APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY – UNIT -2

What is Engineering Psychology?

Engineering psychology is defined as a field of psychology that centers on the relationship between man
and machinery. The field specializes in exploring the correlations between human beings and the products
that they use daily. It studies how individuals relate with, recognize, and are influenced by certain goods
and technologies on the market. Engineering psychology is also important for adapting technology,
products, machinery, or work environments to improve human behavior and capabilities.

Although it first established as a subfield of experimental psychology, engineering psychology grew so

rapidly during World War I and II that it became its own field. At that time, the expertise of these
psychologists was vital to creating more efficient weaponry and equipment that would not malfunction or
fail due to human error. Today, engineering psychology is expanding faster than expected as individuals
are increasing their interactions with technology. According to the American Psychological Association,
increased demand in engineering psychology is also attributed to the need for designing medical
equipment and operating room layouts to reduce medical errors.
What do Engineering Psychologists Do?
Engineer psychologists are trained to utilize psychological theories and principles in order to provide
optimal solutions for real-world problems affecting humans. Psychologists in the field minimize risks of
accidents and fatal errors by ensuring products, equipment, and systems are safer for the public.
Engineering psychologists also conduct research based on user feedback and surveys to discover how
certain products are appealing to different demographic groups. In the process, they can spot all potential
problems, safety issues, or difficulties to improve product designs in the future.
Where Do Engineering Psychologists Work?
Engineering psychologists work in a range of environments, including academia, government agencies,
and private industry. Engineering psychologists can become advisors for companies or government
agencies such as automobile manufacturers, the US Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway
Administration and NASA to help improve safety.
How Do You Become an Engineering Psychologist?
Engineering psychologists usually begin their careers by obtaining an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in
psychology. After successful completion of the degree, the majority further their education with a
master’s or doctorate degree in engineering psychology. It is recommended that students select a program
that has been accredited by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society for optimal training. Throughout
the program, students gain experience in industrial psychology, research methods, human factors,
ergonomics, bio-mechanics, and statistics.

With continuous advances in technology and consumerism, engineering psychology will continue to
explode and create more job opportunities for psychologists specializing in the field. Consumers and
businesses are consistently building demand for technology and products that are safer and easier for
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human use. Therefore, the future of engineering psychology is expected to be very bright for dedicated
individuals pursuing this rewarding career.

INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANIZATION PSYCHOLOGY

08/07/2020
Industrial-organizational psychology is the branch of psychology that applies psychological theories and
principles to organizations. Often referred to as I-O psychology, this field focuses on increasing
workplace productivity and related issues such as the physical and mental well-being of employees.

Industrial-organizational psychologists perform a wide variety of tasks, including studying worker

attitudes and behavior, evaluating companies, and conducting leadership training. The overall goal of this
field is to study and understand human behavior in the workplace.

What Is Industrial-Organizational Psychology?

You can think of industrial-organizational psychology as having two major sides. First, there is the
industrial side, which involves looking at how to best match individuals to specific job roles. This
segment of I-O psychology is also sometimes referred to as personnel psychology.
People who work in this area might assess employee characteristics and then match these individuals to
jobs in which they are likely to perform well. Other functions that fall on the industrial side of I-O
psychology include training employees, developing job performance standards, and measuring job
performance.
The organizational side of psychology is more focused on understanding how organizations affect
individual behavior. Organizational structures, social norms, management styles, and role expectations
are all factors that can influence how people behave within an organization.
While industrial-organizational psychology is an applied field, basic theoretical research is also essential.
With roots in experimental psychology, I-O psychology has a number of different sub-areas such as
human-computer interaction, personnel psychology, and human factors

Six Key Subject Areas

Employee selection: This area involves developing employee selection assessments, such as screening
tests to determine if job applicants are qualified for a particular position.
Ergonomics: The field of ergonomics involves designing procedures and equipment designed to
maximize performance and minimize injury.
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Organizational development: I-O psychologists who work in this area help improve organizations, often
through increasing profits, redesigning products, and improving the organizational structure.1
Performance management: I-O psychologists who work in this area develop assessments and techniques
to determine if employees are doing their jobs well.
Training and development: Professional in this area often determine what type of skills are necessary to
perform specific jobs as well as develop and evaluate employee training programs.
Work life: This area focuses on improving employee satisfaction and maximizing the productivity of the
workforce. I-O psychologists in this area might work to find ways to make jobs more rewarding or design
programs that improve the quality of life in the workplace.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Topics

Here are some of the specific topics addressed by industrial-organizational psychology experts:
Employee motivation: Professionals in this field may also use psychological principles to help keep
workers motivated.
Employee testing: Psychological principles and tests are often used by I-O psychologists to help
businesses select candidates that are best-suited to specific job roles.
Leadership: I-O psychologists may work to help leaders develop better strategies or train managers to
utilize different leadership skills to manage team members more effectively.
Product design: Some I-O psychologists are involved in the development of consumer or workplace
products.
Workplace diversity: Within the area of organizational psychology, professionals in this field may help
businesses develop hiring practices that foster greater diversity as well as train employees on diversity
and inclusion.
Workplace performance: I-O psychologists often study behavior in the workplace in order to design
environments and procedures that maximize employee performance.
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Important People in IO Psychology History

Frederick W. Taylor: Taylor was a mechanical engineer who published an influential book on improving
industrial efficiency.
Hugo Munsterberg :Munsterberg was an applied psychologist who wrote an early text on how psychology
could be used for industrial, occupational, and organizational purposes. His work had an important impact
on the early development of the field.
James McKeen Cattell : Cattell was an early proponent of looking at how individual differences influence
human behavior.
Kurt Lewin : Lewin was an influential applied psychologist who described a number of leadership styles
that people may exhibit. His work also focused on looking at all of the forces that influence a situation
rather than just taking individual behavior into account.
Robert Yerkes: Yerkes was a psychologist known for his work in the field of intelligence testing. He
developed the Alpha and Beta Intelligence Tests for the U.S. Army, which were use to evaluate military
recruits during WWI. Scores on the tests were used to determine respondent's capabilities, including
ability to serve and leadership potential.
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Industrial Psychology
This area within industrial and organizational psychology takes a close look at employees and their
relationship to a given work environment. Elements such as job satisfaction, performance and evaluation
methods are measured. Employee safety and OSHA standards are considered, as are employee training
and hiring techniques. From a historical standpoint, industrial psychology was introduced during World
War I. This type of psychology was used to pair soldiers with the tasks and assignments for which they
were best suited.
Organizational Psychology
The organizational side of the industrial and organizational psychology dynamic focuses on the
workplace more holistically. The goal of analyzing any given work environment from an organizational
standpoint is almost always to increase productivity and efficiency among employees. Do certain policies
within the office produce a negative reaction among employees that in turn affects productivity and
overall behavior while at work? This is a question a psychologist tasked with analyzing the organizational
aspects of a company might ask.
What does an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist do Within a Workplace?
The goal of most I/O psychologists is to increase productivity within a workplace by making it a better
place to work. They go about this by interviewing and counseling employees, observing
employee/employer interactions, helping rewrite company policies and procedures to benefit both the
employee pool and the company officials, develop targeted hiring procedures for new employees and
other methods.

DATE : 22-07-2020
What Is Organizational Development?
Organizational development can be defined as an objective-based methodology used to initiate a change
of systems in an entity. Organizational development is achieved through a shift in communication
processes or their supporting structure. Studying the behavior of employees enables professionals to
examine and observe the work environment and anticipate change, which is then effected to accomplish
sound organizational development. Benefits of Organizational Development
Increasing productivity and efficiency comes with many benefits. One of the best ways to encourage
positive results in these metrics is by using a well-thought-out organizational development structure.
Organizational development is used to equip an organization with the right tools so that it can adapt and
respond positively (profitably!) to changes in the market.
The benefits of organizational development include the following:
1. Continuous development
Entities that participate in organizational development continually develop their business models.
Organizational development creates a constant pattern of improvement in which strategies are developed,
evaluated, implemented, and assessed for results and quality.
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In essence, the process builds a favorable environment in which a company can embrace change, both
internally and externally. The change is leveraged to encourage periodic renewal.
2. Increased horizontal and vertical communication
Of considerable merit to organizational development is effective communication, interaction, and
feedback in an organization. An efficient communication system aligns employees with the company’s
goals, values, and objectives.
An open communication system enables employees to understand the importance of change in an
organization. Active organizational development increases communication in an organization, with
feedback shared continuously to encourage improvement.
3. Employee growth
Organizational development places significant emphasis on effective communication, which is used to
encourage employees to effect necessary changes. Many industry changes require employee development
programs. As a result, many organizations are working toward improving the skills of their employees to
equip them with more market-relevant skills.
4. Enhancement of products and services
Innovation is one of the main benefits of organizational development and is a key contributing factor to
the improvement of products and services. One approach to change is employee development – a critical
focal point is a reward for motivation and success.
Successful engagement of employees leads to increased innovation and productivity. Through
competitive analysis, consumer expectations, and market research, organizational development promotes
change.
5. Increased profit margins
Organizational development influences the bottom line in many different ways. As a result of increased
productivity and innovation, profits and efficiency increase. Costs come down because the organization
can better manage employee turnover and absenteeism. After the alignment of an entity’s objectives, it
can focus entirely on development and product and service quality, leading to improvements in customer
satisfaction.
Organizational Development Process
A conventional approach in the organizational development process is the action research model. This
model is used by many organizations to guide the OD process. It entails what its name describes –
research and action.
However, there is much more to the OD process than just research and development. There are multiple
loops used to transmit feedback, which makes an organization more responsive to change.
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Components of the Action Research Model

The action research model comprises six key components:
1. Problem diagnosis
The organization development process begins by recognizing problems. The method of diagnosis usually
takes the form of data gathering, assessment of cause, as well as an initial investigation to ascertain
options.
2. Feedback and assessment
The feedback and assessment step often involves proper investigation of identified problems so that there
is a deep understanding of the challenge at hand. This can include an appraisal of documents, focus
groups, customer or employee surveys, hiring consultants, and interviewing current employees.
Information gathered is used to re-evaluate the challenges in the first step.
3. Planning
Once an organization defines and understands its challenge, an action plan is put together. The plan lays
down all the intervention measures that are considered appropriate for the problem at hand. Usually, the
measures include such things as training seminars, workshops, team building, and changing the makeup
or structure of teams. Additionally, measurable objectives, which define the expected results, form an
integral part of the overall plan.
4. Intervention and implementation
Once a plan is in place, the intervention phase commences. Since the organizational development process
is complicated, implementation processes are a key element of the model. As an example, if training
classes are preferred over other methods, test results will form the basis upon which the training process
is evaluated. The objective at this point is to ensure the required changes take place. If that is not the case,
feedback is assessed and used to bring about the required change.
5. Evaluation
As soon as the intervention plan is complete, the outcome of the change in the organization is assessed. If
the required change does not take place, the organization looks for the cause. Adjustments are made to
ensure the obstacle is eliminated.
6. Success
Success denotes that the desired change took place. A proper plan and efficiency standards are put in
place to ensure that the new switch is sustainable. Ongoing monitoring is needed to ensure that
implemented changes last. Furthermore, as markets and organizations change, new problems can arise,
leading to the push for further development. Great organizations evolve continuously.

• Organizational psychology is the application of psychological methodology to behavior of

individuals in organizational settings
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• Modern OP covers industrial psychology, approaching problems of effective performance from a

systems orientation i.e. interaction of many variables - worker traits, task characteristics and features of
the environment.
• Includes recruiting, selection, classification, training and motivation along with engineering
psychology.
• Includes all those areas of industrial psychology derived chiefly from personality theory and
social psychology.
• Organization development (OD) - dual goal enhancing worker satisfaction
Increasing organizational effectiveness
The methods used in organizational development are:
• Survey Feedback - This is the most popular and widely used method of data collection. The
managers use this information collected through survey for making decisions. The wide range of data is
collected regarding working conditions, quality of work, working hours, wages and salaries, attitude of
employees, etc. Supervisors/Managers conduct meetings with their subordinates and discuss the
information, allow subordinates to interpret the data. After this plans are prepared for making necessary
changes. This procedure is followed at all levels of management involving all the employees of the
organization.
• Team Building - This method is specifically designed to make improvement in the ability of
employees and motivating them to work together. It is the organization development technique which
emphasizes on team building or forming work groups in order to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Sensitivity Training - The aim of sensitivity training is to help people understand each other and
gain insight so that they feel free and become fearless. Under this technique the different groups of
employees are allowed to mix up with each other and communicate freely and build up interpersonal
relationship. It is a group experience designed to provide maximum possible opportunity for the
individuals to expose their behaviour, give and receive feedback, experiment with new behaviour and
develop awareness of self and of others. It builds up openness, improves listening skills, tolerate
individual differences and the art of resolving conflicts. It helps in reducing interpersonal conflicts in the
organisation.It is up to the executives at the top level of management in the organisation to take decision
regarding appropriateness of this technique but they must see that the objectives of organisational
development are achieved with the help of this method.
• Management By Objectives (MBO) -Achievement of organisational objectives is considered as
the joint and individual responsibility of all managers/supervisors. It also provides a perfect appraisal
system. Performance of the managers is measured against the specific objectives. It is result oriented
technique. It involves 4 major steps – goal setting by top management, assigning individual targets,
freedom for selecting means to achieve target, performance review and appraisal in relation to goals.
• Brainstorming - Involves storming of the brain to develop creativity in thinking. It gives rise to
new ideas. The principle involved in it is that any idea, thought or plan put forward in a meeting must be
critically evaluated. The participants are asked to come forward with novel ideas generated in their mind.
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It works on a premise that everyone has a creative mind and capability to generate new ideas. This
encourages group interaction and creative thinking.

• Process consultation - The technique of process consultation is an improvement over the method
of sensitivity training or T Group in the sense that both are based on the similar premise of improving
organisational effectiveness through dealing with interpersonal problems but process consultation is more
task oriented than sensitivity training. Under this technique the consultant or expert provides necessary
guidance or advice as to how the participant can solve his own problem. Here the consultant makes
correct diagnosis of the problem and then guides the participants.
Final Thoughts
Organizational development is essential, as it helps organizations transition into a more productive phase.
Change helps to bring new ideas and ways of doing things, and it ensures that an entity is innovative and
profitable.

Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that focuses on the way people process information. It
looks at how we process information we receive and how the treatment of this information leads to our
responses. In other words, cognitive psychology is interested in what is happening within our minds that
links stimulus (input) and response (output). It studies internal processes that include attention, language
use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity and thinking .Any topic can be studied from a
cognitive perspective. This branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience,
philosophy and linguistics.
Cognitive psychologists specialize in human thought processes, such as how people learn or how they
perceive information. They work at universities, government agencies, treatment centers, research
facilities and in private practice. Some assist patients with cognitive disorders such as learning
disabilities, while others conduct research on the cognitive functions of specific populations such as the
criminally insane.

Cognitive psychology is the study of how the brain processes information. In more everyday terms, it is
about the mental processes involved in acquiring and making use of knowledge and experience gained
from our senses. The main processes involved in cognition are perception, learning, memory storage,
retrieval and thinking, all of which are terms that are used in everyday speech and therefore already
familiar to most people. Various types of information are subjected to cognitive processing, including
visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory and olfactory information, depending on the sensory system detecting
it. However, humans have also developed the use of symbolic language, which can represent any other
form of information. Thus language constitutes another important type of information that may be
processed by the cognitive system. All of these various aspects of cognition have been extensively studied
in the laboratory, but in recent years there has been a growing interest in the application of cognitive
psychology to situations in real life. This approach is known as applied cognitive psychology, and it is
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concerned with the investigation of how cognitive processes affect our behaviour and performance in
real-life settings. It is this research which provides the subject matter of this book.

Applied cognitive psychology may be defined as the science of the cognitive processes involved in
activities of daily living.

Cognitive psychologists specialize in human thought processes, such as how people learn or how they
perceive information. Other areas to which cognitive psychology and cognitive psychologists contribute
are:
• Cognitive psychologists work in schools and universities, research facilities, prisons, treatment or
rehabilitation centers, government agencies, hospitals or in a private practice setting.
• Most cognitive psychologists have a specialty, such as attention, memory, problem-solving,
language processing or information processing. It is important for them to pursue their own research in
areas that interest them, as well as to research specific projects dictated by employers and universities.
• They can work with patients with any variety of mental illness, those who may have suffered
trauma, or any number of brain disorders. They also can work with patients on a long-term basis, such as
those dealing with dementia, or on a short-term basis, such as helping a child with a learning disability
learn how to cope with their schoolwork and process the information they receive in school. Some assist
patients with cognitive disorders such as learning disabilities, while others conduct research on the
cognitive functions of specific populations such as the criminally insane.
• Study how people perceive various shapes, why they remember some facts but forget others, or
how they learn language. For example, why are many people more afraid of traveling in planes than in
automobiles? After all, the chances of injury or death are much higher in an automobile than in a plane.
Ph
• Study biological bases of cognition as well as attention, consciousness, perception, memory,
mental imagery, language, problem solving, creativity, decision making, reasoning, developmental
changes in cognition across the life span, human intelligence, artificial intelligence, and various other
aspects of human thinking i.e, understanding cognitive psychology can help us understand much of what
goes on in our everyday lives.
• Cognitive psychologists also observe distinctions in conscious versus preconscious attention by
distinguishing between controlled and automatic processing in task performance. Controlled processes are
relatively slow, sequential in nature, intentional (requiring effort), and under conscious control.
Automatic processes are relatively fast, parallel in nature, and for the most part outside of conscious
awareness. Actually, a continuum of processing appears to exist, from fully automatic to fully controlled
processes.
• By using various approaches to the study of the brain (e.g., PET, ERP, lesion studies, and
psychopharmacological studies), cognitive researchers are gaining insight into diverse aspects of the brain
and also are able to use converging operations to begin to explain some of the phenomena they observe.
Studies of responsively to particular stimuli show that even when an individual is focused on a primary
task and is not consciously aware of processing other stimuli, the brain of the individual automatically
responds to infrequent, deviant stimuli (e.g., an odd tone).
• By comparing memory performance on explicit tasks with performance on implicit tasks (e.g.,
word completion tasks), cognitive psychologists have found evidence of differing memory systems or
processes governing each type of task.
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• Studying retrieval from long-term memory is difficult due to problems of differentiating retrieval
from other memory processes. It also is difficult to differentiate accessibility from availability.
• Cognitive research arrived at encoding specificity which refers to the fact that what is recalled
depends largely on what is encoded. How information is encoded at the time of learning will greatly
affect how it is later recalled
• Cognitive psychologists that study perception often have a better understanding of predicting
future behavior in certain types of people. Through their research, cognitive psychologists have
discovered several different ways for a person to improve their memory, creativity, etc.. This can help
with social, language, and learning skills.

The aims of applied cognitive psychology

There are arguably two main reasons for studying applied cognitive psychology. First, there is the hope
that applied research can produce solutions to real problems, providing us with knowledge and insights
that can actually be used in the real world. A second benefit is that applied research can help to improve
and inform theoretical approaches to cognition, offering a broader and more realistic basis for our
understanding of cognitive processes. In some cases, applied and theoretical cognitive research have been
carried out side by side and have been of mutual benefit. For example, laboratory research on context
reinstatement has led to the development of the cognitive interview, which has subsequently been adopted
for use in police work. The application of these techniques by police interviewers has generated further
research, which has, in turn, fed back into theoretical cognitive psychology. Thus there has been a flow of
information in both directions, with applied and theoretical research working hand in hand to the mutual
benefit of both approaches. Our understanding of human cognition can only be enhanced by such a two-
way flow of ideas and inspiration.

* Applied Cognitive Psychology seeks to publish the best papers dealing with psychological analyses of
memory, learning, thinking, problem solving, language, and consciousness as they occur in real world
contexts.

Consumer psychology – 29/07/2020

Deals with human behavior as a consumer. It is the study of human responses to product and service
related information and experiences.

Definition of Consumer Psychology

Consumer psychology is the study of why people buy things. Psychologists try to find the underlying
cognitive processes that explain consumers' choices and how they respond to the influence of marketing,
as well as the external stimuli that convince people to purchase certain items. Marketing executives are
very keen to know the findings from studies in consumer psychology, since these findings can help them
figure out how to sell a product.
Current trends in consumer psychology:
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• Broad definition of consumer behavior beyond the act of purchase, including ‘the acquisition, use
and disposition of products, services, time and ideas’.
• Increasing tendency to approach things from the customer’s viewpoint
• Emerging recognition of the consumer as a living organism whose behavior is of scientific
interest in its own right.
• Growing concern with social issues which is two- faceted: (i) responsibilities of the society
towards the consumer. (ii) Conception of consumer as citizen ie. Responsibilities of the consumer as a
member of the society.

Importance of consumer in consumer psychology - Consumer psychologists attempt to understand

the various factors influencing consumer behavior. They also work closely with marketing professionals
to determine whether marketing campaigns are effectively targeting potential customers. Consumer
psychologists typically either attempt to predict or explain consumer behavior.
Some conduct research about advertising and its impact on consumers, while some specialize in consumer
behavior patterns during different life phases, which could include childhood, adolescence, and
adulthood. Many specialize in how price affects consumer choices (through various research methods
such as focus groups, interviews, administering surveys and ethnographies—qualitative fieldwork that
yields descriptions of cultural/social practices).From subliminal messages and the timing of marketing
campaigns to evaluating the spending habits of families or shopping tastes of different generations,
consumer psychologists study how and why consumers make decisions. They also work as consultants for
private companies to assess consumer response to products and services. Thus the consumer (like the
product) is the focus in consumer psychology .brain Importance of consumer in consumer psychology -
Consumer psychologists attempt to understand the various factors influencing consumer behavior. They
also work closely with marketing professionals to determine whether marketing campaigns are effectively
targeting potential customers. Consumer psychologists typically either attempt to predict or explain
consumer behavior.
Some conduct research about advertising and its impact on consumers, while some specialize in consumer
behavior patterns during different life phases, which could include childhood, adolescence, and
adulthood. Many specialize in how price affects consumer choices (through various research methods
such as focus groups, interviews, administering surveys and ethnographies—qualitative fieldwork that
yields descriptions of cultural/social practices).From subliminal messages and the timing of marketing
campaigns to evaluating the spending habits of families or shopping tastes of different generations,
consumer psychologists study how and why consumers make decisions. They also work as consultants for
private companies to assess consumer response to products and services. Thus the consumer (like the
product) is the focus in consumer psychology.
The Science of Consumer Behavior
According to the Society for Consumer Psychology, Division 23 of the American Psychological
Association, consumer psychology "employs theoretical psychological approaches to understanding
consumers.
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This field is often considered a subspecialty of industrial-organizational psychology and is also known as
the psychology of consumer behavior or the psychology of marketing.
Consumer psychologists study a variety of topics including:
How consumers choose businesses, products, and services
The thought processes and emotions behind consumer decisions
How environmental variables such as friends, family, media, and culture influence buying decisions
What motivates people to choose one product over another .
How personal factors and individual differences affect people's buying choices
What marketers can do to effectively reach out to their target customers .

Importance of product in consumer psychology –

Product design is an important marketing variable. Most literature about consumer preference for product
design focuses on aesthetic product value. However, the appearance of a product also influences
consumer perception of functionalities, quality, and ease of use. Consumer behavior involves the use and
disposal of products as well as the study of how they are purchased. Product use is often of great interest
to the marketer, because this may influence how a product is best positioned or how we can encourage
increased consumption. Since many environmental problems result from product disposal (e.g., motor oil
being sent into sewage systems to save the recycling fee, or garbage piling up at landfills) this is also an
area of interest. Consumer behavior involves services and ideas as well as tangible products.In this
contextthe importance of ‘product’ in consumer psychology can be clearly understood.
Product development studies aid in the development of new products or the improvement of existing
products. Though verbal opinion surveys, laboratory techniques, rating procedures, consumer panels, etc.
are extensively used in product testing, they are not essential. Direct behavioral observations and records
of product usage permit product testing with a wide variety of subject.
In the design of such consumer products as clothing seats for railway cars, airplanes, automobiles,
auditoriums, household furniture, telephone booths, etc., anthropometric measures (measurements of
human body at rest and motion) are utilized together with behavioral data and consumer preferences.

What Consumer Psychologists Do

So what exactly does a typical consumer psychologist do? These professionals play a critical role not only
in helping businesses understand what their customers want and need but also in helping sellers promote
and market their products and services to buyers.
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Conduct Market Research

Because businesses need to understand their consumers in order to develop products and marketing
campaigns that appeal to their target audience, consumer psychologists often spend a great deal of time
learning more about what makes shoppers tick. This often involves first figuring out the target audience
for a particular product, including the gender, age, and socioeconomic status of the typical shopper.
Next, the consumer psychologist might begin researching the types of products and marketing messages
that appeal to these types of buyers.
Develop Marketing Messages
Other consumer psychologists might focus on social marketing, or how ideas and messages spread among
groups. Researchers might be interested in getting out information about a product or an important public
health message.
Learning how beliefs and attitudes spread among groups can help organizations learn how to better get
their message out and encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
Research Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors
Consumer psychologists often conduct research to learn more about buyer behavior. Common research
methods used by these professionals include experiments, phone surveys, focus groups, direct
observations, and questionnaires.
Chances are good that you have participated in at least one market research survey in your life. These are
often conducted by phone, but they may also be done online or through direct mail. In a survey,
consumers are often asked to describe their past shopping behavior, factors that influenced their decision-
making, and their future buying plans.
Researchers also typically gather details about each respondent's sex, age, race, educational history, and
current financial situation. This type of information can be very useful since it allows researchers to look
for patterns and learn more about who buys certain products.
Education and Training Requirements
So what kind of training do you need if you want to be a consumer psychologist? Most entry-level jobs in
consumer psychology require at least a bachelor's degree in psychology.
Entry-level jobs with a bachelor's degree typically involve planning, conducting, and interpreting the
results of market research campaigns.

Those interested in more advanced positions or in teaching at the university level will need a master's or
doctorate degree in an area related to consumer psychology. Such degree options include general
psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, marketing, and consumer studies.4
If you are interested in becoming a consumer psychologist:
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Focus on taking courses that will build your understanding of human behavior, marketing, social
psychology, personality, and culture
Take courses in advertising and marketing
Take courses in experimental methods, particularly experimental design and statistics

Career Options
The career path you ultimately choose will depend a great deal upon your interests and educational
background. For example, if you have an interest in conducting theoretical research and teaching,
consider earning a doctorate degree so that you can teach courses and perform original research at a
university. If you prefer to work in an area like market research, advertising, or sales, a bachelor's degree
might be sufficient.

Other job options include acting as a consultant for private businesses or working for government
agencies.

In such jobs, consumer psychologists might be asked to perform a wide range of duties, including
development marketing campaigns, researching buyer trends, designing social media advertising, or
analyzing statistics.