Industrial Psychology

INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY Industrial Psychology is a diverse area. Psychologists may study the work place, motivating staff, staff recruitment, management skills, improving staff performance and skills. The following are some example notes from the Course -

"THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
When a psychologist studies a patient, he does not consider present factors, such as environment alone. He must also take account of his patient's early environment and its effects on the present outlook of the patient.
Such is also the case in Industrial psychology. If we wish to discover such things as "What makes a worker accident prone?" "Why is he a low producer?" and "Why does he cause so much wastage?" Then we must study the worker against his working background, both past and present.
The most important aspect is "accidents and their cause". This is extremely important, because there are serious production losses as well as damage and suffering to the injured.
Where accidents are a common occurrence, over a period of time there is a tendency for the work force to regard accidents as inevitable. This is a fatalistic attitude which must be overcome by the management." (taken from the Industrial Psychology course)
Duration: 100 hours 
COURSE STRUCTURE
There are ten lessons in this course, as follows:
1. Introduction Free Will versus Determinism, Developmental and Interactive Expressions of Behaviour, NATURE versus NURTURE, Influence of Environment on Learning Behaviour, Modelling and Conformity, Conditioning involves Certain Environmental Factors which Encourage Learning to Take Place, Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Reinforcement & Punishment   2. Understanding the Employees Thinking Sensation and perception, thinking and day dreaming, the Gestalt approach, unconscious and conscious psychic elements. explaining behaviour, knowledge of brain processes, personal interpretation of a given situation, instinct. Terminology including: Mating, Curiosity, Maternal, Acquiring, Repulsion, Constructiveness, Rivalry, Laughter, Fighting, Walking, Swallowing, Play, Imitation, Sleep, Modesty, Domineering, Religion, Self Asserting, Sneezing, Thirst, Cleanliness, Workmanship, Parenting, Food seeking, Flight, Collecting, Sympathy.   3. Personality & Temperament Mature & immature temperaments (eg. Sanguine, Melancholic, Choleric, Phlegmatic), emotional types, fear, intelligence, knowledge, deviation, etc   4. Psychological Testing The Application Form; Psychological Test; The Interview; Intelligence Tests; Laws of Learning; Devising Tests; Selecting Appropriate Tests.   5. Management & Managers Qualities of Managers, Understanding morale, discipline, training, etc   6. The Work Environment Noise, Space, Light, Temperature, Speed of Work, etc. Accidents, Breakages, Fatigue etc.   7. Motivation and Incentives Maslows model of self actualisation, Security, Money, Ambition, Companionship, Social reinforcement, Labour wastage, etc   8. Recruitment Ways of seeking applicants, types of interview, ways of selecting staff.   9. Social Considerations Group Behaviour, Conformity, Industrial Groups, The Hawthorne Effect   10. Abnormalities and Disorders Psychosis Neurosis Personality Disorders, Variance, Partial Disability (eg. arm.leg injuries; epilepsy, digestive disorders etc), The Psycho Neurotic Aims

• Discuss basic concepts that may be relevant to understanding industrial psychology.
• Identify similarities and differences that occur in the way different employees perceive their workplace.
• Discuss the effect of personality and temperament upon industrial psychology.
• Identify applications for psychological testing in industrial management.
• Discuss the psychology of management
• Identify ways that the work environment might impact upon the psychology of people in a workplace
• Explain how motivation influences work productivity.
• Discuss the application of psychology to recruitment.
• Explain the impact of social factors upon work productivity.
• Discuss the significance of psychological disorders or abnormalities in a workplace

Examples of Assignment Questions
Discuss the following questions with one or two friends, and make notes of the answers.
Discuss the environmental circumstances that you feel have affected your life.  Consider to what extent are mental characteristics inherited?

Industrial Psychology is now a major field.  More and more companies make use of psychologists to ensure that their staff are motivated, that the workplace is suitable for optimum performance and so  on.  Learn about the way people think in the workplace. This course is also suitable for people who are interested in developing their management skills - become a better manager. Learn more about staff and how to get the best out of them. Psychometric testing, intelligence testing and its use within the work place.  This course also helps develop knowledge and skills for anyone involved in workplace situations, such as managers, supervisors, small business owners, union representatives, etc.