University of Baltimore

SYLLABUS for
Personnel Psychology
APPL 644.185 (class # 2560) spring 2022

Instructor: Tom Mitchell, Ph.D.

           Email:  Tmitchell@ubalt.edu
                     Office hours:
  By appointment (ZOOM)
                     Classes meet:  
Tuesdays 5:30 - 8:00 PM
                     
Classroom:     BC 207                     
                      WEB BOARD FOR CLASS IS:
  Sakai  

 Schedule of dates and assignments - Overview:  

Date

Meeting

 Chapter

  Project Due

Activity

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 1

1

Chap 1 Organizations, Work, & Applied Psychology (Review)

 

 Select Job

Feb 8

2

Chap 9 Analyzing Jobs and Work (Rev) 

 

Feb 15

3

Chap 2 The Law and Human Resources Management

 

 

Feb 22

4

Chap 4: Criteria: Definitions, Measures, and Evaluation

 

 

Mar 1

5

Chap 5 Performance Appraisal and Management

 

Mar 8

6

Chap 6 Measuring & Interpretation of Individual Differences

 

PA Project 

Mar 15

7

Midterm Exam RPNow

 

 

Mar 24

Sp Bk

*** No Class ***

 

 

Mar 29

8

Chap 7 Validation & Use of Individual Differences Measures 

 JA Team report

 

Apr 5

9

Chap 8 Fairness in Employment Decisions

JA presentations 

Apr 12

10

Chap 12 Selection Methods   

   PA report Due

 Bryan Edwards, AOE

Apr 19

11

Chap 13 Managerial Selection Methods

 

Laura Johnson, SIGNA

Apr 26

12

Chap 14 Decision Making for Selection

 

 

May 3

13

Chap 15 Training and Development: Consideration in Design

Peter Leeds (SEM) 

 

May 10

14

Chap 17 International Dimensions of Talent Management

Diann Brady & Tommy Fiske, Prometric

 

May 17

15

Final Exam RPNow

 

 


I. Course Description

This course will provide a broad overview of industrial psychology & Industrial psychology. It focuses on measuring the characteristics of people and jobs and maximizing the fit between them through the HR functions (e.g., job analysis, recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, and legal issues).

II. Course Objectives: At the end of the course you should be able to:

III. Class format:

 IV Texts:

V. Course requirements for each student*:

Grade Scale:    90-100 A; 85-89 B+;   80-84 B; 75-79 C+;   70 C


 Session / Date / Chapters in texts / Due Dates /Activities


(1)   Feb 1 Chap 1 Organizations, Work, & Applied Psychology (Rev)

Select Job for JA Team Projects O*Net

·        Kerlinger’s definitions and questions


(2)    Feb 8  Chap 9 Analyzing Jobs and Work  (Rev)   

            Select Job for team JA Project              Example of a JA Report (SAC Software Engineer)


(3)     Feb 15  Chap 2 The Law and Human Resources Management

·        Averse Effect Cases PPT

·        Example of accommodation of disability for a job


(4)   Feb 22 Chap 4: Criteria: Definitions, Measures, and Evaluation   

·        Logic of Prediction


(5)  Mar 1 Chap 5 Performance Appraisal and Management

            *** discussion of PA Data Analysis Project ***

·        Summated Ratings text (P. Spector)  for individual PA Project

·        Kappa in SPSS to compute agreement for categorical data   


(6)  Mar 8   Chap 6 Measuring & Interpretation of Individual Differences

        New article required: Schmidt, F., Oh, I., Shaffer, J. (2019). The validity and utility of selection in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 100 years of research findings. (Working paper) – Sakai files directory –in “APPL. 185 Sp21 Resources”

·        Spurious Correlations

·        Cohen’s d Effect Size (Magnusson)  - Required reading

·        Cognitive Ability Testing (EF Wonderlic) white ppr


(7)  Mar 15      Midterm Exam RPNow  


        Mar 24 **** Spring Break **** 


 (8)   Mar 29    Chap 7 Validation & Use of Individual Differences Measures 

            *** Job analysis project due ***


(9)  Apr 5   Chapter 8 Fairness in Employment Decisions

·        New York Times Union Finds Racial Disparities in Performance Reviews WSJ

·        NYT Union Accuses Paper of Systematic Racism in Performance Reviews (Free Beacon)

·        People of color at ‘NYT” get lower ratings in job interviews, union says (NPR) 8/23/22

             *** PA Project Reports Due ***


(10)  Apr 12    Chap 12 Selection Methods

Guest speakers:   Brian Edwards, AOE    

·        Personnel Selection Lecture Neil Swartz

·        Selection Techniques


(11) Apr 19   Chap 13 Managerial Selection Methods    

            Guest speaker:  Julie Carswell, SIGMA Assessments

·        Assessment Centers


(12)  Apr 26      Chap 14 Decision Making for Selection


(13)  May 3      Chap 15 Training and Development: Consideration in Design

Guest lecturer: Dr. Peter Leeds, Merit Systems Protection Board - Demo on Structural Equations Modeling (SEM)


(14)  May 10        [TM1] Chap 17 International Dimensions of Talent Management 

            Guest speakers: Diann Brady & Tommy Fiske, Prometric


(15)  May 17       Final Exam RPNow


 

 

 

 

 


 [TM1]