Industrial-organizational psychology is the branch of psychology that applies psychological theories and principles to organizations. Often referred to as I-O psychology, this field focuses on increasing workplace productivity and related issues such as the physical and mental well-being of employees. Show
Industrial-organizational psychologists perform a wide variety of tasks, including studying worker attitudes and behavior, evaluating companies, and conducting leadership training. The overall goal of this field is to study and understand human behavior in the workplace. You can think of industrial-organizational psychology as having two major sides. First, there is the industrial side, which involves looking at how to best match individuals to specific job roles. This segment of I-O psychology is also sometimes referred to as personnel psychology. People who work in this area might assess employee characteristics and then match these individuals to jobs in which they are likely to perform well. Other functions that fall on the industrial side of I-O psychology include training employees, developing job performance standards, and measuring job performance. The organizational side of psychology is more focused on understanding how organizations affect individual behavior. Organizational structures, social norms, management styles, and role expectations are all factors that can influence how people behave within an organization. By understanding such factors, I-O psychologists hope to improve individual performance and health while at the same time benefiting the organization as a whole. While industrial-organizational psychology is an applied field, basic theoretical research is also essential. With roots in experimental psychology, I-O psychology has a number of different sub-areas such as human-computer interaction, personnel psychology, and human factors. Six Key Subject AreasAccording to Muchinsky's book, Psychology Applied to Work: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology, most industrial-organizational psychologists work in one of six major subject areas:
Industrial-Organizational Psychology TopicsHere are some of the specific topics addressed by industrial-organizational psychology experts:
Important People in IO Psychology HistoryThere have been several prominent figures in the field of IO Psychology, including:
Careers in IO PsychologyInterest in industrial-organizational psychology careers has grown. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that I-O psychology would be one of the fastest-growing careers, and wages have been rising over 10 percent per year. According to employment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for I-O psychologists as of May 2016 was $109,030. The bottom 10% of I-O psychologists earned around $51,350 and the top 10% earned an average of $184,380, with a median annual wage of $192,150. As with other specialty areas, wages vary depending upon a variety of factors including geographic location, educational background, the area of employment, and years of experience in the field. Individuals with a master's or doctorate degree also command higher yearly salaries. In general, those in large urban areas will find more employment opportunities as well as higher wages, although such benefits are often accompanied by a higher cost of living. States employing the most I-O psychologists include Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and New Jersey. Professionals working in Virginia earned an average of $126,220, while those employed in Massachusetts earned an average of $75,660. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that wages also vary considerably depending upon the industry in which industrial-organizational psychologists are employed. The mean annual wage for various industries is as follows:
Who Should Study Industrial-Organizational Psychology?Students who are interested in applying psychological principles to real-world setting should consider industrial-organizational psychology. If you have a strong interest in psychology as well as related subjects such as product design, computers, statistics, and engineering, this may be the ideal field for you. Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Additional Reading
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Kendra Cherry Thanks for your feedback! What are the 3 major fields of industrial/organizational psychology?The field of I-O psychology can be divided into three broad areas (Figure 13.2 and Figure 13.3): industrial, organizational, and human factors.
What field is concerned about the relationships among employees and how that may affect the performance of a business?Organizational psychology is a discipline interested in how the relationships among employees affect those employees and the performance of a business. This includes studying worker satisfaction, motivation, and commitment.
What does industrial psychology focus on?Industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologists focus on the behavior of employees in the workplace. They apply psychological principles and research methods to improve the overall work environment, including performance, communication, professional satisfaction and safety.
What is industrial psychology and organizational psychology?Industrial-organizational psychology is the branch of psychology that applies psychological theories and principles to organizations. Often referred to as I-O psychology, this field focuses on increasing workplace productivity and related issues such as the physical and mental well-being of employees.
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