Industrial Organizational Psychology

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

The Industrial and Organizational Psychology Program (I-O) follows a scientist-practitioner model. The program provides students with the knowledge and research skills needed to study human motivation, performance, and well-being in the workplace. Students are also provided with opportunities to work on real-world projects, in both academic and industrial settings, that examine the application of psychological principles and findings to workforce management. The primary objective of the I-O Psychology program is to train individuals seeking the Ph.D. degree to conduct research and to practice in the areas of industrial psychology and organizational behavior. Students receive state-of-the-art training in the theories and methods of I-O psychology and management. This integrated program relies on the expertise and dedication of both Psychology and Management faculty members.

Faculty include: Adrienne Carter-Sowell, Shane Connelly (Program Coordinator), Eric Day, Rachel Jang, Michael Mumford, and Lori Snyder

Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology (SIOP) 2018 Rankings

The latest rankings reported by the SIOP show that OU’s I-O doctoral program is ranked 6th and 2nd out of 53 programs in research productivity overall and per faculty, respectively, as indexed by total research journal publications (as well as interdisciplinary publications). Congratulations to our department’s I-O faculty and students! Full story: SIOP Rankings.

I-O Topics & Program Features

Topics addressed within the program should enable students to work with organizations in the areas of:

Employee Selection and Placement
Leader Assessment and Development
Leadership Skills, Behavior, and Processes
Performance Management & Feedback
Employee Motivation and Productivity
Group and Team Dynamics
Organizational Design and Development
Human Resources Planning
Training and Development
Job and Task Analysis
Complex Skill Acquisition and Adaptive Performance
Employee Satisfaction
Occupational Health and Well-being
Occupational Safety
Disabilities in the Workplace
Compensation and Benefits
Emotions in the Workplace
Innovation in Organizations
Creativity in the Workplace
Ethics in Organizations
Diversity and Discrimination
Ideological Groups and Organizations

Program features

Our approach to student development is based on an active learning model. As part of their education, students are expected to apply what they learn in the classroom in faculty-directed research or consulting projects. Students receive training in:

Designing and conducting research studies
Preparing and presenting research proposals
Working with funding sponsors and clients in organizational settings
Developing and implementing new assessment measures, training, and other organizational interventions

Students often work as part of a team addressing a broader research or organizational problem. With experience, students are given the opportunity to take responsibility for a significant aspect of a project. Some examples of work currently being done by students include:

Identifying the determinants of skill retention and adaptability
Developing and testing models of self-regulation, complex skill learning, and performance
Exploring the multifaceted role of conflict in groups and teams
Examining the interplay between leadership and group dynamics
Developing new procedures for assessing organizational leaders
Developing and evaluating research and professional ethics training
Investigating factors that influence the credibility and persuasiveness of ideological groups in online settings
Exploring individual and situational factors in workplace aggression and counterproductive work behavior
Studying the factors that influence vocational interest and its evolution over the course of undergraduate education
Investigating incivility experiences and how attributions about these experiences impact emotional and performance outcomes
Examining the experiences of underrepresented populations at work, particularly in science fields
Studying planning and mental models as determinants of expertise
Investigating emotion, motivation and personality in the workplace
Understanding and preventing health disparities in Oklahoma communities
Understanding the processes associated with creativity and innovation in the workplace