1
Work and Health Psychology
Inhoud
Lecture 1: Program & Course Information (Chapter 1)..............................................................2
Lecture 2: Theoretical Perspectives (Chapter 3, 4).....................................................................5
Lecture 3: Demands: Quantitative and qualitative demands (Chapter 5, 6).............................13
Lecture 4: Context: Job control, social aspects and recovery (Chapter 7, 8)............................18
Lecture 5: Individual Characteristics, Work-family interaction (Chapter 10, 11)....................22
Lecture 6: Well-being, motivation and performance (Chapter 12, 13, 14, 15).........................28
Lecture 7: Interventions: Prevention, Job crafting and Amplification (Chapter 16, 19)..........32
, 2
Lecture 1: Program & Course Information (Chapter 1)
Work: a set of coordinated and goal-directed activities that are conducted in exchange for
something else, usually some form of monetary reward.
- Coordinated: to achieve the intended goal, workers execute a series of interrelated
activities following particular work routines, procedures and guidelines.
- Goal-directed: actions at work are intended to bring about a particular previously
specified result.
- In exchange for something else: the activities involved in working require some
degree of physical, emotional and/or mental effort, and this effort is compensated in
some way.
Psychology: people’s behaviour, motivations, thoughts, and emotions related to a particular
topic.
Work psychology: uses insights from psychology to help workers achieve their work-
goals in an optimal manner, and to help organizations achieve their goals. It refers to
the way workers’ behaviours, motivations, thoughts, emotions, health and well-being
relate to each other, and about ways to influence these concepts. About the tasks that
are carried out at work.
Organizational psychology: about the context in which work activities are conducted.
Personnel psychology: about the characteristics of the person conducting a particular
work task or selecting or hiring new staff.
Health: the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.
Well-being: the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
Well-being at work:
1. Health (physical well-being): decrease disease and injuries, stress, and increase health
benefits.
2. Relationships (social well-being): increase trust, support, decrease exploitation, and
power abuse
3. Happiness (psychological well-being): increase pleasure, satisfaction and
fulfilment/engagement, and decrease the opposite thereof.
Sustainable performance: maximizing work performance as well as worker health and well-
being.
Three different work sectors:
1. Agriculture, including forestry, hunting and fishing.
2. Industry, including manufacturing, mining and construction.
3. Services, including transportation, communication, public utilities, trade, finance,
public administration, private household services and miscellaneous other services.
There is an inclination in work psychology to focus predominantly on high-status workers and
ethnic majorities in well-developed parts of the world.
, 3
People work for money, it contributes to their health and well-being, it gives them time
structure, opportunities for social contact, sharing of a common purpose, social identity or
status, and regular activity.
Four reasons why work psychology is important:
1. Because of the amount of time we spend working
2. Because work has the potential to make us happy
3. Because work has the potential to make us sick
4. Because of the increasing expectations of employers
The roots of work psychology:
In the early 1500s, the first truly scientific texts on the association between work and
health appeared.
In the 1850-1930s, the industrial revolution (1750-1850s) marked a transition to new
manufacturing processes, in that production processes were increasingly mechanized
and industrialized (mass production). Working conditions were poor, working days
were long and pay was low. The tasks were characterized by a high level of division of
labour and were usually simple, repetitive and boring, requiring few skills.
o Scientific management approach (Taylor): workers are lazy and stupid, so
tasks should be simplified and optimized, and work motivation should be
increased by introducing strict supervision and pay-for-performance systems.
In the 1930-present, the popularity of Taylor’s idea waned, to be replaced by the
insights of the human relations movement. The adage of this movement was to fit the
job to the worker, paying special attention to the human side of working.
o Contemporary work psychology: focusses on high productivity combined with
much attention for worker health and well-being.
Hawthorne studies: initially the research team was concerned with the physical conditions of
work, but as the research progressed, the importance of human and social factors became
evident. The studies provided the basis for thinking about how psychological and social
factors can be changed to improve the experience of work.
Five changes in the world of work:
The changing nature of work: from mainly manufacturing work to predominantly
service and knowledge work.
o Cognitive load: the load or effort related to the executive control of the
working memory.
The changing workforce: has become more diverse in terms of gender, age, ethnicity,
organizational tenure and educational background.
The changing flexibility of working: flexibility in the timing of work, flexibility in the
place of work and the facilitation of information technology.
o New Ways of Working (NWW): employees have more autonomy in deciding
when they work, where they work and how they work. It can be beneficial for
employees en their families if boundaries to separate work and family life are
created.
The changing organization: because of globalization and the increasing use of ICT
organizations must continuously adapt to new realities.
, 4
The changing psychological contract: from an emphasis on stability and permanent
employment to a desire for flexibility and employability.
o Psychological contract: what employees and employers want and expect from
each other.
Task analysis: the study of what an employee or team is required to do, in terms of actions
and/or processes, to achieve a system goal. It assists in achieving higher performance and
safety standards. Four approaches:
1. Behaviour description approach: focusses on the actual behaviours employees display
in executing the task.
2. Behaviour requirements approach: focusses on the actual behaviour employees should
display to perform the task in a successful way.
3. Ability requirements approach: tasks are analysed in terms of employees’ abilities,
knowledge, skills and personal characteristics.
4. Task characteristics approach: focusses to analyse the objective characteristics of a
task, independent from the behaviour that is actually displayed (behaviour description)
or that should be displayed (behaviour requirements) or the abilities needed (ability
requirements).
The aim of work-psychological task analysis is to lead to a more efficient and effective
integration of the human factor into system designs and operations via task (re)design in order
to optimize human performance and safety.
Three categories of task analysis techniques:
1. Data-collection techniques: interviews, survey questionnaires, observations, and
organizational documents and records.
2. Task-representation techniques: graphic descriptions
3. Task-simulation techniques: computer modelling and computer-aided design
programmes
o Those which try to simulate the dynamic aspects of tasks in work environment
simulation models
o Those which are used for ergonomically laying out work environments
Psychotechnics: the practical or technological application of psychology, as in analysis of
social or economic problems. The psychological experiment is systematically to be placed at
the service of commerce and industry.
Pioneers:
- Jean Marie Lahy (France, from 1903 onwards): experiments on the selection of
streetcar operators. General method for employee selection (normed tests).
- Münsterberg (Germany/U.S., 1913): selection of those personalities which by their
mental qualities are especially fir for a particular kind of economic work. Work on the
selection of drivers, typists, army gunner, etc.
Performance: the action or process of performing a task or function.
- Action: performance is what the organization hires on to do, and do well
- Outcome: the consequence or the result of the individual workers’ behaviour.
Work and Health Psychology
Inhoud
Lecture 1: Program & Course Information (Chapter 1)..............................................................2
Lecture 2: Theoretical Perspectives (Chapter 3, 4).....................................................................5
Lecture 3: Demands: Quantitative and qualitative demands (Chapter 5, 6).............................13
Lecture 4: Context: Job control, social aspects and recovery (Chapter 7, 8)............................18
Lecture 5: Individual Characteristics, Work-family interaction (Chapter 10, 11)....................22
Lecture 6: Well-being, motivation and performance (Chapter 12, 13, 14, 15).........................28
Lecture 7: Interventions: Prevention, Job crafting and Amplification (Chapter 16, 19)..........32
, 2
Lecture 1: Program & Course Information (Chapter 1)
Work: a set of coordinated and goal-directed activities that are conducted in exchange for
something else, usually some form of monetary reward.
- Coordinated: to achieve the intended goal, workers execute a series of interrelated
activities following particular work routines, procedures and guidelines.
- Goal-directed: actions at work are intended to bring about a particular previously
specified result.
- In exchange for something else: the activities involved in working require some
degree of physical, emotional and/or mental effort, and this effort is compensated in
some way.
Psychology: people’s behaviour, motivations, thoughts, and emotions related to a particular
topic.
Work psychology: uses insights from psychology to help workers achieve their work-
goals in an optimal manner, and to help organizations achieve their goals. It refers to
the way workers’ behaviours, motivations, thoughts, emotions, health and well-being
relate to each other, and about ways to influence these concepts. About the tasks that
are carried out at work.
Organizational psychology: about the context in which work activities are conducted.
Personnel psychology: about the characteristics of the person conducting a particular
work task or selecting or hiring new staff.
Health: the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.
Well-being: the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
Well-being at work:
1. Health (physical well-being): decrease disease and injuries, stress, and increase health
benefits.
2. Relationships (social well-being): increase trust, support, decrease exploitation, and
power abuse
3. Happiness (psychological well-being): increase pleasure, satisfaction and
fulfilment/engagement, and decrease the opposite thereof.
Sustainable performance: maximizing work performance as well as worker health and well-
being.
Three different work sectors:
1. Agriculture, including forestry, hunting and fishing.
2. Industry, including manufacturing, mining and construction.
3. Services, including transportation, communication, public utilities, trade, finance,
public administration, private household services and miscellaneous other services.
There is an inclination in work psychology to focus predominantly on high-status workers and
ethnic majorities in well-developed parts of the world.
, 3
People work for money, it contributes to their health and well-being, it gives them time
structure, opportunities for social contact, sharing of a common purpose, social identity or
status, and regular activity.
Four reasons why work psychology is important:
1. Because of the amount of time we spend working
2. Because work has the potential to make us happy
3. Because work has the potential to make us sick
4. Because of the increasing expectations of employers
The roots of work psychology:
In the early 1500s, the first truly scientific texts on the association between work and
health appeared.
In the 1850-1930s, the industrial revolution (1750-1850s) marked a transition to new
manufacturing processes, in that production processes were increasingly mechanized
and industrialized (mass production). Working conditions were poor, working days
were long and pay was low. The tasks were characterized by a high level of division of
labour and were usually simple, repetitive and boring, requiring few skills.
o Scientific management approach (Taylor): workers are lazy and stupid, so
tasks should be simplified and optimized, and work motivation should be
increased by introducing strict supervision and pay-for-performance systems.
In the 1930-present, the popularity of Taylor’s idea waned, to be replaced by the
insights of the human relations movement. The adage of this movement was to fit the
job to the worker, paying special attention to the human side of working.
o Contemporary work psychology: focusses on high productivity combined with
much attention for worker health and well-being.
Hawthorne studies: initially the research team was concerned with the physical conditions of
work, but as the research progressed, the importance of human and social factors became
evident. The studies provided the basis for thinking about how psychological and social
factors can be changed to improve the experience of work.
Five changes in the world of work:
The changing nature of work: from mainly manufacturing work to predominantly
service and knowledge work.
o Cognitive load: the load or effort related to the executive control of the
working memory.
The changing workforce: has become more diverse in terms of gender, age, ethnicity,
organizational tenure and educational background.
The changing flexibility of working: flexibility in the timing of work, flexibility in the
place of work and the facilitation of information technology.
o New Ways of Working (NWW): employees have more autonomy in deciding
when they work, where they work and how they work. It can be beneficial for
employees en their families if boundaries to separate work and family life are
created.
The changing organization: because of globalization and the increasing use of ICT
organizations must continuously adapt to new realities.
, 4
The changing psychological contract: from an emphasis on stability and permanent
employment to a desire for flexibility and employability.
o Psychological contract: what employees and employers want and expect from
each other.
Task analysis: the study of what an employee or team is required to do, in terms of actions
and/or processes, to achieve a system goal. It assists in achieving higher performance and
safety standards. Four approaches:
1. Behaviour description approach: focusses on the actual behaviours employees display
in executing the task.
2. Behaviour requirements approach: focusses on the actual behaviour employees should
display to perform the task in a successful way.
3. Ability requirements approach: tasks are analysed in terms of employees’ abilities,
knowledge, skills and personal characteristics.
4. Task characteristics approach: focusses to analyse the objective characteristics of a
task, independent from the behaviour that is actually displayed (behaviour description)
or that should be displayed (behaviour requirements) or the abilities needed (ability
requirements).
The aim of work-psychological task analysis is to lead to a more efficient and effective
integration of the human factor into system designs and operations via task (re)design in order
to optimize human performance and safety.
Three categories of task analysis techniques:
1. Data-collection techniques: interviews, survey questionnaires, observations, and
organizational documents and records.
2. Task-representation techniques: graphic descriptions
3. Task-simulation techniques: computer modelling and computer-aided design
programmes
o Those which try to simulate the dynamic aspects of tasks in work environment
simulation models
o Those which are used for ergonomically laying out work environments
Psychotechnics: the practical or technological application of psychology, as in analysis of
social or economic problems. The psychological experiment is systematically to be placed at
the service of commerce and industry.
Pioneers:
- Jean Marie Lahy (France, from 1903 onwards): experiments on the selection of
streetcar operators. General method for employee selection (normed tests).
- Münsterberg (Germany/U.S., 1913): selection of those personalities which by their
mental qualities are especially fir for a particular kind of economic work. Work on the
selection of drivers, typists, army gunner, etc.
Performance: the action or process of performing a task or function.
- Action: performance is what the organization hires on to do, and do well
- Outcome: the consequence or the result of the individual workers’ behaviour.
