Case Study: Work-Related Critical Incident

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that a critical incident is an abnormally stressful event that may be psychologically traumatic resulting in post traumatic stress disorder. The author relates that the company for which an employee named Adam worked, had a training program that was based on the social learning theory. The social learning theory focuses on learning that occurs within a social context. The paper then states that, a disadvantage of this theory is that because people can learn through observation alone, their learning may not necessarily be shown in their performance and that learning may or may not result in a behavior change. The paper stresses that if the company would have had a formal training program, as well as requiring certification for the use of all equipment, Adam's accident could have easily been avoided.

From the Paper:

"The critical incident I'm going to discuss involves a teenage boy named Adam. Adam had been working for a small recycling company for about two months in the stock room. On the day of his accident Adam's boss asked him to come in for a few extra hours to drive a forklift because one of his co-workers was unable to make it to their shift. He didn't get any formal training to operate a forklift and didn't even know there was such a thing as a license for operating one. The only training he received was through observing other employees."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jex, S.M. (2002). Organizational Psychology: A scientist-Practitioner Approach. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• Wagner, K.V. (2008). Social Learning Theory. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from
• About.com Psychology. Web site: http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/sociallearning.htm

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