Industrial-organizational, or IO psychology, is a specialty field of psychology that focuses on the application of psychology to the workplace. It’s an area of scientific study and professional practice that aims to understand and measure human behavior in order to make the workplace better for the people who work there.

What do IO psychologists study?
IO psychologists study factors like employee attitudes and behaviors, and interpersonal processes at work. Interpersonal processes include motivation and leadership, organizational culture, team and group processes, and organizational and individual productivity.

There’s a misconception that IO psychologists are only focused on the organization’s productivity and bottom line. That’s not true. They are focused more on the individual and the individual’s experiences, such as how they can contribute to the organization. They also look at things like the match between people and their jobs, through activities like the employee selection processes, employee training, and development programs.

What careers are available in IO psychology?
Graduates of IO master’s programs often find themselves working in a wide variety of settings. In general, IO psychologists and practitioners tend to work in four main areas. These areas are large and small organizations, consulting firms, the government, which hires a lot of biopsychologists, and academia.  Eastern Kentucky University’s program has produced graduates who work in all four of these areas. EKU graduates can be found:

• Working in human resource roles in large and small companies
• Working in organizational development positions
• Working in IO consulting firms as project consultants and research consultants
• Working in university settings as research analysts