Chapter 1 Introduction to and

applied fields in Psychology and Industrial

and Organisational Psychology

Outcomes

• Define the nature and study fields of Psychology

• Explain how psychology is related to I-O psychology and other disciplines

• Describe the fields I-O psychology and related practice areas

• Give examples of tasks, jobs and careers related to the various applied fields in I-O psychology

• Describe and compare the tasks of I-O psychologists and HR-specialists

• Outline the origins of I-O psychology in general and in South Africa

• Comment on the identity of I-O psychology in general and in South Africa

• Explain issues related to the training, registration and practice of psychologists in South Africa.

Topics1.1 Introduction to the nature of Psychology and related disciplines

1.2 Sub-fields in psychology

1.3 Industrial and organisational psychology

1.4  Sub-fields and practice areas in I-O psychology

1.5  The nature and identity of I-O psychology

1.6  The history and background factors in I-O psychology

1.7  Professional training, registration and practice issues in South Africa

1.8  Summary and reflection

1.9  Assessment tasks

1.1 Introduction to the nature of Psychological and related disciplines

• Psychology-scientific study of human behaviour (actions, feelings, thinking) in various domains and contexts

• What or structure of human behaviour– what behaviour is, e.g. various attributes

• Why or motivation – reasons for peoples’ behaviour e.g.. needs

• How of human behaviour – development and adjustment of behaviour

• Psychology also subjective- people own subjects or objects of study—subjective perceptions etc. –try to be objective through scientific approach

1.1 Introduction to the nature of Psychological and related disciplines

• Scientific - sound theoretical bases and use objective research methods and findings to answer questions and solve problems

• Unit of study - emphasis on individual behaviour, but also in social and group contexts

• Domains - biological, emotional, cognitive, social (also work), moral and religious aspects of individual behaviour

• Contexts -various life contexts—including social interaction and work.

• Applied science – use psychological knowledge and various disciplines to facilitate and influence human behaviour in various situations e.g. work

• I-O psychology (HR) – applied discipline to study and facilitate individual and group behaviour in work and organisational contexts

1.2 Sub-fields in psychology

• Clinical psychology: study psychological disorders and methods of therapy -- alleviate emotional distress and promoting psychological well-being.

• Counselling psychology: reducing psychological pain by fostering effective coping skills to adapt to and solve problems in life and work.

• Career psychology: studying and facilitating occupational or career development throughout life. Utilised in counselling psychology.

• Educational and school psychology: studying learning processes and related problems, teaching, assessment and management methods at all learning levels. May include aspects of career development.

• Developmental psychology: concerned with age-related motor, emotional, social, intellectual and moral development and changes –related to work competencies and career development.

• Social psychology: studying social interaction by understanding the influence of people’s behaviour, beliefs and feelings. The basis of interactions at work, in organisations and groups.

• Cognitive psychology: relating to higher mental processes, eg. intelligence, language, problem solving, reasoning, creativity, decision making, memory and information processing.

1.2 Sub-fields in psychology (cont.)

• Personality psychology: the study of the more or less consistent patterns of behaviour and individual differences in people, across time and situations.

• Physiological/neurological psychology (biopsychology): relationship between human behaviour and physiological systems (e.g.. genetic factors, the brain, the nervous system, the endocrine system and bodily hormones and chemicals).

• Psychometrics: development of psychological measuring instruments (eg. psychological tests to measure ability and personality), and the statistical analysis of assessment results to determine the value of psychological assessment.

• Psychological research and experimental psychology: Scientific inquiry - asking questions and finding answers in psychology. Experiments, as research method, are used to establish patterns of human behavior in controlled situations.

• Health psychology: Focuses on the prevention, treatment, maintenance and promotion of health, including occupational health.

• Positive psychology: related to health psychology, is concerned with positive rather than negative aspects of human behavior and well-being. Explores how to enhance human strengths and resilience so people function optimally

• Forensic psychology: studying the causes and manifestation of criminal behaviour, may involve evidence in legal procedures and determining loss of abilities, potential and occupational functioning (e.g.. as a result of accidents and neurological damage).

1.2 Sub-fields in psychology (cont.)

• Community psychology: using psychological knowledge and practices to improve the quality of life in human communities (especially deprived situations).

• Cross-cultural psychology: consideration of psychological differences in and among groups and cultures. The role of cultural factors and socialisation in the shaping of human behaviour (important in diversity management).

• Consulting psychology: the professional involvement (mentoring, advice, influence) of psychologists with individuals, groups and organisations and may relate to most aspects of work life.

• Other subfields and applications: environmental, sports, military, therapeutic and individual psychology.

• Individual psychology: the study of personal and personality factors and how they influence human behaviour.

• Coaching and mentoring: part of consulting, involving facilitating and influencing people in general and in the workplace.

• I-O psychology: a specialised applied field in psychology and can be described as the scientific application of psychological knowledge (principles, theory, research findings and methods) to work.

1.3 Sub-fields and practice areas in I-O psychology

Organisational psychology

• Concerned with work organisations as systems of individual employees, work groups, and having certain structure and dynamics.

• Facilitate employee satisfaction and productivity, organisational efficiency and employee adjustment.

• In continuously changing world of work and consumer demands, employees and organisations must be assisted to adapt and transform to be relevant, culture fit and competitive.

Personnel psychology

• Focus on utilising individual differences in and between employees and predicting the optimal employee-organisation fit

• Tasks and functions include assessment and appraisal of employees, personnel selection, placement and promotion of employees, training and development, motivation, reward systems and the construction and validation of personnel-assessment procedures, performance-appraisal procedures and other personnel management and organisational procedures.

• Should be advisors to HR – managers and specialists

1.3 Sub-fields and practice areas in I-O psychology (cont.)

• Human resources management

• An applied field of Personnel and Organisational psychology – involved in employment management, the daily running and management of personnel, or human resources and work processes

• Tasks and roles include acquiring, training, appraising, motivating, rewarding and disciplining employees and providing a safe, ethical and fair work environment for employees.

• Research methodology

Entails psychological methods of inquiry to solve research problems

• Occupational psychological assessment (Psychometrics)

• Entails the development and utilisation of assessment instruments to obtain measures of attributes and behaviour of employees

1.3 Sub-fields and practice areas in I-O psychology (cont.)

• Career or vocational psychology/counselling

Studies career development issues with regard to individuals, employment, unemployment, career-related issues in organisations and also non-work influencing factors

• Employment relations

Deals with behavioural dynamics, communication and conflict management between individuals and groups of employees, employers and other parties

• Employee and organisational well-being

Aims to facilitate positive psychological capital or resources in organisations and employees

1.3 Sub-fields and practice areas in I-O psychology (cont.) • Ergonomics

Concerned with understanding of human interaction between employees and their technical environment.

• Consumer psychology

Also referred to as Economic and Market Psychology concerned with studying psychological aspects of consumer behaviour

• Other applied fields

Cross-cultural Industrial Psychology

Management and leadership

Entrepreneurship and diversity management.

1.4 The nature and identity of I-O psychology

• Applied field of psychology

• I-O psychology is a science --well founded in theory, research and methodologies to facilitate employee and organizational behaviour.

• utilises theory and methodology of psychology and its sub-fields to study and influence human behaviour and related processes in workplaces

• Own identity-industrial or I-O psychology refers to the broad approach, disciplines and interventions to influence and facilitate employee & organizational behaviour

• Suggested other names for I-O psychology—business, work psychology etc.

• I-O psychology has also established own work-related theory (e.g.. work motivation) and methodologies (e.g.. assessment centre technology, performance appraisal)

1.4 The nature and identity of I-O psychology

• Tasks and roles involve optimising the fit between employees and workplaces, and the study of organisational behaviour to benefit employees and the employing organisation

• I-O psychologist vs. HR-trained experts?

• Can be the same if trained as professional psychologists

• If not - training and roles/tasks will differ

• I-O psychologists are professional psychologists (Masters or doctorate degrees and registered with the HPCSA and Professional Board for Psychology)

• HR –trained persons cannot register or function as psychologists—may not execute psychological acts—e.g assessment and counseling/therapy

• HR-persons involved in the management of employment, while I-O psychologists influence and facilitate employee and organizational behaviour in terms of in-depth psychological knowledge

1.5 The history and background factors in I-O psychology

Influenced by developments in psychology e.g..:

Scientific/research emphasis—Wundt’s laboratory in 1898Individual differences and psychological assessment which

influence development of ability testing in work context—origins of personnel psychology

Taylorism in 1911–emphasised the structuring and scientific management of employees and work processes to improve work performance and productivity

Taylorism criticised for exploiting employees—ignoring individual differences human social needs

Hawthorne experiments – findings indicate that employee performance not the result only of working conditions but many factors e.g. Individual differences and social factors –origins of an Employee Relations approach in HR management

1.5 The history and background factors in I-O psychology (cont.)

• Walter Dill Scott’s publication on advertising in 1903) and Hugo Münsterberg’s (father of I-O psychology) work on industrial efficiency, 1913 early originators of I-O psychology

• Emphasised personnel selection and human factors influencing work performance.

• World Wars I and II- I-O psychology firmly established, especially in assessment, selection, placement, training and research of soldiers, establishment of ergonomics and other areas—apply knowledge to civilian life

• Current times

• - Ground-breaking psychological literature and research on many areas which contributed to I-O psychology—most current Positive psychology emphasizing employee health and optimal functioning

1.5 The history and background factors in I-O psychology (cont.)

• I-O psychology now established in all sub-disciplines, as a theoretical, applied and research field

• I-O psychology now an integrated science and discipline using concepts from many areas of psychology

• I-O psychology is professional training and occupational area for many.

• The social and systemic nature of organizations emphasized

• Labour relations and related legal and ethical issues and fairness in labour practices are emphasized in most or many applications.

• I-O psychology in South Africa

• Influenced by European and American psychology

• Influenced by important persons, universities ,the NIPR and HSRC

• Currently integrated under the HPCSA and SIOPSA

• Strongly influenced by labour laws

• Trained at most South African universities

1.6Professional training, registration and practice issues in South Africa

• Governed by various bodies - Department of Higher Education, academic departments of psychology and industrial psychology at universities and the PBP (HPCSA)

• The HPCSA - coordinating and controlling body for all health-related professions in South Africa Health Professions Act (No. 56 of 1974) and amendments)

• PBP - represents the interests of psychologists on issues regarding psychological training, practice and conduct

• SIOPSA – Society to further interests of I-O psychologists

• SABPP – A non-statutory body to promote and control the work of personnel practitioners without (or with) psychological qualifications in South Africa

• Practice framework: Psychology registration categories

• include psychologist, psychometrist, counsellor, intern psychologist (while doing an internship) and student psychologists (while training as psychologists during master’s study).

1.6Professional training, registration and practice issues in South Africa

• Psychometrist/counsellor - accredited I-O honours degree, having completed an approved internship (practical programme) of six months in a work context and having passed the board’s entrance examination, may register as either a psychometrist (a person competent in psychological assessment) or as counsellor in one or more specified practice areas (such as career counselling, employee well-being or human resources).

• Professional psychologist - a master’s or doctorate degree – consisting of a one-year course-work programme and examination, an academic thesis and a one-year approved internship in a work context and the board’s entrance examination passed (practice areas of industrial, clinical, counselling, educational and research psychology)

• Various non-psychological registration categories for people with HR qualifications (degrees, diplomas and certificates) are possible with the SABPP-not related to the HPCSA.