PERSPECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS TOWARDS THE FIELD OF ERGONOMICS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Employees need a healthy environment and working conditions in their workplaces. This need is a legal obligation that must be met by employers. Ergonomics is concerned with improving the compatibility between humans and their environment. Considering that humans are psychosocial beings, addressing the field of ergonomics independently of psychology can be seen as a limitation. Therefore, examining the perspectives of psychologists working in workplaces regarding the field of ergonomics is valuable. This study aims to understand the perspectives on ergonomics of psychologists from different specialties and sectors in Turkey. Fifteen experts working in various cities across Turkey participated in the research. The study is qualitative, and the perspectives of the experts were explored through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was chosen as the method, and the analysis revealed three different themes regarding perspectives on the field of ergonomics: (i) psychologists' knowledge of ergonomics, (ii) psychologists' experiences with ergonomics-related work, and (iii) psychologists' perspectives on the intersection of psychology and ergonomics. The results of the study indicate that the knowledge and experiences of experts regarding ergonomics are limited. Furthermore, it was found that psychologists do not have structured written job descriptions assigned by their workplaces, leading to role conflict and role ambiguity.