What is IO Psychology?

Loosely defined, IO (Industrial Organizational) Psychology is the application of psychological theory and methods to issues in the workplace.  ψ

Some of the topics studied by IO Psychologists include:

 

Job Analysis Work Attitudes Organizational Theory
Recruitment Socialization & Training Organizational Change & Development
Selection Leadership & Power Research Methods
Performance Appraisal Retaliatory Behavior Measurement
Compensation Turnover Statistics
Motivation Teams/ Group Processes Consumer Behavior
Stress/Health Decision Making Human Factors

IO psychologists work not only in academic settings, conducting research, but also within organizations.  Within organizations, I/O Psychologists may work in a variety of areas, including working directly with (a) employees (e.g., testing, selection, training, motivation, etc.), (b) management (e.g., job design and evaluation, organizational change management, etc.), and (c) Human Resources Departments (e.g., performance appraisal, legal documentation, compensation, work-life issues, etc.).

You can learn more about IO psychologists, how to become an IO Psychologist, and how IO Psychologists can help you build a better organization by visiting the website for the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).  SIOP  is an association of the world's top workplace behavioral scientists:

http://www.SIOP.org