I/O Psychology Essay

The origins of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (I/O) can be traced back to 1921 with the formation of the Association of Consulting Psychologist (ACP), a branch off from the American Psychological Association (APA). In 1945 I/O psychology was formally recognized as Division 14 underneath the APA. (Koppes, 1996). Although, founded a little over a half century ago the discipline is still relatively new compared to other disciplines within the APA. The articles to be discussed cover the origination issues of licensure as well as appropriation of licensure for I/O psychologists. The lack of consistency as well as appropriate and adequate requirements for obtaining a professional license as an I/O psychologist has resulted in many ramifications that ultimately threaten the profession.

Although founded and held to the ethical guidelines of the APA, I/O psychology has struggled with licensure. Should I/O Psychologists be Licensed? An article written by Howard and Lowman (1985) address the initial findings of the result of poorly developed licensing requirements. Few articles discuss the gaps between current laws and regulations. However, research reported within the article stated that there was a study conducted of the directory of the American Psychological Association in 1981 which revealed that “fewer licenses were obtained by younger I/O practitioners” (Howard & Lowman, 1985, p.40). The results of the study indicated 22% of those age 34 or younger were licensed, compared with 39% of those age 35 to 44, 51% of those age 45 to 54, and 67% of I/O psychologists age 55 to 64 (Howard & Lowman, 1985). The results may not have been seen as a major concern during the early 1980s however the article continues to highlight the many hurdl...

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... of classifying what qualifies an I/O psychologist and the dual role I/O psychologists can operate in within their field. A qualified I/O psychologist by definition stretched to consider doctoral psychologist as well as degrees held from a school of business, or administrative science. Qualified I/O psychologists must possess a strong knowledge of research and scientific methods. Also, the programs must be founded from an accredited psychological program or university (“Specialty Guidelines”, 1981, p. 665). Throughout reading the multiple articles an important point to call attention to is the inclusion of multiple other forms of degrees which can be considered as a prime factor of I/O psychology’s complexities. Speaking to the multi-layered discipline, the struggle of boundaries between the Industrial side and the Organizational side has yet to be perfectly found.