Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY

(6th Ed)

Appendix B

Psychology at Work

Modified from:James A. McCubbin, PhD

Clemson University

Worth Publishers

Psychology at Work

Psychology at Work Flow

Completely, involved, focused state of consciousness, with diminished awareness of self & time, resulting from optimal engagement of one’s skills

Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology

Application of psychological concepts & methods to optimizing behavior in workplaces

Personnel Psychology Focuses on employee recruitment,

selection, placement, training, appraisal & development

Organizational Psychology Examines organizational influences on

worker satisfaction & productivity & facilitates organizational change

Human Factors Psychology

Personnel Psychology Personnel psychologists’ tasks

Strength-based selection system

Personnel Psychology Unstructured interviewing & the

interviewer illusion Why the interviewer illusion exists?

Interviews disclose good intentions Interviewers more often follow

successful careers of those hired Interviewers presume people are what

they seem in interview Interviewers’ preconceptions & moods

color how they perceive interviewees’ responses.

Personnel Psychology Structured Interview

(reliability/validity) Asks same job-relevant questions of all

applicants Rated on established scales

Performance Appraisal Who to retain How to reward & pay How to better harness strengths Affirms strengths & helps motivate

improvements

Performance Appraisal

360-degree feedback

Organizational Psychology Seek ways to engage &

motivate ordinary people doing ordinary jobsEmployee satisfactionEffective leadership

Harness job-relevant strengthsSet specific, challenging goalsChoose appropriate leadership style

Leadership Styles

Task Leadership Goal-oriented leadership that sets

standards, organizes work, & focuses attention on goals

Social Leadership Group-oriented leadership that

builds teamwork, mediates conflict, & offers support

Motivation Theories

Theory X Assumes workers basically lazy, error-

prone, & extrinsically motivated by money

Workers should be directed from above Theory Y

Assumes that, given challenge & freedom, workers motivated to achieve self-esteem & demonstrate competence & creativity

Human Factors

Human Factors Psychology Explores how people & machines interact Explores how machines & physical

environments can be adapted to human behaviors

THE END