Early influences on the development of industrial and organizational psychology.

Abstract

Industrial and organizational psychology began as applied psychology. Hugo Munsterberg was well-known for his applications of psychology to forensics, psychotherapy, and industrial efficiency. James McKeen Cattell pioneered mental testing and argued for an applicable, if not applied, psychology. Walter Dill Scott and Walter VanDyke Bingham were devoted to the application of psychological principles to the problems of government and industry. The lives and accomplishments of these 4 figures are detailed as a way of examining the development of the subdiscipline between the years 1880 and 1920. The focus of the discussion is on how their efforts peculiarly changed the science and practice of industrial and organizational psychology. Each made a unique contribution in a unique time period. The field continues to benefit from their individual and collective influence.