Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Introduction to the World of Work
Copyright Paul E. Spector, All rights reserved, March 15, 2005. Updated 2016.
Learning Objectives
• Define I/O psychology.
• Describe the major activities of I/O psychologists.
• Summarize the history of the I/O field.
• Explain the importance of research and how it
relates to practice.
Introduction
• Organizations are prevalent and must run smoothly
– E.g., government, military, factories, healthcare
• I/O psychology has two aspects
– Research
– Practice
• I/O is multidisciplinary
What Is I/O Psychology?
• Psychology is the study of humans and behavior,
cognitions, and emotions
– Experimental/basic research
– Applied/practical research
• I/O has two (overlapping) divisions
– Efficiency/productivity of organizations (I)
– Satisfaction/well-being of employees (O)
• Development and application of the science of
psychology to the workplace
– Not to be confused with clinical psychology
Activities and Settings of I/O
Psychologists
• Research
– Most are college professors
– Much time spent teaching and doing research
• Practice
– Consulting firms, government, private corporations
– Major focus is application of research to real world
workplaces
• Considerable overlap between the two settings, and
most I/O psychologists do both to some extent
Percentage of I/O Psychologists
Who Work in Various Settings
Source: Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2011 Membership Survey Report.
I/O as Profession and Science
• Practitioners can belong to firms
– Licensure required in some states
• I/O Professional Associations
– Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychologists (SIOP)
• Comprised entirely of I/O psychologists
• About 8,200 members, 40% are student affiliates
– Academy of Management (AoM)
• Very large, majority of members are not psychologists
– Other associations are vary by topic or location
• Most I/O psychologists do research
– Goals can be general (learn new things) or specific (solve an
organization’s problem)
– Present at conferences and publish in journals
History of I/O- Early Years
• Began early 1900s by experimental psychologists
– Hugo Münsterberg: Psychology and Industrial
Efficiency
– Walter Dill Scott: The Theory of Advertising
– Frederick Winslow Taylor: Scientific Management
– Lillian & Frank Gilbreth: Time and motion studies;
human factors
• World War I first mass testing
– Health and Munitions Committee in 1915
– Robert Yerkes: Army Alpha and Beta tests
Middle Years to Recent History
• Between the wars, psychology helped business
– Consulting firms
• Hawthorne studies at Western Electric
– Roethlisberger & Dickson (1939): Hawthorne Effect
• World War II
– I and O sides studied
– Acceptance by APA of Division 14
• Civil rights movement and other legislation
Timeline of Major Events in US
I/O Psychology Beyond US/UK
• I/O interest has increased worldwide
– More international authors in research journals
– More graduate programs
– Cross-cultural collaborations
• Research focus varies by country
• Globalization
– Technology
– American consulting firms have become international
– Convergence of ideas
I/O Psychology Training
• Graduate degree necessary (MA or Ph.D.)
• Entry requirements very competitive
– GPA and GRE (see textbook appendix)
– Research experience
– Communication and statistical skills
• Graduate training includes research and practice
– PhD programs take longer and have a heavier emphasis on
statistics and research methods
• Academic and nonacademic market strong
• No longer predominantly males
– SIOP was 36.7% female as of 2006
APA Ethical Principles
• The overarching responsibilities are to work
towards the benefit of society and to do no harm
– Competence
– Integrity
– Professional and Scientific Responsibility
– Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity
– Concern for Others’ Welfare
– Social Responsibility
Humanitarian Work Psychology
• Geographic areas with extreme poverty also
benefit from I/O psychology
• Global Task Force for Humanitarian Work
Psychology
– Reduce poverty and promote health and well being at
work
– Work with the UN or local governments
• Assess community needs
• Program evaluation
• Help humanitarian agencies with human resources
Key Terms
• Industrial/organizational psychology
• Scientific management
• Time and motion study
• Hawthorne effect
• Society for Industrial and Organizational
Psychology
• Humanitarian work psychology
