Chapter 20
Applied Psychology
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Industrial-Organizational
Psychology (I-O)
Applied Psychology: Use of
psychological principles and research
methods to solve practical problems
Industrial-Organizational Psychology (IO): Focuses on psychology of people at
work and in organizations
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Typically work in:
Testing and placement
 Human relations at work
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Other Aspects of I-O Psychology
Personnel Psychology: Branch of I-O
psychology concerned with testing, selection,
placement, and promotion
Job Analysis: Detailed description of skills,
knowledge, and activities required by a
particular job
Critical Incidents: Situations where competent
employees must be able to cope
Biodata: Detailed biographical information
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Fig. 20.1 Analyzing complex skills has also been valuable to the U.S. Air Force. When milliondollar aircraft
and the lives of pilots are at stake, it makes good sense to do as much training and research as possible
on the ground. Air force psychologists use flight simulators like the one pictured here to analyze the
complex skills needed to fly jet fighters. Skills can then be taught without risk on the ground. The General
Electric simulator shown here uses a computer to generate full-color images that respond realistically to a
pilot’s use of the controls. (Photograph supplied courtesy of General Electric Company.)
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Psychological Testing
Vocational Interest Tests: Paper-and-pencil
test that assesses a person’s interests and
matches them to interests found in successful
workers in various occupations

Strong Campbell Interest Inventory is one such
example
Aptitude Tests: Rate a person’s potential to
learn skills or tasks used in various
occupations
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Psychological Testing (cont.)
Multimedia Computerized Tests: Use
computers to present realistic work
situations
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Police officers will run through various
“situations” where they have to decide
whether or not to use force, for example
Assessment Centers: Do in-depth
evaluations of potential employees;
often set up within organizations
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Psychological Testing (cont.)
Situational Judgment Tests: Present difficult but
realistic work situations to potential employees in
order to rate and evaluate their performance
In-Basket Test: Simulates decision making
challenges that executives face

Basket full of memos is given to applicant, and applicant
must act appropriately as quickly as possible
Leaderless Group Discussion: Test of leadership that
simulates group decision making and problem solving
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Management Theories
Scientific Management (Theory X): Approach to
managing employees that emphasizes work
efficiency
Psychological Efficiency: Maintaining good morale,
labor relations, employee satisfaction, and similar
aspects of work behavior

Happy workers are productive workers
Theory Y: Emphasizes human relations at work; sees
people as industrious, responsible, and interested in
challenging work
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More Management Strategies
Participative Management: Employees at all
levels are directly involved in decision making
Management by Objectives: Workers are
given specific goals to meet so they can know
if they are doing a good job
Self-Managed Team: Group of employees
who work together toward shared goals
Quality Circles: Voluntary employee
discussion groups that look to improve quality
and look for ways to solve business problems
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Job Satisfaction and Enrichment
Job Satisfaction: Degree to which a person is
comfortable and satisfied with his or her work
Job satisfaction is highest when (listed in order of
importance):
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Work is interesting
Enough help and equipment exist to get job done
Enough information to get job done
Enough authority to get job done
Note that nothing relating to pay is listed in the top four
(pay is ranked fifth)!
Job Enrichment: Making a job more personally
rewarding, interesting, or intrinsically motivating
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How People Cope With Work
Dilemmas
Four Basic Coping Styles:
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Vigilant: Most effective; individuals evaluate information
objectively and make decisions clearly understanding
alternatives
Complacent: Let chance direct their career decisions and
tend to be nonchalant, not making plans
Defensive-Avoidant: Aware of all risks and opportunities, but
are uncomfortable making decisions. Thus they tend to
procrastinate, rationalize, and make excuses for inaction and
indecision
Hypervigilant: Panic when forced to make career decisions.
Making logical decisions is almost impossible for this type
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Environmental Psychology
Concerned with the relationship between
environments and human behavior.
Interested in:


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Physical Environments: Natural or constructed
Social Environments: Groups of people, such as
at a dance, party, or business meeting.
Behavioral Settings: Smaller areas within an
environment whose use is well defined, e.g.,
office, casino, classroom, or locker room
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Territoriality
Territorial Behavior: Any behavior that tends
to define a space as one’s own or that
protects it from intruders
Territorial Markers: Objects and other signals
that indicate ownership or control of a
particular area

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Gates, pictures, plants, posters, decorations
Check your psychology professor’s office to find
some examples of territorial markers
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Crowding and Noise
Crowding: Subjective feelings of being overstimulated
by social inputs or loss of privacy
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When crowding causes a loss of control over one’s
immediate social environment, stress can result
John Calhoun’s “Horrible Mousery” (1962) is a good
example of how overcrowding can affect mice
Attentional Overload: Stressful condition that occurs
when sensory stimulation, information, and social
contacts make excessive demands on attention
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Crowding and Noise (cont.)
Noise Pollution: Stressful, annoying, and
intrusive noise. Usually generated by
machines (jackhammers, sirens, planes)
Architectural Psychology: Study of the effects
buildings have on behavior; buildings can be
designed using psychological and behavioral
principles


Making rooms with more space and more light,
having bathrooms in the middle of the hall; higher
or lower ceilings
Feng Shui
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Fig. 20.2 Population growth has slowed slightly in recent years, but world population still threatens to
double again in less than 40 years (graph source: Population Institute). Overpopulation and rapid
population growth are closely connected with environmental damage, international tensions, and rapid
depletion of non-renewable resources. Some demographers predict that if population growth is not limited
voluntarily before it reaches 10 billion, it will be limited by widespread food shortages, disease, infant
mortality, and early death (Erlich & Erlich, 1990).
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CNN - Single Child Policy
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Fig. 20.3 An architectural solution for crowding. Psychologists divided a dorm hall like that shown in the left
diagram (a) into two shorter halls separated by unlocked doors and a lounge area (b). This simple change
minimized unwanted social contacts and greatly reduced feelings of crowding among dorm residents.
(Adapted from Baum & Davis, 1980.)
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Teaching Styles
Direction Instruction: Factual
information presented by lecture,
demonstration, and rote practice
Open Teaching: Active student-teacher
discussion is emphasized
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Psychology of Law
Study of behavioral dimensions of legal
system
Jury Behavior
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Jurors rarely can put aside biases, attitudes, and
beliefs when making a decision
Jurors are not very good at separating evidence
from other information
Final verdict is often influenced by inadmissible
evidence
Jurors cannot suspend judgment until all
information is in; opinion often formed early in trial
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Jury Selection
Mock Jury: Group that realistically simulates a
courtroom jury
Scientific Jury Selection: Social science principles are
applied to jury selection process
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Gather demographic information
Perform community survey to get information about attitudes
towards case
Look for authoritarian personality traits in potential jurors
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Tend to believe that punishment is effective and more likely to vote
to convict
Look at nonverbal behavior
Death-Qualified Jury: Jury composed of people who
favor death penalty or are at least indifferent to it
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CNN – Death Penalty/Prejudice
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Sports Psychology
Study of behavioral dimensions of sports performance
Task Analysis: Breaking sports skills into subparts so
that key elements can be identified and taught
Motor Skills: Series of actions molded into a smooth
and efficient performance
Mental Practice: Imagining a skilled performance to
help learning
Peak Performance: Physical, emotional, and mental
states are harmonious and optimal
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Effective Communication
State Your Ideas Clearly and Decisively
Do Not Overuse Big Words
Avoid Excessive Use of Jargon or Slang
Avoid Loaded Words: Words that have
strong emotional meanings should be
avoided
Use People’s Names
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Being a Good Listener
Make an Honest Effort to Pay Attention
Try to Identify the Speaker’s Purpose: Look
for main themes and not isolated facts
Suspend Evaluation
Check Your Understanding
Pay Attention to Nonverbal Messages
Accept Responsibility for Effective
Communication
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Space Psychology: Visions of
Arthur C. Clarke?
Space Psychologists: Study behavioral
challenges that accompany space flight and
life in restricted environments
Some potential problems psychologists have
studied
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General Environment: How to handle lack of
showers, etc.
Privacy
Sensory Restriction
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More Potential Problems in
Space
Cultural Differences
Social Isolation
Conflict Resolution
Mental Health
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