Industrial Psychology

The subfield of applied psychology in which practical problems in the workplace are addressed through the application of psychological principles.

Some industrial psychologists, also called personnel or organizational psychologists, may be employed by companies to administer tests which measure employee aptitudes or skills in hiring and placement programs. Others work for consulting firms which offer their services to companies on a contractual basis to solve specific problems. The projects which they work on may include facilitating interpersonal relationships within a company by training management personnel in human relations skills, analyzing and recommending changes in employee training programs, or conducting research to determine what influences consumers to purchase particular products. A distinguishing characteristic of industrial psychology is that the focus of research and other work is to solve specific practical problems.