1.
Describe the evolution of the field of
industrial/organizational psychology.
It is safe to say that Industrial/Organizational
psychology has its roots in the late 1800s, which was the time when
experimental psychologists started trying to apply basic psychology principles
into organizational environments, in an attempt to maximize efficiency and
productivity. In the beginning of the history of Industrial/Organizational
psychology, those psychologists weren’t so interested in the well-being of
workers, as much as they were trying to make sure jobs were performed as
efficiently as possible. Psychologist Harry Landsberger conducted many
experiments to try to understand how work conditions influenced the performance
or employees, and he found out that just by having someone around the workers
interested in what they were doing, those workers would perform better. Both
World Wars also played a big role in the development of
Industrial/Organizational Psychology, since psychologists had to use their
skills when placing soldiers in positions they were most suitable for. After
the wars were over, psychologists were called upon to solve issues related to
productivity and efficiency, due to a military demand on go (Spector, 2012).
Another element that influenced I/O psychology was experimental psychology’s
techniques and principles such as psychological testing. In the United States,
the I/O psychology movement can be somewhat credited to experiment
psychologists Hugo Munsterberg and Walter Dill Scott, whose work focused on
solving organizational issues (Spector, 2013).
2.
Explain why industrial/organizational psychology
should be considered a science. Include
an explanation of how descriptive and inferential statistics are used in I/O
research.
Spector (2012) explains that industrial/organizational
psychologists can perform different jobs in a variety of settings, and because
the practice of this field of psychology is based mainly on research produced
by scientific data, industrial/organizational psychology can be considered a
science, because of its base on scientific research. In fact, research is maybe
the main activity performed by I/O psychologists, which also guarantees that
this discipline can be considered a science. The many different researches and
experiments performed by I/O psychologists have contributed for the development
of hiring and training procedures, as well as the ability to help organizations
solve daily problems such as employee attitude, theft, or turnover (Spector,
2012).
There are many research methods that I/O psychologists can
use to perform their experiments. To analyze the data produced by empirical
research, those psychologists have different statistics techniques, which
include inferential and descriptive statistics methods, as well as parametric
and nonparametric methods. Descriptive statistics include procedures used to
describe the population being studied, and can only be used to describe that
specific group. In other words, the results cannot be generalized to a larger
group. Inferential statistics, on the other hand, make predictions about a
larger population by analyzing a smaller sample group (Spector, 2012).
3.
Discuss the influence industrial/organization
psychology has had on organizations. Provide examples.
There are many situations where industrial/organizational
psychology can influence organizations. For instance, during the period of time
in between the First and the Second World Wars, many organizations in the
United States began to realize the importance of hiring an I/O psychologist, in
order to try and solve productivity related problems. In Europe, at this same
time, I/O psychology was also working towards finding ways to increase
productivity and employee efficiency. In 1921, the first I/O psychology
consulting firm was created by James Cattell, which was called the American
Company Psychological Corporation. Around the same time, the Hawthorn studies
conducted at the Western Electric Company also originated reports about how
factors like the brightness of lights could increase workers’ productivity.
Those studies eventually influenced concepts like employee breaks, team work,
leadership, and working hours, and how they all affect productivity. Some other
events that influenced the development of I/O psychology in America were the
passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and the Civil Rights Act
in 1964, because they inspired researches that produced ideas to improve
employee satisfaction in the workplace and new ways to increase productivity
and profitability in American organizations.
Reference
Spector, P. E.
(2012). Industrial and organizational psychology: Research and practice (6th
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
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