Psychology2016

B-10 APPENDIX B

Psychology and Work

Work is a tremendous part of many people’s lives. People often spend more time at work

than they do with their families or in social activities. One of the largest branches of

applied psychology focuses on how psychology can help people in management, pro-

ductivity, morale, and many other areas of the world of work.

WHAT ARE INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMAN

FACTORS PSYCHOLOGY?

B.7 Explain the fields of industrial/organizational psychology and human

factors psychology.

Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology is concerned with the relationships

between people and their work environments. I/O psychologists may help in person-

nel selection, administer job performance assessments, design work schedules that

help workers adjust to new time periods of work hours with less difficulty, or design

new work areas to increase morale and productivity. Psychologists in this field may

study the behavior of entire organizations. They are often hired by corporations and

businesses to deal with the hiring and assessment of employees. They may research

and develop ways for workers to be more efficient and productive. They may work in

business, government agencies, and academic settings. Ta b l e B. 1 briefly lists some of

the areas of specialization.

A specific kind of I/O specialist, called a human factors engineer, focuses on

ergonomics, or designing machines, furniture, and other devices that people have

to use so that those devices are the most practical, comfortable, and logical

for human use. Human factors psychology consists of these researchers and

designers who study the way humans and machines interact with each other.

They may work directly in the companies involved in the design of appli-

ances, airplane controls, and the operation of computers or other mechanical

devices. For example, recall a recent iPhone® commercial about how your

thumb can reach all parts of the screen. Or have you ever seen an ergonomic

chair? Most likely a human factors engineer was involved in the design or

testing of these products.

Psychologists working in I/O settings apply psychological principles and

theories to the workplace. For example, Maslow’s humanistic theory and hier-

archy of needs ( to Learning Objective 9.5) has had a powerful influ-

ence on the field of management (Heil et al., 1998). Douglas McGregor, in his

Table B.1 Areas in I/O Psychology

Areas in Industry Areas in Organizations

Job analysis Social behavior of work teams

Job evaluation and compensation Job satisfaction

Characteristics critical to effective management Personality characteristics critical to job performance

Personnel recruiting, selection, and placement Relationships between management and workers

Occupational training Leadership characteristics and training

Examination of working conditions Consumer psychology

Interviewing and testing Motivational concerns

Performance appraisal and feedback Conflict management

industrial/organizational (I/O)

psychology

area of psychology concerned with

the relationships between people and

their work environment.

human factors psychology

area of industrial/organizational

psychology concerned with the study

of the way humans and machines

interact with each other.

Human factors psychologists design machines that are

more practical and comfortable for people to use. For

example, this keyboard is designed to reduce the risk

of pain in the wrists and increase accuracy in typing.

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