A branch of psychology that applies the principles of psychology to the workplace
Rucci (2008): 'To enhance the dignity and performance of human beings, and the organizations they work in, by advancing the science and knowledge of human behavior'
Principles of I/O psychology applied in the workplace
Learning principles used to develop training programs and incentive plans
Social psychology principles used to form work groups and understand employee conflict
Motivation and emotion principles used to motivate and satisfy employees
Major fields of I/O psychology
Industrial approach
Organizational approach
Personnel psychology
Organizational psychology
Human factors/ergonomics
Industrial approach
Focuses on determining the competencies needed to perform a job, staffing the organization with employees who have those competencies, and increasing those competencies through training
Organizational approach
Creates an organizational structure and culture that will motivate employees to perform well, give them with the necessary information to do their jobs, and provide working conditions that are safe and result in an enjoyable and satisfying work environment
Personnel psychology
Deals with analyzing jobs, recruiting applicants, selecting employees, determining salary levels, training employees, and evaluating employee performance
Organizational psychology
Concerned with the issues of leadership, job satisfaction, employee motivation, organizational communication, conflict management, organizational change, and group processes within an organization
Human factors/ergonomics
Concentrate on workplace design, human-machine interaction, ergonomics, and physical fatigue and stress
Walter Dill Scott wrote The Theory of Advertising, in which psychology was first applied to business
1903
Walter Dill Scott published Increasing Human Efficiency in Business
1911
The term "industrial psychology" was seldom used prior to World War I. Instead, the common terms for the field were "economic psychology," "business psychology," and "employment psychology"
Journal of Applied Psychology first published
1917
World War I provides I/O psychologists with the first opportunity for large-scale employee testing and selection
1918
John Watson, who is better known as a pioneer in behaviorism, served as a major in the U.S. Army in World War I and developed perceptual and motor tests for potential pilots
Henry Gantt were responsible for increasing the efficiency with which cargo ships were built, repaired, and loaded
Thomas A. Edison created a 150-item knowledge test that he administered to over 900 applicants
Frank Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth were one of the pioneer scientists to improve productivity and reduce fatigue by studying the motions used by workers
First Ph.D. in I/O psychology awarded to Bruce Moore and Merrill Ream at Carnegie Tech
1921
First I/O text written by Morris Viteles
1932
Hawthorne studies were published, conducted at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company in the Chicago area, demonstrated that the interpersonal interactions between managers and employees played a tremendous role in employee behaviour
1933
American Association for Applied Psychology established
1937
Society for Industrial and Business Psychology established as Division 14 of APA with 130 members
1945
Marion Bills elected as first woman president of Division 14
1951
Division 14 renamed as Society for Industrial Psychology, membership exceeds 700
1960
Equal Pay Act passed
1963
Civil Rights Act passed. First issue of The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist (TIP) published
1964
Division 14 membership exceeds 1,100
1970
B.F. Skinner publishes Beyond Freedom and Dignity
1971
Division 14 membership exceeds 1,800
1980
Division 14 renamed Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
1982
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) holds first annual national conference separate from APA meeting
1986
Supreme Court sets conservative trend and becomes more "employer friendly"
1989
Americans with Disabilities Act passed. SIOP membership exceeds 2,500
1990
Civil Rights Act of 1991 passed to overcome 1989 conservative Supreme Court decisions
1991
SIOP celebrates golden anniversary at its annual conference in St. Louis
1997
SIOP membership exceeds 3,600
2000
OFCCP and EEOC become more aggressive in fighting systemic discrimination
2005
Why conduct research in I/O psychology
Answering questions and making decisions
Understanding research to critically analyze results and make intelligent decisions