Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology Lecture Notes

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

The study of human behavior in the workplace; the application of psychological principles to help people achieve optimum performance, engagement, satisfaction, and well-being at work.

Scientist-practitioner model

A model where I/O psychologists act as scientists when they conduct research and as practitioners when they work with actual organizations.

Personnel psychology

A major field in I/O psychology that concentrates on the selection and evaluation of employees, including job analysis, recruitment, compensation, and performance appraisal.

Organizational psychology

A major field in I/O psychology that investigates the behavior of employees within the context of an organization, focusing on leadership, job satisfaction, motivation, and conflict management.

Human factors

Also known as ergonomics, this field concentrates on the interaction between humans and machines, workplace design, and physical fatigue/stress.

Hugo Munsterberg

Author of Psychology and Industrial Efficiency (1913) and often considered the Father of Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Army Alpha

A mental ability test created by Robert Yerkes during WWI for recruits who could read; used for officer training.

Army Beta

A mental ability test created by Robert Yerkes during WWI for recruits who could not read; used for infantry assignment.

Hawthorne Studies

Research demonstrating that interpersonal interactions between managers and employees play a role in behavior, and that employees become more productive because they are being studied (Hawthorne Effect).

Scientific Management

A task-centered approach by Frederick Taylor that identifies the best way to perform a task to increase worker productivity and efficiency.

Job Analysis

A systematic process for collecting and analyzing information about the work an employee performs, the conditions under which it is performed, and the worker characteristics needed.

KSAOs

The knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (such as personality or interest) necessary to be successful on a job.

The Peter Principle

The idea that organizations tend to promote good employees until they reach the level at which they are not competent (their highest level of incompetence).

Job Description

A brief, two- to five-page summary of the tasks and job requirements found in the job analysis.

Job Crafting

Informal changes that employees make to their jobs, such as expanding the scope to add desired tasks or removing unwanted ones.

SME

Subject Matter Experts; people knowledgeable about a job, including incumbents, supervisors, and customers, often interviewed during job analysis.

Job Rotation

A job design approach where employees move to perform different tasks to reduce boredom and provide relief from repetitive movements.

Job Enlargement

Horizontal expansion of job duties by adding more simple tasks of a different nature without necessarily requiring new skills.

Job Enrichment

Vertical expansion of a job that gives employees more responsibility, complicated work, and autonomy over their tasks.

PAQ

Position Analysis Questionnaire; a structured instrument with 194 items used to analyze worker activities across six main dimensions.

CIT

Critical Incident Technique; a job analysis method used to discover actual incidents of job behavior that make the difference between successful and unsuccessful performance.

Comparable Worth

The idea that jobs requiring the same level of skill and responsibility should be paid the same regardless of supply and demand.

EEOC

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the branch of the department of labor charged to investigate and prosecute complaints of employment discrimination.

BFOQ

Bona Fide Occupational Qualification; a selection requirement necessary for job performance for which there is no substitute (e.g., only a male can be a sperm donor).

Adverse Impact

Occurs when an employment decision results in negative consequences more often for members of one race, sex, or national origin than for another.

Affirmative Action

Plans or programs designed to monitor and increase the hiring and promotion of members of protected classes.

Realistic Job Preview (RJP)

The process of giving an applicant an honest assessment of both the positive and negative aspects of a job to manage expectations.

Structured Interview

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