Introduction to I/O Psychology

Question 1

_____ psychology is a branch of psychology that applies the principles of psychology to the workplace. The purpose of _____ psychology is “to enhance the dignity and performance of human beings, and the organizations they work in, by advancing the science and knowledge of human behavior”.

Answer 1

Industrial/organizational

Question 2

A factor that helps differentiate I/O psychology from other fields of psychology is the reliance on the _____ model. That is, I/O psychologists act as scientists when they conduct research and as practitioners when they work with actual organizations.

Answer 2

scientist-practitioner

Question 3

The _____ approach focuses on determining the competencies needed to perform a job, staffing the organization with employees who have those competencies, and increasing those competencies through training.

Answer 3

industrial

Question 4

The _____ approach creates an organizational structure and culture that will motivate employees to perform well, give them with the necessary information to do their jobs, and provide working conditions that are safe and result in an enjoyable and satisfying work environment.

Answer 4

organizational

Question 5

I/O psychologists and HRM professionals involved in _____ psychology study and practice in such areas as analyzing jobs, recruiting applicants, selecting employees, determining salary levels, training employees, and evaluating employee performance.

Answer 5

personnel

Question 6

Psychologists involved in _____ psychology are concerned with the issues of leadership, job satisfaction, employee motivation, _____ communication, conflict management, _____ change, and group processes within an _____.

_____ psychologists often conduct surveys of employee attitudes to get ideas about what employees believe are an _____ strengths and weaknesses.

Answer 6

organizational

Question 7

Psychologists in the area of _____ concentrate on workplace design, human-machine interaction, _____, and physical fatigue and stress.

These psychologists frequently work with engineers and other technical professionals to make the workplace safer and more efficient. Sample activities in this subfield have included designing the optimal way to draw a map, designing the most comfortable chair, and investigating the optimal work schedule.

Answer 7

Human Factors/Ergonomics

Question 8

Although various experts disagree about the precise beginning of I/O psychology, it is generally thought to have started either in _____ when Walter Dill Scott wrote The Theory of Advertising, in which psychology was first applied to business.

Answer 8

1903

Question 9

In 1910 when Hugo _____ wrote Psychology and Industrial Efficiency.

Answer 9

Munsterberg

Question 10

In 1910 when Hugo _____ wrote Psychology and Industrial Efficiency.

Answer 10

Munsterberg

Question 11

In _____ when Scott wrote the book Increasing Human Efficiency in Business.

Answer 11

1911

Question 12

Interestingly, _____, who is better known as a pioneer in behaviorism, served as a major in the U.S. Army in World War I and developed perceptual and motor tests for potential pilots.

Answer 12

John B. Watson

Question 13

I/O psychologists, especially _____, were responsible for increasing the efficiency with which cargo ships were built, repaired, and loaded.

Answer 13

Henry Gantt

Question 14

Though certainly not an I/O psychologist, inventor _____ understood the importance of selecting the right employees. In 1920, _____ created a 150-item knowledge test that he administered to over 900 applicants. The test and passing score were so difficult that only 5% of the applicants passed!

Answer 14

Thomas A. Edison

Question 15

Two of the most interesting figures in the early years of I/O psychology were the husband and wife team of Frank Gilbreth and _____ Moller Gilbreth. The Gilbreths were among the first, if not the first, scientists to improve productivity and reduce fatigue by studying the motions used by workers

Answer 15

Lillian

Question 16

However, in the 1930s, when the findings from the famous _____ studies were published, psychologists became more involved in the quality of the work environment, as well as the attitudes of employees.

Answer 16

Hawthorne

Question 17

After interviewing employees and studying the matter further, the researchers realized that employees changed their behavior and became more productive because they were being studied and received attention from their managers, a condition that is now commonly referred to as the _____ effect.

Answer 17

Hawthorne

Question 18

Applicants referred by a current employee will stay with the company longer because they were given an accurate picture of the job and the company by the person telling them about the job (_____ theory)

Answer 18

realistic job preview

Question 19

The personalities of applicants using employee referrals are different than the personalities of applicants using other methods to find jobs (_____ theory).

Answer 19

differential recruitment-source

Question 20

Friends have similar personalities; thus, if one person has the type of personality that makes her want to stay with her current job, her friend should also like the job in question (_____ theory).

Answer 20

personality similarity

Question 21

Employees who know someone in a workplace are more quickly absorbed into the informal system, receive coaching, and have their social needs met (_____ theory).

Answer 21

socialization

Question 22

Ethics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

In a _____, there is a high level of uncertainty as to what is right or wrong, there appears to be no best solution, and there are both positive and negative consequences to a decision.

For example, many people would say that drug research that uses animals to test new drugs is unethical, because it is morally wrong to hurt any living creature. Others would say that new drugs could save millions of lives and that it would be morally wrong not to make and test drugs that could potentially save human lives. As you can see, there seems to be no one best answer, as there are both negative and positive consequences in making this decision.

Answer 22

Type A dilemma

Question 23

Ethics in Industrial/Organizational Psychology

In a _____, also called rationalizing dilemmas, the difference between right and wrong is much clearer than in a Type A dilemma. Usually, individuals know what is right but choose the solution that is most advantageous to themselves.

For example, choosing not to tell a prospective buyer about any past damage that occurred with a car for sale would have the most advantages for the seller.

Answer 23

Type B dilemma