COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Foundations of Industrial-Organisational Psychology course. This program provides a solid exploration of how psychological science is applied to understanding human behaviour in workplaces, improving organisational systems, and enhancing employee performance and wellbeing. By studying the evolution of industrial-organisational (I-O) psychology, its scientific underpinnings and its research methodologies, you will gain a rich appreciation of how this discipline shapes modern organisational practice, informs people-management decisions, and contributes to more productive, ethical and evidence-based work environments.

This course begins with an explanation of what industrial-organisational psychology is, the science and practice that underpin it, and the roots that shaped its emergence. This section explores the early history of I-O psychology along with what an I-O psychologist actually does in practice, from organisational research and assessment design to training, performance evaluation and workplace wellbeing initiatives. You will consider how societal and economic changes influenced the discipline and contributed to its development into a respected applied psychological field.

Another learning area examines the major historical periods that shaped industrial-organisational psychology, including World War I and the 1920s, the Great Depression and World War II, and the post-war period through to the modern era. This section explains how technological advances, economic shifts and workforce changes drove growth in personnel selection, human factors engineering, job design and organisational development. You will also explore the field’s current trends and future directions as it adapts to globalisation, digital transformation and rapidly evolving work conditions.

A further learning area explores the research methods used in industrial-organisational psychology. This includes the basics of research methods and design, the social science research paradigm, and the goals of systematic inquiry. You will examine the steps of the research process, from formulating a problem or issue to generating hypotheses, selecting an appropriate research design, collecting data, and applying robust analytical methods. Examples of common hypotheses in I-O psychology research help illustrate how theory informs practice.

Another learning area covers the major research designs used in the discipline. This includes the experimental method, quasi-experiments, the correlational method, complex correlational designs and meta-analysis. You will also examine the case study approach and how mixed-method designs can yield practical insights for applied workplace settings. Discussion of how each design is used highlights the strengths, limitations and applications of each method.

A further learning area focuses on the measurement of variables in I-O psychology. This includes observational techniques, self-report techniques, and the key psychometric issues of reliability and validity. You will explore how work outcomes are measured, why measurement quality is essential, and how poorly designed measures can compromise research findings or organisational decisions. This section also examines how research results are interpreted and used in real organisational contexts.

Another learning area examines the ethical issues in research and practice. This includes protecting participant confidentiality, managing conflicts of interest, ensuring fair treatment and avoiding misuse of psychological tools. You will review the ethical principles that guide both scientific research and applied consultancy work within organisations.

The final learning area explores the statistical analysis of research data. This includes descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and the analytic techniques used in experimental and correlational research. You will consider how statistical methods support evidence-based practice, how to interpret research outcomes responsibly, and how data-driven decisions enhance workforce management and organisational performance.

By the end of this course, you will be able to explain the foundations and evolution of industrial-organisational psychology, understand and evaluate research designs and statistical methods, interpret workplace psychological data, recognise ethical responsibilities, and apply evidence-based principles to improve organisational functioning and employee outcomes.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• What is industrial-organisational psychology?
• The science and practice of industrial-organisational psychology
• The roots of industrial-organisational psychology
• The early history of industrial-organisational psychology
• What does an I-O psychologist really do?
• Industrial-organisational psychology during World War I and the 1920s
• Industrial-organisational psychology during the great depression years and World War II
• Industrial-organisational psychology during the post-war years and the modern era
• Industrial-organisational psychology today and in the future
• The research methods in industrial-organisational psychology
• The basics of research methods and design
• The social science research methods
• The goals of social science research methods
• The steps in the research process
• The formulation of the problem or issue
• The generation of hypotheses
• Examples of hypotheses in I-O psychology research
• The selection of research design
• The collection of data
• The analyses of research data
• The interpretation of research results
• The major research designs
• The experimental method
• The Quasi-experiments
• The correlational method
• The complex correlational designs
• The meta-analysis
• The case study method
• The measurement of variables
• The observational techniques
• The self-report techniques
• The key issues in measuring variables: reliability and validity
• Measuring work outcomes
• The interpretation and usage of research results
• The ethical issues in research and practice in I-O psychology
• The statistical analyses of research data
• The descriptive statistics
• The inferential statistics
• The statistical analysis of experimental method data
• The statistical analysis of correlational method data

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.