title: 100 years of training and development research: What we know and where we should go.
abstract: Training and development research has a long tradition within applied psychology dating back to the early 1900s. Over the years, not only has interest in the topic grown but there have been dramatic changes in both the science and practice of training and development. In the current article, we examine the evolution of training and development research using articles published in theJournal of Applied Psychology(JAP) as a primary lens to analyze what we have learned and to identify where future research is needed. We begin by reviewing the timeline of training and development research inJAPfrom 1918 to the present in order to elucidate the critical trends and advances that define each decade. These trends include the emergence of more theory-driven training research, greater consideration of the role of the trainee and training context, examination of learning that occurs outside the classroom, and understanding training's impact across different levels of analysis. We then examine in greater detail the evolution of 4 key research themes: training criteria, trainee characteristics, training design and delivery, and the training context. In each area, we describe how the focus of research has shifted over time and highlight important developments. We conclude by offering several ideas for future training and development research. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Human Resource Studies Department, ILR School, Cornell University.
authors.forename: Bradford S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: The Group for Organizational Effectiveness (gOE).
authors.forename: Scott I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Tannenbaum
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Michigan State University.
authors.forename: J Kevin
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Department of Management and Human Resources, Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University.
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Noe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Colorado State University.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kraiger
mesh_terms: D035841:Behavioral Research / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D011585:Psychology, Applied / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*; D013192:Staff Development / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods*