Lecture 1

Industrial Psychology
Introduction of the subject Context and relevancy Scope and applicability Historical background

21-July-2009

Anant Kumar Srivastava

Industrial Psychology IT III Semester

Introduction of the subject

Some definitions from various perspectives
Study of human behaviour at work Application of psychological principles to understand the human factors in the organisation A field of study which helps in understanding the causation of human behaviour in industrial settings The field of psychology concerned with the development and application of scientific principles at the workplace The study of behaviour in the business or industrial environment

Major perspectives of study:

Industrial -- Concerned with efficiency Organizational -- concerned with the individuals role in the workplace context

21-July-2009

Anant Kumar Srivastava

Industrial Psychology IT III Semester

Context and relevancy

Occupational psychology: It covers application of
applied and social psychology to accident proneness, fatigue, mental health, safety, conflict management etc Organisational Behaviour: It is the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. It does this by taking a system approach. That is, it interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the whole person, whole group, whole organization, and whole social system. Its purpose is to build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objectives, and social objectives.
Anant Kumar Srivastava Industrial Psychology IT III Semester

21-July-2009

Context and relevancy- Contd

Human Factor Engineering: It is a generalist term used to describe a number of disciplines that study how users appreciate and interact with products. It may include product design and branding, product psychology, userinterface design, and education factoring. Ergonomics: Ergonomics is the applied science of equipment design for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. In the present days Ergonomics definition is given as the science, which deals with designing the job to fit the workers expectation and comfort Other terms which are also relevant in industrial psychology are Human- factor engineering, Man-Machine Interaction, Human-Computer Interaction and Human Resource Management
21-July-2009 Anant Kumar Srivastava Industrial Psychology IT III Semester

Scope and applicability of industrial psychology

Personnel Psychology It deals with selection, training, and assessment of employees etc. Organizational Behavior It covers the study of social & group influences, communication, organisational structure/hierarchy, leadership, motivation issues etc. Ergonomics/Human Factors It includes human-machine interaction, job design, optimizing human abilities etc. Vocational/Career Counseling It includes career path, retirement preparation, employee assistance programs etc. Organizational Development It includes diagnosing organisational problems, plan, implement, and assess the changes etc. Industrial Relations It covers labor issues, management -union liaison to resolve conflict etc.
21-July-2009 Anant Kumar Srivastava Industrial Psychology IT III Semester

Origins of Industrial Psychology

Intersection of engineering and psychology Focuses on safety and efficiency of humanmachine interactions Growing emphasis on perception, attention, cognition, learning, social, and environmental factors Emphasis on how to use human resources to increase efficiency and productivity

21-July-2009

Anant Kumar Srivastava

Industrial Psychology IT III Semester

Historical background Some Works and researches

Guion (1965) - The scientific study of the relationship between man and the world at work: the study of the adjustment that people make to the places they go, the people they meet, and the things they do in the process of making a living. Blum & Naylor (1968) - The application or extension of Psychological principles to the problems concerning human beings operating within the context of business and industry. Bryan & Harter (1897) Published paper which described the study and application of human psych to work activities and he coined the term industrial psychology. His work was on Morse code telegraphers Hugo Mnsterberg (1913) Conducted extensive study on following Human Psychology and Industrial Efficiency Application of human psych to sales Trolley car simulator Lie detector using various techniques Normally quoted as father of Industrial psychology
21-July-2009 Anant Kumar Srivastava Industrial Psychology IT III Semester

Historical background Some practical uses

James Cattell (1921) Established first psychological Corporation in USA to provide services to industry Hawthorne Studies (1924) Research by Harvard & MIT led by Elton Mayo. The study includes Cost effective ways to reduce expenses Adjusted lighting levels The result is called as Hawthorne effect World War II (1941 1946) US Army hired Industrial and organisational psychologists to select & classify recruits and incorporated Army General Classification Test (AGCT) Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Post-World War II Uses of psychological principles for
Human Factors to deal with increased technology, Personnel Psych to deal with selection and training, Organisational Behaviour & Organisational Development for relevant

organisational and social issues

21-July-2009 Anant Kumar Srivastava Industrial Psychology IT III Semester