AMU Organizational and Social Psychology Discussion

Responses 150 words +

RESPONSE #1

Good evening everyone. I hope you are all doing well and staying safe/healthy. This weeks forum post is something I know a good amount about because when I first started studying psychology, I was going for my bachelors degree in industrial/organizational psychology. It didn’t take me long to discover that I wasn’t too interested in this field because there was just nothing about it that excited me. It just seemed like it was too broad of a category for me. When it comes to social psychology however, I am very interested in this field and definitely can see myself having a career in it. I love being able to figure out why people act/react the way they do and how it can possibly be tied to other things.

One thing I learned about industrial/organizational psychology is that it involves human behavior in the workplace as well. I was under the impression it just dealt with the human behavior among different organizations. When it comes to social psychology, is that it’s more than just how people act/react in social situations. It also deals with peoples behavior in the presence of other people, how people will conform to a situation just to feel like they fit in, it goes well beyond peoples behaviors in social settings.

I just started working at my current job about a month and a half ago, and while I was sitting here typing out this discussion post, my boss happened to walk by and mention that before she was able to take on the role of general manager, they made her go through courses about industrial/organizational psychology. Obviously, they weren’t as in depth as they would be for someone trying to obtain a degree in this field, but they made her take them in order for her to get a feel of how situations can come up in the workplace regarding her employees. Looking at the social psychology side of things, I will again use my job as an example. I work the front desk at a hotel. In order to make everything run smoothly, everyone has to do their part and perform their job to the best of their abilities. My mood changes depending on who is here when I come into work. Certain people do their jobs well, others do not. So I know what type of day I’ll have depending on who is working when I come in. Basically, I’ll know who’s slack I’ll have to pick up and who’s I won’t. -MANDY

RESPONSE #2

Good evening class,

I/O Psychology is a blend of business and psychology. They with performance, diversity, selection to help with organizations effectiveness and forge consulting relationships. There are many employment opportunities within this category.

Industrial Org consultants and psychologists study workplace productivity and management styles. They also get a feel for the morale in the workplace. Behavior analysis study employee behaviors. HR Org development specialists study and help maximize workplace productivity. They plan, conduct and administer programs to help improve skills and knowledge for their workplace. Senior Research Consultants can manage research projects. Talent management specialists might asses the competence of employees and help management choose the right employees. They also attract, measure, and development effectiveness of the talent management plans. I honestly did not know many of the above information but I think the most surprising part of what I learned was how imbedded this profession is in most businesses.

For a real-world application for I/O’s I could possibly apply it when I enter a new workplace. I would normally study the morale and effectiveness to analyze what is needed from me and what they need to be most effective.

Social Psychology is grounded heavily in research because it is the study of human behavior and how it is shaped by others in different types of situations. Primary research methods used are correlation and experimental methods. There are a lot of job opportunities in many faucets of employment settings since it is a foundational discipline. For example, Social Psychologists can pursue private or government research facilities, schools, correctional facilities, and social welfare organizations. Some marketing and advertising firms might also employ a social psychologist for the use of marketing research. I find it interesting that psychology is used so much in marketing and how businesses can use it to encourage attraction to their product. For me, a real-word application could be in the marketing aspect. I’m always looking for ways to advertise my classes and encourage people to attend them. I will need to figure that part out!

Thank you,

Jess

RESPONSE #3

I find both Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Social Psychology interesting. However, I would only consider Industrial/Organizational Psychology as a career possibility. I’m all about a positive work environments, so I believe I would enjoy evaluating employees and workplaces to make improvements and develop training. Social Psychology is interesting because you have the opportunity to understand people’s behaviors. I wouldn’t chose it as a career choice because it seems to be more research based. I would like to work in a field where I’m more hands-on and working towards helping individuals or groups make a positive change.

One thing I learned about Industrial/Organizational Psychology is that it came about. during WWI to assign soldiers to jobs and duty stations that fit their personality and abilities. As a military member, I wish higher leadership would use this method more often when assigning jobs. I do understand with how large the armed forces is now, it’s probably not possible to evaluate people further than their ASVAB scores.

I actually learned two things about Social Psychology. First, it’s not the same thing as Sociology. When I first saw the words Social Psychology I thought it was just another term for Sociology. The difference between the two are Sociology focuses on group behavior, and Social Psychology focuses how a group of people influences an individual. I also learned that Social Psychology became popular when German psychologists were fleeing their country and started studying prejudice and Nazism.

A real world situation for Industrial/Organizational Psychology would be evaluating why military chose to get out after their first enlistment. A question my leadership has all the time is what contributes to the younger Airmen choosing to get out. A real world situation Social Psychology can be applied to assisting with the Presidential campaign advertisements. With the current climate around this year’s election, a social psychologist can assist the candidates with effective campaigning. -LATARA