Industrial Psychology & Its Impact on Society

Industrial and organizational psychologists use applied methods of psychology to study the workplace.

Industrial and organizational psychology, also known as "I-O" psychology, is the formal study of the office environment using established psychological methods. I-O psychologists apply the fundamentals of psychology to management, training and improving employer-employee relationships.

Function

I-O psychologists create and administer employee tests to assess skills and problem-solving abilities to help improve interoffice operability and efficiency.

Significance

These tests may be used for hiring personnel using predetermined criteria to predict which behaviors are commonly associated with positive employment traits and which are associated with negative traits. Tests are also used to systematically weed out employees who are most likely to quit, leading to high turnover rates.

Industrial and organizational psychologists developed coaching tools to improve relationships between coworkers and to help them better cope with stressful situations during high-stress periods. Situations where employees are overburdened by the layoffs of their coworkers, especially during the current economic recession, are managed to maintain productivity.

History

I-O psychologists achieved historical recognition when researchers studied military personnel to improve the Army's recruiting methods. The standards these psychologists developed during World War II were introduced into the Air Force to study pilot selection, equipment design and training methods. Further developing early human factors psychology, I-O psychology achieved national recognition.

References

• Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Inc: Division 14 of the American Psychological Association
• American Institute of Business Psychology