Industrial-Organizational

Industrial-Organizational Psychology students receive one-on-one mentorship from their faculty advisor to help them design and conduct an independent research project (6-credits; PSY 8099 Research Project in Psychology Plan B). The project may be empirical research, applied projects, or a meta-analysis under the direction of a faculty advisor. Students receive committee feedback on the oral and written project proposal and final completed project. The caliber of these projects is such that graduates who go on to doctoral programs have had their final papers accepted in fulfillment of master's thesis requirements, and some graduates have published their research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Past Student Research Projects

Reactions toward anonymized reviews in selection – Sebastian Banuelos

Job decision latitude and job burnout: A moderated mediation model of work ability and job crafting – Jessica Cole

The role of leader health orientation on the relationship between employee self-care and job burnout among applied behavior analysis practitioners – Kalei Kleive

Work ability and job burnout: A moderated mediation model of health-related organizational climate and work-health management interference – Mariah McDonough

Telecommuting intensity's impact on job satisfaction and burnout: moderated mediation model of work-family conflict and emotional intelligence – Katherine Sanchez

The effects of emotional labor on recover experience and leisure satisfaction – Carlie Servais

Perceptions of applicants who deceive: Does physical attractiveness matter? – Jay Burditt

The impact of gender emotional expression stereotypes on leader evaluations – Claire Theisen

Leadership style preferences: A study of gender and personality – Bethany Westerberg

The moderating role of social support on the relationship between surface acting and burnout – Abby Imholte

Examining the relationship between work demands and burnout during covid-19 and the moderating effects of professional social support and psychological flexibility – Georgia Jay

Fairness perceptions and reciprocity of backup behavior and the effects on individual perceptions of team viability, team cohesion, and self-efficacy – Rebecca Lindgren

Examining the relationship between diversity climate, psychological safety, and occupational self-efficacy – Kwesi Adjei

Work/Family conflict and work engagement during the covid-19 pandemic: The Role of Autonomy, Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors, and Family Hours – James Clairmont

Crafting employee work-life balance – Amanda DeLongchamp

Abusive supervision and burnout: The moderating role of subordinates’ neuroticism and time spent with the supervisors – Jie Yu

Intervening when ostracism occurs: Individual differences and psychological safety as predictors – Lauren Brown

Empathetic expression as a job requirement: Empathy as a moderator of emotional labor and health outcomes in employees – Dallas Capesius

Females leading like males: When agentic female leaders perceive sex-based mistreatment – Maggie Gauer

Evaluating the effects of an intervention to increase feedback as a social job resource – Dayan Maas

The effects of feedback-seeking behavior and difficult goals on task performance and task-induced stress – Jean Dougherty

The effects of working at home during covid-19 on sedentary behavior, use of strategies to decrease sedentary behavior, and perceived work performance – David Huntley

The impact of origin of performance goals on task performance and stress – Katherine Klein

Examining the relationship between psychological ownership and knowledge sharing – Harry Kohn

The effects of coloring and mindful audio work recovery techniques on task performance, boredom and job satisfaction – Clair Anderson

A thematic analysis of workplace health program participation – Brandon Breuer

The dark triad as a moderator of the relationship between overqualification, counterproductive work behaviors, and organizational citizenship behaviors – Lauren Engelhart

Social networking sites in applicant screening: Attitudes toward filtered profiles – Michael Unzen

The effects of leadership on performance and satisfaction across virtual communication media – Jared Vincent

Stepping Up UMD Group Health Coaching: A behavioral intervention – Matt Daly

The influence of feedback sequence and a challenging goal on task performance – Areanna Lakowske

Reactions to a continuous feedback intervention in a software company – Kenzie Raboin

Job hopping motives: An extension of the unfolding model of voluntary employee turnover – Alison Shrift

Effects of framing and timing on realistic job previews – Mike Ward

Workgroup emotional climate: Individual inputs and group cohesion – Jessa Youso

Industrial-Organizational faculty profiles

Alexandra Luong
Kyle Mann
Julie Slowiak

Full listing of Industrial-Organizational research labs.

Course Descriptions

PSY 5052 - Advanced Statistics I (3.0 cr) Advanced statistics used for experimental and correlational research in psychology; analyze data from simple and complex research designs; analysis of variance and linear regression techniques; hypothesis testing; nonparametric statistics; assumptions of tests and diagnosis of assumption violations; interpretations of results; use of common statistical software (e.g., SPSS or R).

PSY 5111 - Advanced Personality Science and Research (3.0 cr) Modern personality theory and the empirical research that supports it; emphasis on major issues that confront personality psychologists in the conceptualization and assessment of personality; relationship between personality and consequential outcomes (such as mental illness, physical health, interpersonal relationship quality, job performance, etc.); mixed designs for conducting research on interactions between traits and experimentally manipulated conditions.

PSY 5401 - Advanced Social Psychology (3.0 cr) Examination of core content areas and topics within experimental social psychology with a focus on application within both clinical and industrial/organizational psychology. Topics include attitude formation and attitude change, attribution theory, the self, conformity, prejudice, aggression, and prosocial behavior.

PSY 5621 - Cognition and Emotion (3.0 cr) Students in this course will read and discuss scholarly reviews and journal articles on theories, research methodology, and topics central to the scientific study of human cognition, emotion, and their applications. There will be discussions on the models of cognitive (perception, memory, language, thinking, and reasoning) and emotional processes and their interrelatedness. Consideration will be given to how these contemporary models are developed and evaluated through empirical studies. Finally, how these theoretical models can be applied to educational, clinical, legal, and workplace settings will be examined.

PSY 5701 - Advanced Personnel Psychology (3.0 cr) Students will apply theories and research findings to address issues of personnel recruitment, selection, and classification in the workplace.

PSY 5702 - Advanced Organizational Psychology (3.0 cr) This course covers core content in organizational psychology, with a focus on understanding of research findings to enhance organizational functioning and employee well-being. Topics include employee motivation, job attitudes, work stress, teams, leadership, and organizational justice and culture.

PSY 8021 - Research Methods and Evaluation (3.0 cr) Examination of quasi-experimental and experimental designs within psychological science. The course will provide comprehensive coverage of the assessment of reliability and validity of measures, methods, and research designs to facilitate the development of a research proposal. A wide variety of quantitative and qualitative research designs, measurement techniques, and methods will be described and evaluated in terms of internal, external, construct, and statistical conclusion validity.

PSY 8052 - Advanced Statistics II (3.0 cr) Advanced statistics used for experimental and correlational research in psychology; analyze data using advanced univariate, basic multivariate, and meta-analytic techniques; assumptions of test; diagnosis of assumption violations; interpretation of results; use of common statistical software (e.g., SPSS or R).

PSY 8099 - Research Project in Psychology (6.0 cr) This course provides a capstone experience for students to integrate all they have learned in order to produce scholarly work. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, students will plan, design, conduct, and present an original project.

PSY 8103 - Introduction to Graduate Studies (0.0 cr) This course will orient new students to key facets of graduate studies in the Master's in Psychological Science Program. Program expectations, requirements, and timelines will be clarified to enable students to make progress in formulating goals in their chosen tracks. This course will provide students with a basis for academic collaboration and professional development by facilitating student interactions with peers and the faculty in psychology.

PSY 8701 - Performance Evaluation and Management (3.0 cr) This course centers on the methods of evaluating performance and on actions taken with employees based upon such appraisals. Theoretical understanding and familiarity with research on interpersonal judgment and perception, criterion theory and development, rating scale construction and use, sources of information, and effective communication will help students in this course develop skills in designing performance appraisal and feedback systems which meet organizational needs while enhancing employee motivation.

PSY 8705 - Organizational Systems and Development (3.0 cr) This course is designed to cover topics central to organizational systems and development, including classical and contemporary theories of organizations, organizational structure, organizational design, technology, and cross-cultural differences and issues. Students will learn how to integrate theory, research findings, and applied techniques to help organizations adapt within the ever-changing local and global environment.

PSY 8706 - Personnel Training and Development (3.0 cr) This course is designed to cover topics central to personnel training and development. This course requires the integration of theories, tools, concepts, and techniques learned in the classroom with an application in a "real" organization. Students will learn how to analyze performance deficiencies in order to determine whether training is required and, if so, how to design and implement effective training to help fix performance problems. Basic phenomena of learning, various training and development approaches commonly used in business and industry, and design issues necessary for planning evaluation and improvement strategies will be covered.

PSY 8991: Graduate Applied Projects in Psychology (1.0-2.0 cr) Under faculty supervision, students will work on applied psychology projects.

Example Electives: 

• PSY 5111: Advanced Personality
• PSY 5401: Advanced Social Psychology
• PSY 5621: Cognition & Emotion
• PSY 8991: Graduate Applied Projects in Psychology
• MBA 6111: Organizational Behavior
• MBA 8811: Human Resource Challenges
• MGMT 6033: Strategy Implementation
• MGMT 6084: Management of Teams
• SAFE 6012: Risk Management and Workers Compensation
• SAFE 6821: Organization and Administration of Safety Programs

Example Schedule

Fall, First Year

5052 Advanced Statistics 1 (3)
5701 Advanced Personnel Psychology (3)
5702 Advanced Organizational Psychology (3)
8103 Introduction to Graduate Studies in Psychology (0)

Spring, First Year

8021 Research Methods and Evaluation (3)
8052 Advanced Statistics II (3)
8705 Organizational Systems and Development (3)

Fall, Second Year

8099 Research Project in Psychology (Plan B) (3)
8706 Personnel Training and Development (3)
Elective (3)

Spring, Second Year

8099 Research Project in Psychology (Plan B) (3)
8701 Performance Evaluation and Management (3)
Elective (3)

Industrial-Organizational Psychology graduate students receive close mentorship and work collaboratively throughout the program on applied projects. Students move beyond classroom learning through the application of theories and models to assist clients in businesses and organizations.
 

Past Student Applied Projects

Recruitment and Personnel Selection Projects

• evaluated the career website of a large manufacturing company and provided research-based recommendations to enhance applicant attraction
• presented research on structured interviews for hiring managers of a large nonprofit organization
• evaluated a healthcare hiring system
• presented research and recommendations on using social media for recruitment and selection to local HR professionals

Employee motivation

• surveyed the job satisfaction of local nonprofit employees

Training

• designed and delivered in-person training to classmates on creating professional LinkedIn profiles and the use of LinkedIn to network with other professionals
• designed online training modules to teach managers how to mediate interpersonal conflict between employees 

Performance management

• trained managers to give effective feedback to employees
• provided research-based recommendations to a retail organization regarding the move from a formal evaluation system to a frequent performance management process

Performance evaluation

• designed a performance evaluation form used in the annual review of college administrators 

Organizational Systems and Analysis

• organizational system analysis and provided research-based recommendations to:
  • improve new coach training and new manager onboarding processes at two fitness facilities
  • develop a new process to gather and evaluate employee satisfaction data at a behavioral services organization
  • improve efficiency of maintenance operations at a military organization
  • develop career progression progress for assembly technicians at an aircraft manufacturing company

Industrial-Organizational graduate students often intern with organizations while completing the MAPS program. Internships are not required, but allow students to further their professional development and apply the skills and knowledge acquired from coursework. For example:

• Customer and employee development at a large manufacturing company
• International Industrial-Organizational consulting firm
• Instructional design
• Human resources at a large bank

Industrial-Organizational Advisory Board at UMD

Industrial-Organizational Psychology students and faculty host an advisory board meeting every semester with organizational leaders and human resources professionals from local businesses and organizations. Students share scientific research related to workplace issues and board members discuss their related experiences in real world settings.

Testimonials

As an Advisory Board member since the inception of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology program, I am continuously impressed by the dedication and curiosity of both our faculty and master's level students. Through rigorous research and application, our students consistently demonstrate a commitment toward making workplaces more efficient, pleasant, and productive. UMD's Industrial-Organizational program provides students with the tools and experience necessary to confidently apply their practice in fields such as human resources or organizational management and leadership.

               - Lindsay Snustad, Lead Treatment Court Coordinator for the Sixth Judicial District

As an Advisory Board member since the inception of the program I have gained a strong respect for the students and faculty in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology Masters Program. The students are highly trained in evidence-based practices by faculty dedicated to student development. The students benefit from close mentoring relationships from faculty on a weekly basis. The program maintains active relationships with businesses and non-profit organizations through collaborative research projects, ongoing dialog, and the Advisory Board meetings. As a result, graduates are prepared to successfully enter the workforce or to pursue advanced training in a Ph.D. program.

               -Dr. Peter Guidinger, Director, Employee & Customer Development - Fastenal

Conferences and Meetings

Psychology master's students and faculty present research at conferences including the annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference. Psychology graduate students are eligible for travel funding support when presenting research findings.

Consulting Challenge

Industrial-Organizational graduate students have the opportunity to participate in the Consulting Challenge. Competing with other schools, this team-based challenge involves developing a solution to a real problem facing a large Minnesota company. UMD Industrial-Organizational psychology student, Bethany Westerberg, competed in 2022 and her team won 2^nd place out of 10 teams.

 

Invited Talk

Graduate students hold panel discussions and other talks for undergraduate students in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology Club.

Alumni Connections

Industrial-Organizational Psychology alumni connect with current Industrial-Organizational psychology students and faculty in a monthly meeting. 

Industrial-Organizational psychology alumni, faculty, and current students of the University of Minnesota Duluth's master's program are invited to join a private LinkedIn to network, as questions, and provide industry updates.