IO Psychology: Introduction and History

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I/O Psychology Introduction and History

• Psyc 231
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• Rice University
• Sylvia J. Hysong, Ph.D.

2
Overview

• What is I/O psychology?
• What do I/O psychologists do?
• I/O Psychology as a field
• Ethics
• History

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What is I/O Psychology?

• The field of psychology concerned with the
  development and application of scientific
  principles to the workplace.
• Two major areas
• Industrial -- concerned with efficiency
• Organizational -- concerned with the individuals
  role in the workplace context

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What do I/O Psychologists Do?

• Academia -- research and teaching
• Industry
• consulting
• in-house practitioner
• Government
• research
• in-house practitioner

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I/O Psychology as a Field

• Educational Requirements
• Consulting / Licensing Requirements
• Professional Associations
• Research

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Ethics

• Competence
• Integrity
• Professional/scientific responsibility
• Respect for peoples rights and dignity
• Concern for others welfare
• Social responsibility

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How did it all begin?

• 1879 -- Wundt opens 1st experimental psychology
  lab
• 1890s -- Taylor conducts time and motion studies
• 1913 -- Münsterberg writes first I/O text,
  Psychology and Industrial Efficiency

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Scientific Management - Taylor

• Each job should be analyzed so that the optimal
  way of doing tasks can be specified
• Employees should be selected according to
  job-related characteristics (I.e., merit
  selection)
• Employees should be carefully trained to do their
  job tasks

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Taylor, Cont.

• Employees should be rewarded for their
  productivity to encourage high levels of
  performance
• Managers do the thinking, workers implement
  managements plans (clear separation)

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Scientific Management -- Fayol

• Unity of command
• Scalar principle
• Staff and line division
• Specialization
• Parity of authority and responsibility
• Centralization

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Critical Events

• World War I-- Army Alpha and Army Beta
• Hawthorne Studies
• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

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Summary

• What is I/O psychology?
• What do I/O psychologists do?
• I/O Psychology as a field
• Ethics
• History