Chapter V 



PSYCHOLOGY IN INDUSTRY 

 by Walter V. Bingham 



INDUSTRIAL psychology touches life at many points. Most 

 of us spend a large part of our waking hours at work, 

 rom choice or from necessity, we are employed in one way 

 Fr another, in production, business, or personal service. 

 We naturally want our hours of labor to yield their fullest 

 return, not only of money wage, but of other values as well. 

 To increase the zest of accomplishment, the sense of the 

 worthwhileness of one's efforts, and the approbation of 

 one's fellows for work well done, are aspirations no less 

 universal than the desire for more money. These purposes 

 form some of the main objectives of industrial psychology, 

 a practical science of behavior dedicated to the increase of 

 both working efficiency and satisfactions. 



What Industrial Psychology Has Aimed to Do. The aims of 

 industrial psychology may be viewed from both sides of 

 the shield. It has sought removal of sources of nervousness, 

 irritation, and discontent; elimination of needless fatigue; 

 banishment of a sense of inadequacy or futility; and release 

 from occupational fears, whether of wage cuts, unemploy- 

 ment, health hazards, loss of prestige, old-age dependency, 

 arbitrary supervision, or other sources of apprehension 

 connected with the work. And many of these objectives 

 may be stated positively, as efforts to find better methods 

 of occupational training, of supervision, of organization 

 of work, of hiring and placement, and of controlling the 

 working environment in the interest of greater comfort, 

 health, and earning power. 



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