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Industrial/Organizational Psychology Worksheet

The purpose of this assignment is to examine the fundamental concepts of the field of industrial/organizational psychology. Using the textbook, the University Library, the Internet, and/or other resources, answer the following questions. Your responses to each question will vary but overall should be 700- to 1,050-words in length.

Describe the evolution of the field of industrial/organizational psychology?
The field of industrial/organizational psychology has been around since the late 1800's early 1900's and is rapidly growing. In the beginning, the first psychologists to practice industrial/organizational psychology was experimental psychologists ( ). Originally starting in the United Kingdom with the focus on employee health and level of fatigue. When industrial/organizational psychology was founded in the United States it was by American Psychologists Hugo Munsterberg and Walter Dill Scott. The field of industrial/organizational psychology went through a series of major events, all occurring in the United States. Another key figure was Frederick Taylor, who pioneered Scientific Mangagement; his approach on handling production workers in factories. It was Taylor who believed that there was four key factors or guidelines for all employees, across the board. It is the husband and wife team of Lilian & Frank Gilbreth who are credited as the first to receive a Industrial/Organizational Psychology degree. Most credit Bruce V. Moore with the obtaining the first psychology degree in this field, in 1921. It wasn't until World War 1, in both the UK and USA, that I/O Psychology was put in to use. in the United Kingdom the Health of Munitions was established in 1915 to deal with issues regarding employee health, safety, and efficiency. In the United States it was marked by the entry in to war in 1917. This caused a lot of psychologists to offer up their servicds to the United States Army.Mpst well known is Robert Yerkes, who was an American Psychologist who was one of a group that developed the Army Alpha and the Army Beta tests which measured recruits mental ability to determine the area in which they would excel the most in. These tests set the pace for many more aptitude tests; for example the SAT. The practices of the Industrial/organizational psychologist are still in use today and continue to grow as a disciipline.

(Spector, P., 2012 Industrial/Organizational Psychology Research and Practice 6th Edition Wiley and Sons UOP Course Textbook)

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.
Industrial/organizational psychology should be considered a science because the field crosses in to two areas; practice and scientific research. Psychologists that focus on this area of psychology are either employed in a career involving practice or one involving scientific research. Dependent on the setting in which employed, for example working in an organizational like setting, psychologists are concerned with scientific research. Normally research is conducted in colleges or universiities. In this type of setting the Industrial/organizational psychologist is most likely emploiyeed as a professor. In other circumstances they would be employeed by the government, in the military, and in private sectorsl.
An example of how descriptive and inferential statistics are used in industrialorganizational psychology is because inferential statistics are used to draw inferences from a sample. In industrial/organizational psychology this may be when the researcher is observing a certain specific group of employees in their workplace and make conclusions based on those circumstances. Descriptive statistics are used to describe the sample that is being used for making inferences or conclusioins. One example might be a industrial/organizational psychologist working in a large organization who decides that employees who are required to stand for the majority of their shift significantly show signs of decrease in production due to standing directly on the cement versus a mat designed for all day standing.

(Spector, P., 2012 Industrial/Organizational Psychology Research and Practice 6th Edition Wiley and Sons UOP Course Textbook)

3. Discuss the influence industrial/organization psychology has had on organizations. Provide examples.
The influece that the field of industrial/organizational psychology has had an enormous impact on organizations due to the fact that the research conducted has only been helpful in bettering the organization instead of damaging it. The results, if interpreted correctly and then properly corrected can only better the organization. The organizations have benefited by leading diversity in to the workplace, better employee management and training, eliminating discrimination in the workplace and an overall better understanding of job.

(Spector, P., 2012 Industrial/Organizational Psychology Research and Practice 6th Edition Wiley and Sons UOP Course Textbook)

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