Psychology 281: Industrial Psychology
“Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychologists contribute to an organization’s success by improving the performance and well-being of its people. An I-O psychologist researches and identifies how behaviors and attitudes can be improved through hiring practices, training programs, and feedback systems.”
Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychologists member brochure
What will I learn in this course?
This 3-credit course will introduce methods, practice, research, and theories of Industrial and Organizational (or I/O) Psychology. I/O psychology is a subfield of psychology concerned with various aspects of people in the workplace, including employee productivity and well-being. The "Industrial" part deals with human resource functions such as analyzing jobs, appraising employee performance, selecting, placing and training employees. The "Organizational" part is concerned with the social and psychological aspects of work, including employee attitudes, behavior, emotions, health, motivation, leadership, etc. Both real-world applications and research will be emphasized throughout the course. By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand what it means to be an I/O Psychologist.
- Develop an awareness of the history and major perspectives underlying and driving the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
- Develop an understanding of how theory and research in I/O Psychology is applied in worksettings.
- Think critically about research.
- Develop an understanding for the potential I/O Psychology has for society and organizations now and in the future.
This course meets the General Education Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS) requirements. See your advisor if you have questions about how this course can be used in your program of study.
Are there any prerequisites for this course?
PSYCH 100 is a prerequisite for PSYCH 281. This course is taught completely online. Students who are disciplined and motivated will be highly successful in PSYCH 281 because these qualities allow students to better assume a greater degree of responsibility for their own learning. To take this course, you should feel comfortable navigating on the Internet. You must also be a self-starter who feels confident about reading to learn and who is comfortable working independently.
I've never taken an online course before. What is it like?
By taking an online course, you can learn beyond the traditional borders of the classroom, and as part of a wider and more diverse audience. There are no preset meeting times, so this class will help those who are struggling with scheduling issues. We'll use Penn State's ANGEL system for PSYCH 281, and a combination of Adobe PDF files and images as our class "lecture." You'll communicate with the professor and your classmates through chat, e-mail, and threaded discussions within ANGEL.
An online course is not easier than a traditional resident course! You must be willing and able to commit the same amount of time as you would for attending class and studying for a traditional course. If you're wondering whether an online course is right for you, take this short survey to find out more about how online learning is different.
What are the technological requirements for this course?
This course is designed to work within the ANGEL technological requirements. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view the lesson files.
How is the course structured?
PSYCH 281 has a total of fourteen lessons. There will be an online timed quiz on each lesson. There will also be weekly activities (such as discussions, case studies or team assignments). There will be a team project due at the end of the semester with interim deadlines throughout the semester.
Where can I get more information?
For more information about PSYCH 281 Online, see a recent course syllabus. To register, visit the Office of the University Registrar. At the beginning of each semester, all enrolled students should access PSYCH 281 at the site of Penn State's course management system, ANGEL.
"I can think of few other fields of work that are as critical to human welfare as I/O Psychology. We spend much more of our lifetimes engaged in working than in any other activity. Thus I/O Psychology is devoted to understanding our major mission in life”
Muchinsky, 2003, page 20; Psychology Applied to Work
One of the things I've enjoyed most about being an industrial-organizational psychologist is being first a psychologist. ... What was also appealing to me was ... I found that in I/O psychology I could also pursue my interest in management, in political science, and in sociology... "
Pond, Psi Chi Publication
“While people have always been central to organizations, today they have taken on even more central role in building a firm’s competitive advantage”
Bohlander & Snell, 2004, page 2; Managing Human Resources
"Keep in mind that at its core, I/O is a scientific field that is devoted to discovery and application of scientific principles to human problems in the workplace. What makes us a little different from many scientific fields is that we are an applied science. Thus we have both a scientific and a practitioner side (much like engineering)."
Paul E. Spector
"I/O psychologists are dedicated to applying psychology to people in the workplace. No, they are not "shrinks," rather, their field of psychology tries to understand and measure human behavior to improve employees' satisfaction in their work, employers' ability to select and promote the best people, and to generally make the workplace better for the men and women who work there."
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP.org)