Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Flashcards covering key concepts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, designed for exam preparation.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies how human behavior and psychology affect work and how they are affected by work.

Industrial Psychology

Focuses on job characteristics, applicant characteristics, employee training, and performance appraisal.

Organizational Psychology

Studies interactions between people in organizations and the effects on productivity and worker satisfaction.

Human Factors Psychology

Studies how workers interact with tools and how to design those tools to optimize productivity, safety, and health.

Hawthorne Effect

The increase in performance of individuals who are noticed and paid attention to by researchers or supervisors.

Theory X

Management style assuming workers are inherently lazy and unproductive, requiring control and punishment.

Theory Y

Management style assuming workers are self-motivated and seek to work hard, allowing for creative solutions.

Job Satisfaction

Results from how we think and feel about our work, influenced by the work itself, personality, and culture.

Performance Appraisals

Evaluations of an employee’s success or lack thereof at performing the duties of their job.

Sexual Harassment

Sexually-based behavior that is unwanted and adversely affects a person’s employment or work environment.

Work-Family Balance

The ability to juggle the demands of work life with the demands of family life.

Team-Based Approach

A structure where work is delegated to work teams to leverage diverse skills and experience.

Organizational Culture

The values, visions, hierarchies, norms, and interactions among employees in an organization.

Workplace Violence

Violence or threat of violence against workers, which can occur inside or outside the workplace.

Cognitive Task Analysis

Breaking down the elements of a cognitive task to understand decision-making processes.

Equity Theory

A theory that focuses on fairness and equity in the workplace, suggesting that employees are motivated by how they perceive they are treated.