History of Industrial Organizational Psychology

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the history and development of industrial organizational psychology, providing definitions and context for each term.

Wilhelm Wundt

Regarded as the father of psychology; founded the first recognized psychological laboratory in 1879.

Psychophysics

The branch of psychology that studies the relationship between physical stimuli and sensory perceptions, particularly how quickly the nervous system processes information.

William James

An American philosopher associated with functionalism; focused on the functions of human thought and consciousness.

Functionalism

A school of thought in psychology that considers mental life and behavior in terms of active adaptation to the person's environment.

Hugo Munsterberg

A key figure in IO psychology, known for advocating applied psychology and playing a crucial role in its development.

James McKean Cattell

An early psychologist who brought mental measurement techniques and contributed to the eugenics movement.

Walter Dill Scott

A psychologist who worked on applying psychological principles to advertising and selection processes.

Lillian Moeller Gilbreth

A pioneer in time and motion studies; known for optimizing industrial efficiency and ergonomics.

Army Alpha and Army Beta

Psychological tests developed during World War I to classify military recruits based on their cognitive abilities.

Assessment Centers

A method of evaluating a candidate by observing their performance in role-playing tasks and group exercises.

Human Factors Psychology

The study of how humans interact with machines and environments, focusing on improving the usability and efficiency of systems.

The Hawthorne Studies

Research that highlighted the importance of social factors and employee attitudes on productivity in the workplace.

Job Characteristics Model

A framework developed by Hackman and Oldham to improve job design by enhancing employee motivation and satisfaction.

Cognition

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

Organizational Psychology

A subfield of psychology that focuses on understanding the behavior of individuals in organizations, emphasizing employee experience.

Industrial Psychology

A branch of psychology that applies psychological principles to the workplace, focusing on employee selection, training, and performance.

Kurt Lewin

A key figure in social psychology, known for his research on group dynamics and leadership in organizational settings.

Eugenics

A controversial movement aimed at improving the genetic quality of the human population, which had significant moral and ethical implications.

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)

A performance appraisal method that uses specific behavioral examples to assess employee performance.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to describe variability among observed, correlated variables in terms of fewer unobserved variables.