ABSTRACT
Inside Tips
UNDERSTANDING INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
This first chapter is intended to define I/O psychology and to give you a feel for what the field is all about and what I/O psychologists do. The examples drawn from the early history of I/O psychology and the discussion of current and future trends show how far the field has progressed over time.
4Because industrial/organizational psychology is so broad in its scope, it is not easy to gain a good understanding of the entire field by simply learning definitions or studying some of its historical roots; to fully comprehend the scope of I/O psychology, you need to get through this entire textbook. Chapters 1 and 2 provide an introduction and an overview of methods used by I/O psychologists to conduct research. Each chapter, from Chapters 3 through 15, presents a general topic and several specialties that I/O psychologists study. As you go through the book, step back and try to see how the various topics fit together. You will then begin to find the threads that hold the field of I/O psychology together.
