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Lesson 02: Introduction and History of I/O Psychology

Defining “I/O” Psychology

In your Introduction to Psychology course (i.e., PSYCH 100, the prerequisite for this course), you learned that psychology was the scientific study of thinking and behavior. Industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology is the application of psychology to workplace problems and phenomena (Blum & Naylor, 1968). Some examples of workplace problems an I/O psychologist might study or deal with in practice include the following:

  • How do we select the right employees for the job?
  • How do we train employees to ensure needed skills transfer to the job?
  • How do we select the right leader for the organization?
  • How can we better motivate employees?

Competencies of I/O Psychologists

If we look at guidelines provided by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (the professional organization to which most I/O psychologists belong), we get a more comprehensive list of the competencies I/O psychologists tend to develop and share with the world of work.

  1. Consulting and Business Skills
  2. Ethical, Legal, and Professional Contexts*
  3. Fields of Psychology*
  4. History and System of Psychology*
  5. Research Methods*
  6. Statistical Methods/Data Analysis*
  7. Attitude Theory, Measurement, and Change*
  8. Career Development**
  9. Consumer Behavior**
  10. Criterion Theory and Development*
  11. Health and Stress in Organizations
  12. Human Performance/Human Factors**
  13. Individual Assessment*
  1. Individual Differences*
  2. Job Evaluation and Compensation**
  3. Job/Task Analysis and Classification*
  4. Judgment and Decision Making
  5. Leadership and Management
  6. Organizational Development*
  7. Organizational Theory*
  8. Performance Appraisal and Feedback*
  9. Recruitment, Selection, and Placement*
  10. Small Group Theory and Team Processes*
  11. Training Theory, Design, and Evaluation*
  12. Work Motivation*
  13. Industrial and Labor Relations**

Note: The list of the first 25 competencies above was taken from the guidelines for doctoral training. Descriptions of these topics can be found by going to the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology's PhD guidelines. Competencies marked with an * indicate competencies developed in master's programs as well as doctoral programs, and competencies marked with an ** indicate competencies considered additional or optional at the master's level.

"Penn State Proud" I/O Trivia: 

The I/O Psychology program at Penn State has consistently ranked high among graduate programs across the country. According to a 2009 poll by U.S. News & World Report, Penn State ranked second in the nation.

Where Did the I and O Come From? 

In the past, core competencies have been roughly categorized as either industrial psychology or organizational psychology (Katzell, 1992). The table below provides an example of where some of the above categories would be placed. In general, industrial psychology focuses on the measurement of job requirements and individuals' knowledge, skills, abilities, and performance so as to match individuals with suitable jobs. Organizational psychology is more theoretical and considers psychological processes such as motivation and work attitudes. Organizational psychologists also study phenomena that occur at a level higher than the individual, such as group and organizational climate as well as organizational change and development. Studying phenomena at these higher levels of analysis or focus is called macro research while studying phenomena that occur at an individual level is called micro research.

I O chart
Figure 2.1 IO Chart

 

Table 2.1. Industrial and Organizational Psychology's Areas of Focus

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