
• It aims to understand and improve the effectiveness of individuals, teams, and organizations.
• The goal is to use psychology to help individuals and organizations be more effective at work.

What is Industry?

• Industry is a division involved in processing raw materials, manufacturing, and trade.

What is Organization?

• An organization is a group of people who work interdependently toward a common purpose.

Psychology Definition

• Industrial-organizational psychology is a science examining the workplace using psychology methods.
• The study includes critical business related topics like talent management, coaching, and assessment.
• The study includes selection, training, organizational development, perfomance, and work-life balance.

What is I/O Psychology?

• I/O psychology applies psychological principles and theories to the workplace to enhance the effectiveness of people at work.
• It studies how people interact and perform in work settings.

Subdivisions Within I/O

• Industrial and Personnel Psychology includes HR functions like recruitment, job analysis, selection, training, performance appraisal, compensation, and employment law.
• KSAOs represent Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and other aspects linked to job performance.
• Organizational psychology is a field of study that examines multiple factors, including motivation, leadership, and team dynamics.
• It includes worker attitudes along with safety, well-being and work-family balance in micro studies.
• Organizational psychology includes studies on the culture, organizational theory, development, and change at a macro level.
• Human factors and ergonomics focuses on modifying equipment and environmental changes to fit workers' needs.

Influences on I/O Psychology

• Various fields influence I/O psychology which include:
• Experimental Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Sociology
• Management
• Industrial Engineering

Who are I/O Psychologists?

• I/O psychologists are classified as academics or practitioners.
• Academics are professors who teach and conduct research in universities and colleges.
• Practitioners are HR and organizational specialists in consulting, private, and public sectors.
• Academics teach courses, research, write papers, attend conferences, mentor students, and performs university and professional service.
• The practitioners are involved in job analysis, diagnosis, surveying employees, designing and administering selection and performance appraisal systems, and developing OD strategies.
• Practitioners work to implement and evaluate organizational development & change, plus data analysis.
• Thirty-six percent of I/O Psychologists work at Universities
• Twenty nine percent of I/O Psychologists work in consulting firms
• Twenty one percent of I/O Psychologists work in private companies

Research Topics

• There are different I/O research topics performed in different countries.
• For example, common topics in Canada include career development, employee selection, job stress, and leadership.
• In Germany, studies are performed around job stress, motivation, training, and work environment.

Timeline of I/O Psychology

• 1991- American Disability Act passed
• 1970- APA adopts the name I/O Psy
• 1964- Civil Rights Act Passed
• 1941- World War II war efforts begin
• 1924- Hawthorne Studies begin
• 1921- First I O PhD awarded
• 1917- Mental Tests for Job Placement Developed
• 1913- First I O text book published
• 1904-The term industrial Psychology was first used by W L Bryan who had written a paper in 1899

History of I/O Psychology (1900-1916)

• W. L. Bryan stressed examining concrete activities and functions in daily life.
• W.L. Bryan is not considered the "father" of I/O Psychology.

The Nameless Was Named

• Frank and Lillian Gilbreth improved productivity and efficiency of industrial engineers.
• They advocated for using psychology in the work lives of people.
• The work led to psychology merging with applied interests.
• Industrial psychology was crowned in 1910 and the "organizational" aspect was added in the 1970s.
• Lillian Gilbreth is called the “mother of management”.

3 Founding Fathers?

• The 3 founding fathers are:
• Walter Dill Scott (American Psychologist)
• Hugo Munsterberg (German)
• Frederick Taylor (American Engineer)

Walter Dill Scott

• Walter Dill Scott was the first to apply psychology to motivation and productivity at work.
• He was instrumental in applying personnel procedures within the army during World War I.
• He boosted the field of industrial psychology.

Hugo Munsterberg

• Hugo Munsterberg is considered the father of industrial psychology.
• Hugo applied psychological methods to industrial problems and wrote "Psychology and Industrial Efficiency" (1913).
• Hugo's view of I/O Psychology was that people need to fit the organization through training.
• Behavioral sciences should help organizations shape people to serve as parts for organizational machines (mechanistic view).

Frederick Taylor

• Frederick Taylor's “Principles of Scientific Management” in 1911 advocates for management and workers to share responsibility for work design.
• Workers handling heavy iron ingots are more productive with work rests.
• Training for work/rest raised output from 12.5 to 47.0 tons/day.
• Costs dropped from 9.2 to 3.9 cents per ton as company efficiency increased.

World War I

• Robert Yerkes and Walter Dill Scott screened recruits for mental deficiency.
• Army Alpha and Beta intelligence tests were developed.
• Recruits were classified in to jobs, and officers had performance evaluations
• Job analysis, soldier motivation, morale, and discipline was introduced.
• The first journal of applied psychology began in 1917.

The ALPA & BETA Test

• Robert Yerkes created the WW-I Army Alpha and Beta tests for war recruits.
• Army Alpha had five verbal forms.
• Army Beta was a nonverbal test for illiterate and non-English speakers.
• Individual Examination: verbal exam for Beta failures
• The tests were administered to approximately two million men.
• The test was criticized as culturally bias.

Between the Wars (1916-1940)

• The Hawthorne Studies began in 1920 at the Hawthorne plant of Western Electric, lasting over 10 years.
• Studies examined working conditions on performance like lighting and temperature.
• Studied the impact of supervisory styles, work groups, breaks, and work day length.
• The Hawthorne Effect shows that behavior is due to getting attention, not the treatment itself.

Human Relations Movement

• The human relations movement involves managers being sensitive to employee needs and treating them humanistically.
• The humanistic treatment boosts worker morale and productivity.
• The movement was Influenced by the Hawthorne Studies, threat of unionization, and the philosophy of humanism.

Ethics in the I/O Field

• Psychologists must follow the American Psychological Association's (APA) Ethical Code to prevent harm to clients.
• The code includes ethical principles and professional conduct statements.
• Six ethical principles include: competence, integrity, professional & scientific responsibility, respect, concern for others' welfare, and social responsibility.
• Competence includes psychologists only perform work that they are skilled to perform
• Integrity includes psychologists being fair and honest with others
• Responsibility means psychologists maintain high standards of professional behavior
• Respect means psychologists respect the rights of confidentiality and privacy of others
• Concern for the welfare of others means psychologists attempt to help others through work
• Social Responsibility means psychologists must use their skills to benefit society.