PSYCHOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION (PSYCON)

Construction projects require team work and proper integration for successful project execution and completion. Previous studies have implicated psychosocial factors as significant determinants of effective team behaviour (Brewer & Gajendram, 2011), progressive decision making, firm integrations, as well as strategic planning and innovativeness within the construction industry. However, the current built environment pedagogy does not provide a platform module in which the psychological perspective of all such factors are taught or examined. Yet, this psychological perspective cannot be overlooked within the reality of construction and manufacturing environment. Our aim is to design a multidisciplinary educational curriculum, tagged psychology in construction (Psycon) which will explore the various areas of human factor within the built environment as affected by psychosocial influences to create greater awareness of such factors to students as this will benefit their professional interactions with people. The scope of Psycon will include the psychology of team work, personality factors, communication, the psychology of Leadership and leadership behaviour, recruitment and selection, psychological well-being (including stress and psychopathology in the work place), accident proneness, motivation, psychological process of built environmental behaviour, etc. Another dimension of Psycon is the research of issues underpinning the pedagogy. We are planning a multidisciplinary workshop where engineers and psychologists come together to brainstorm on significant issues to be included within the curriculum before its initiation. Psycon will undergo thorough curriculum design process and be tested through action research method.

References:
[1] Brewer,G. and Gajendram, T. (2011) Attitudinal, behavioural, and cultural impacts on e-business use in a project team: a case study, Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITcon), Vol. 16, pg. 637-652, http://www.itcon.org/2011/37