BDO 121
Psychology in the work context
Contents
Unit 1: Chapter 1: Fields of study in Psychology and Industrial/ Organisational
psychology ...................................................................................................................... 2
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2
2. Subfields of psychology........................................................................................... 3
3. Subfields of Industrial psychology........................................................................... 5
4. Important developments in IOP ............................................................................. 6
5. Professional boards in south africa ......................................................................... 7
Unit 2 - Chapter 2 – Exploring the Meta-theory of Industrial and Organisational
Psychology....................................................................................................................... 8
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 8
2. The four worlds of IOP .............................................................................................. 8
3. Meta- theory of IOP ................................................................................................. 9
4. The scientific framework of IOP ............................................................................ 13
Unit 3 - Chapter 22 – Research methodology ............................................................ 14
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 14
2. Key definitions in research .................................................................................... 14
3. Research paradigms ............................................................................................. 15
4. Types of research ................................................................................................... 16
5. the research process ............................................................................................. 17
Unit 4: Chapter 3: Biological Basis of Behaviour.......................................................... 22
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 22
2. Understanding genetics ........................................................................................ 22
3. The nervous system ................................................................................................ 24
Unit 5: Chapter 6: Sensation and perception ............................................................. 28
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 28
2. Measuring sensation .............................................................................................. 29
3. Visual sensation ...................................................................................................... 29
4. Sound sensation ..................................................................................................... 30
5. Taste and smell sensation...................................................................................... 30
6. Skin sensation and kinaesthesia ........................................................................... 30
7. Visual perception................................................................................................... 31
8. Factors influencing perception ............................................................................ 33
1
, Unit 6: Chapter 5: Learning ........................................................................................... 36
1. Classical conditioning ........................................................................................... 36
2. Operant conditioning ........................................................................................... 38
3. Cognitive and social learning .............................................................................. 39
4. Learning in the work context ................................................................................ 39
5. The Adult learner.................................................................................................... 42
Unit 7: Chapter 7: Cognition ......................................................................................... 44
1. Cognition ................................................................................................................ 44
2. Memory .................................................................................................................. 46
3. Intelligence............................................................................................................. 47
1. Key concepts ......................................................................................................... 50
2. Characteristics of Human development ............................................................. 50
3. Domains of human development ........................................................................ 50
4. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development ......................................................... 51
5. Determinants of human development ................................................................ 52
6. Critical periods in human development .............................................................. 53
7. career development stages ................................................................................. 55
Unit 1: Chapter 1: Fields of study in Psychology and Industrial/
Organisational psychology
1. INTRODUCTION
Psyche Refers to mind and soul
Relationship between body and mind
Psychology Originated in Greece
In the 5th century
Industrial and organisational psychology = branch of
psychology
Industrial psychology has its own theory, research,
applications and academic training programs
Industrial psychologists apply their knowledge in the
workplace to determine:
o how people engage in work
o interaction between employees, their workplaces and
their work
o team dynamics
o culture
2
, 2. SUBFIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Clinical Assists with relief of emotional distress
Psychology Caused by psychological disorders
Promotes psychological well-being
Deal with abnormal behaviours:
o anorexia
o bulimia
o schizophrenia
Counselling Helps manage life pain
Psychology Improves understanding of life and coping skills
You need it if you faced a traumatic event e.g. death of a
loved one
Deals with mild depression
Educational Study behaviour processes and learning problems related
and school to teaching and learning
psychology Assists kids with:
o dyslexia
o ADD
o ADHD
o poor memory
o processing problems
Problems are diagnosed through assessments
Health Identifies causes and symptoms of physical health/ illness
psychology Deals primarily with:
o stress
o unhealthy lifestyle
o psychosomatic illnesses (physical symptoms
originating from stress e.g. vomiting)
Assists in managing stress and decreasing severity of
symptoms
Career Facilitate career development across your lifespan
psychology First encounter is in high school:
Personality/ aptitude tests are given to give an indication
of:
o what you are capable of
o what you are interested in
Second encounter when you enter the work environment:
helps you plot your career for the next 5 years
When you achieved your goal:
helps you plot your career for the next 5-10 years
Forensic Studies criminal behaviour
psychologist Provides evidence at legal proceedings regarding
defendant’s state of mind:
o of sound psychological standing
o had a psychological imbalance
Also called profilers/ forensic profilers
Develops a profile for criminals:
o height
o weight
o race
3
, o age
o motive behind behaviour
Work in prisons to rehabilitate criminals
Neurological Looks at brain trauma/ damage
psychology Checks if it will affect:
o behaviour
o well-being
o day-to-day functioning
Community Improves quality of life for:
psychologist o individuals
o communities
o society as a whole
Main aim: developing an intervention for a community to
manage/ prevent a problem from happening again
E.g. teenage pregnancies in a certain community
Consulting Assists individuals/ groups/ organisations with any
psychology psychological problems
Can:
o carry out assessments
o carry out training and development
o assist with organisational change
o assist with counselling if a traumatic event took
place
Consulting firms are made up of different psychologists
They send out a specific psychologist to a specific
organisation with a specific problem
E.g. Growth-Link
Positive Life coaching falls under positive psychology
psychology Psychology always looked at a very diseased version of the
human being
Positive psychology looks at healthy individuals
Assists them to become the best version of themselves,
therefore
achieving optimal human functioning
Done by finding out:
o what makes people happy
o how do we find meaning in life
o once achieved, how do we sustain it
Industrial and Study and influence human behaviour in the work context
organisational To assess and develop individuals and groups in the
psychology workplace
Includes:
o recruitment and selection
o training and development
o performance and reward systems
o talent management
o labour relations
o HR planning
4
Psychology in the work context
Contents
Unit 1: Chapter 1: Fields of study in Psychology and Industrial/ Organisational
psychology ...................................................................................................................... 2
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2
2. Subfields of psychology........................................................................................... 3
3. Subfields of Industrial psychology........................................................................... 5
4. Important developments in IOP ............................................................................. 6
5. Professional boards in south africa ......................................................................... 7
Unit 2 - Chapter 2 – Exploring the Meta-theory of Industrial and Organisational
Psychology....................................................................................................................... 8
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 8
2. The four worlds of IOP .............................................................................................. 8
3. Meta- theory of IOP ................................................................................................. 9
4. The scientific framework of IOP ............................................................................ 13
Unit 3 - Chapter 22 – Research methodology ............................................................ 14
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 14
2. Key definitions in research .................................................................................... 14
3. Research paradigms ............................................................................................. 15
4. Types of research ................................................................................................... 16
5. the research process ............................................................................................. 17
Unit 4: Chapter 3: Biological Basis of Behaviour.......................................................... 22
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 22
2. Understanding genetics ........................................................................................ 22
3. The nervous system ................................................................................................ 24
Unit 5: Chapter 6: Sensation and perception ............................................................. 28
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 28
2. Measuring sensation .............................................................................................. 29
3. Visual sensation ...................................................................................................... 29
4. Sound sensation ..................................................................................................... 30
5. Taste and smell sensation...................................................................................... 30
6. Skin sensation and kinaesthesia ........................................................................... 30
7. Visual perception................................................................................................... 31
8. Factors influencing perception ............................................................................ 33
1
, Unit 6: Chapter 5: Learning ........................................................................................... 36
1. Classical conditioning ........................................................................................... 36
2. Operant conditioning ........................................................................................... 38
3. Cognitive and social learning .............................................................................. 39
4. Learning in the work context ................................................................................ 39
5. The Adult learner.................................................................................................... 42
Unit 7: Chapter 7: Cognition ......................................................................................... 44
1. Cognition ................................................................................................................ 44
2. Memory .................................................................................................................. 46
3. Intelligence............................................................................................................. 47
1. Key concepts ......................................................................................................... 50
2. Characteristics of Human development ............................................................. 50
3. Domains of human development ........................................................................ 50
4. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development ......................................................... 51
5. Determinants of human development ................................................................ 52
6. Critical periods in human development .............................................................. 53
7. career development stages ................................................................................. 55
Unit 1: Chapter 1: Fields of study in Psychology and Industrial/
Organisational psychology
1. INTRODUCTION
Psyche Refers to mind and soul
Relationship between body and mind
Psychology Originated in Greece
In the 5th century
Industrial and organisational psychology = branch of
psychology
Industrial psychology has its own theory, research,
applications and academic training programs
Industrial psychologists apply their knowledge in the
workplace to determine:
o how people engage in work
o interaction between employees, their workplaces and
their work
o team dynamics
o culture
2
, 2. SUBFIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Clinical Assists with relief of emotional distress
Psychology Caused by psychological disorders
Promotes psychological well-being
Deal with abnormal behaviours:
o anorexia
o bulimia
o schizophrenia
Counselling Helps manage life pain
Psychology Improves understanding of life and coping skills
You need it if you faced a traumatic event e.g. death of a
loved one
Deals with mild depression
Educational Study behaviour processes and learning problems related
and school to teaching and learning
psychology Assists kids with:
o dyslexia
o ADD
o ADHD
o poor memory
o processing problems
Problems are diagnosed through assessments
Health Identifies causes and symptoms of physical health/ illness
psychology Deals primarily with:
o stress
o unhealthy lifestyle
o psychosomatic illnesses (physical symptoms
originating from stress e.g. vomiting)
Assists in managing stress and decreasing severity of
symptoms
Career Facilitate career development across your lifespan
psychology First encounter is in high school:
Personality/ aptitude tests are given to give an indication
of:
o what you are capable of
o what you are interested in
Second encounter when you enter the work environment:
helps you plot your career for the next 5 years
When you achieved your goal:
helps you plot your career for the next 5-10 years
Forensic Studies criminal behaviour
psychologist Provides evidence at legal proceedings regarding
defendant’s state of mind:
o of sound psychological standing
o had a psychological imbalance
Also called profilers/ forensic profilers
Develops a profile for criminals:
o height
o weight
o race
3
, o age
o motive behind behaviour
Work in prisons to rehabilitate criminals
Neurological Looks at brain trauma/ damage
psychology Checks if it will affect:
o behaviour
o well-being
o day-to-day functioning
Community Improves quality of life for:
psychologist o individuals
o communities
o society as a whole
Main aim: developing an intervention for a community to
manage/ prevent a problem from happening again
E.g. teenage pregnancies in a certain community
Consulting Assists individuals/ groups/ organisations with any
psychology psychological problems
Can:
o carry out assessments
o carry out training and development
o assist with organisational change
o assist with counselling if a traumatic event took
place
Consulting firms are made up of different psychologists
They send out a specific psychologist to a specific
organisation with a specific problem
E.g. Growth-Link
Positive Life coaching falls under positive psychology
psychology Psychology always looked at a very diseased version of the
human being
Positive psychology looks at healthy individuals
Assists them to become the best version of themselves,
therefore
achieving optimal human functioning
Done by finding out:
o what makes people happy
o how do we find meaning in life
o once achieved, how do we sustain it
Industrial and Study and influence human behaviour in the work context
organisational To assess and develop individuals and groups in the
psychology workplace
Includes:
o recruitment and selection
o training and development
o performance and reward systems
o talent management
o labour relations
o HR planning
4
