What is I-O?

Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology is the scientific study of the workplace. Rigor and methods of psychology are applied to issues of critical relevance to business, including talent management, coaching, assessment, selection, training, organizational development, performance, and work-life balance.

The High Society: An I-O 
Psychologists Bedtime Story

^*Unamused, indifferent, or entertained readers can contact the author at pmmuchin@uncg.edu.

The I-O psychologist trudged home after a long day at the office. It was getting late in the evening, about the time the I-O psychologists child would be heading off to bed. Upon seeing the arriving parent, the child squealed, Please, please tell me a bedtime story! Although very tired from the days toil, the I-O psychologist agreed. The child beamed with delight. The I-O psychologist said, Now run along and get under the covers and Ill tell you a story. The child asked, What story are you going to tell me? The I-O psychologist replied, Its called Jack and the Beanstalk. Oh, goody, I dont know that one, extolled the child. Do you promise to go right to sleep after I tell the story? asked the I-O psychologist. I will, I will, promised the child.

I-O: Once upon a time there was a man named Jack. He was very unhappy. He had been downsized several times and had developed a deep sense of cynicism about work. He did not seek new work as conscientiously as he should, and when he would find a job, he often would act unreliably. In fact, he was so unreliable, he didnt save any money to pay his taxes. His taxes were now due, and he had no money. A stranger approached Jack and gave him some magic beans. The stranger said if these beans were planted, they would grow into a huge beanstalk. The beanstalk would grow very tall, right up into the sky. At the end of the beanstalk was a kingdom ruled by a giant. And the giant had a big pile of gold. Jack considered his financial needs and the prospects of obtaining gold. So he planted the beans, went to sleep, and the next morning woke up to see a beanstalk growing straight up into the sky!

Child: This story is so cool!

I-O: Jack couldnt make up his mind as to whether or not he really wanted to climb the beanstalk. As I said, he wasnt very reliable. So he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of magic potion. He drank the magic potion, which was to correct for the unreliability in Jack. Soon Jack was climbing higher and higher into the sky.

Child: Oh, goody. Dont stop! Dont stop!

I-O: But soon Jack began to experience some troubles with the beanstalk. At times the beanstalk veered off to the right, sometimes to the left, and some times actually looped back toward the ground. In short, the beanstalk wasnt perfectly reliable either. So Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe full of magic serum. He injected it into the beanstalk. The beanstalk suddenly became perfectly reliable, and shot straight up with no bends, twists, or turns.

Child: Had Jack ever done anything like this before?

I-O: No.

Child: So this is basically a case study.

I-O: Youre very perceptive.

Child: OK, then what happened?

I-O: Jack soon climbed to the top of the beanstalk and arrived at the kingdom. No sooner had Jack entered the kingdom when he was spied by the giant. The giant was 50 feet tall! Jack knew he was in trouble because only two outcomes were possible. Either the giant would capture Jack, or Jack would run away. Jack wanted more than two options, like the chance to beat the giant in a fight or to climb back down the beanstalk. So Jack reached into his pocket and took out some magic powder. He threw the magic powder into the air to correct for being confronted with a dichotomous choice.

Child: Whats a doofus choice?

I-O: Not doofus, dichotomous. This type of correction gave Jack more degrees of fre. Never mind. Trust me, it helped Jack.

Child: I dont really get it, but OK.

I-O: Jack started to punch at the giant, but he was so much smaller than the giant he could only reach the giants knees.

Child: Was Jack so small because he had been downsized so much?

I-O: Hmmm, I hadnt thought of that, but yes, you could be right.

Child: Then what happened?

I-O: Jack kept trying to punch the giant, but Jacks range was too limited. He could barely reach the giant at all. So he reached into his pocket and took out a magic pill. The magic pill would correct for Jacks restricted range. Jack swallowed the magic pill, and instantly his range was totally unrestricted.

Child: Is that good?

I-O: Yes. But Jack soon realized he was no physical match for the giant. The giant was so much stronger. So Jack ran away into the giants castle. Jack found himself in a room that was filled with gold coins. But these were giant-sized coins. They were so big and heavy Jack couldnt even lift one. So Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out some magic lotion. He rubbed the magic lotion on some of the gold coins, and they shrunk down in size. This is called a correction for shrinkage. Jack then scooped up the shrunken gold coins, ran to the beanstalk, and climbed back down to his home. He then used the gold coins to pay off his taxes. And he lived happily ever after. Okay, goodnight.

Child: Not so fast. Let me get this straight. There were five corrections in this story. There was the magic potion correction for unreliability in Jack, then there was the magic serum correction for unreliability in the beanstalk, then there was the magic powder correction for the dichotomous choice, then there was the magic pill correction for range restriction, and finally there was the magic lotion correction for shrinkage. Right?

I-O: Right.

Child: Four of these corrections make something bigger, and the fifth correction makes something smaller.

I-O: You got it.

Child: You didnt just tell me a bedtime story. You told me a fairy tale.

I-O: I prefer to call it an estimate of the truth.

Child: Youve got to be kidding! Who believes this stuff?

I-O: Youd be surprised.

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