Psychology Optional Syllabus – UPSC

Psychology Optional Syllabus: Paper-1

Foundations of Psychology

1. Introduction:

• Definition of Psychology;
• Historical antecedents of Psychology and trends in the 21st century;
• Psychology and scientific methods;
• Psychology in relation to other social sciences and natural sciences;
• Application of Psychology to societal problems.

2. Methods of Psychology:

• Types of research: Descriptive, evaluative, diagnostic and prognostic;
• Methods of Research: Survey, observation, case-study and experiments;
• Characteristics of experimental design and non-experimental design, Quasi-experimental designs; Focussed group discussions, brain storming, grounded theory approach.

3. Research Methods:

• Major steps in Psychological research (problem statement, hypothesis formulation, research designs, sampling, tools of data collection, analysis and interpretation and report writing)
• Fundamental versus applied research;
• Methods of data collection (interview, observation, questionnaire);
• Research designs (ex-post facto and experimental);
• Application of statistical technique (t – test, two way ANOVA correlation, regression and factor analysis);
• Item response theory.

4. Development of Human Behaviour:

• Growth and development; Principles of development,
• Role of genetic and environmental factors in determining human behaviour;
• Influence of cultural factors in socialization;
• Life span development – Characteristics, development tasks, promoting psychological well-being across major stages of the life span.

5. Sensation, Attention, and Perception:

• Sensation: concepts of threshold, absolute and difference thresholds, signal-detection and vigilance;
• Factors influencing attention including set and characteristics of stimulus;
• Definition and concept of perception, biological factors in perception;
• Perceptual organization-influence of past experiences, perceptual defence-factors influencing space and depth perception, size estimation and perceptual readiness;
• The plasticity of perception;
• Extrasensory perception;
• Culture and perception,
• Subliminal perception.

6. Learning:

• Concept and theories of learning (Behaviourists, Gestaltalist and Information processing models);
• The Processes of extinction, discrimination and generalization;
• Programmed learning, probability learning, self-instructional learning, concepts;
• Types and the schedules of reinforcement, escape, avoidance and punishment, modeling and social learning.

7. Memory:

• Encoding and remembering;
• Short term memory, Long term memory, Sensory memory, Iconic memory, Echoic memory:
• The Multistore model, levels of processing; Organization and Mnemonic techniques to improve memory;
• Theories of forgetting: decay, interference and retrieval failure: Metamemory;
• Amnesia: Anterograde and retrograde.

8. Thinking and Problem Solving:

• Piaget’s theory of cognitive development;
• Concept formation processes; Information processing, Reasoning and problem solving, Facilitating and hindering factors in problem solving,
• Methods of problem solving: Creative thinking and fostering creativity; Factors influencing decision making and judgment;
• Recent trends.

9. Motivation and Emotion:

• Psychological and physiological basis of motivation and emotion;
• Measurement of motivation and emotion;
• Effects of motivation and emotion on behaviour; Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation;
• Factors influencing intrinsic motivation;
• Emotional competence and the related issues.

10. Intelligence and Aptitude:

• Concept of intelligence and aptitude,
• Nature and theories of intelligence – Spearman, Thurstone, Gullford Vernon, Sternberg and J.P; Das;
• Emotional Intelligence, Social intelligence, measurement of intelligence and aptitudes,
• concept of IQ, deviation IQ, constancy of IQ; Measurement of multiple intelligence;
• Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.

11. Personality:

• Definition and concept of personality;
• Theories of personality (psychoanalytical, sociocultural, interpersonal, developmental, humanistic, behaviouristic, trait and type approaches);
• Measurement of personality (projective tests, pencil-paper test);
• The Indian approach to personality;
• Training for personality development;
• Latest approaches like big 5 factor theory;
• The notion of self in different traditions.

12. Attitudes, Values, and Interests:

• Definition of attitudes, values and interests;
• Components of attitudes; Formation and maintenance of attitudes;
• Measurement of attitudes, values and interests;
• Theories of attitude change; Strategies for fostering values;
• Formation of stereotypes and prejudices; Changing others behaviour;
• Theories of attribution;
• Recent trends.

13. Language and Communication:

• Human language – Properties, structure and linguistic hierarchy, Language acquisition- predisposition, critical period hypothesis;
• Theories of language development – Skinner and Chomsky; Process and types of communication – effective communication training.

14. Issues and Perspectives in Modern Contemporary Psychology:

• Computer application in the psychological laboratory and psychological testing;
• Artificial intelligence; Psychocybernetics;
• Study of consciousness-sleep-wake schedules; dreams, stimulus deprivation, meditation, hypnotic/drug induced states;
• Extrasensory perception; Intersensory perception Simulation studies.

Psychology Optional Syllabus: Paper-2

Psychology: Issues and Applications

1. Psychological Measurement of Individual Differences:

• The nature of individual differences;
• Characteristics and construction of standardized psychological tests;
• Types of psychological tests;
• Use, misuse and limitation of psychological tests;
• Ethical issues in the use of psychological tests.

2. Psychological well being and Mental Disorders:

• Concept of health-ill health;
• Positive health, well being;
• Causal factors in mental disorders (Anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and delusional disorders;
• personality disorders, substance abuse disorders);
• Factors influencing positive health, well being, life style and quality of life;
• Happiness disposition.

3. Therapeutic Approaches:

• Psychodynamic therapies;
• Behaviour therapies;
• Client centered therapy;
• Cognitive therapies;
• Indigenous therapies (Yoga, Meditation);
• Bio-feedback therapy;
• Prevention and rehabilitation of the mentally ill;
• Fostering mental health.

4. Work Psychology and Organisational Behaviour:

• Personnel selection and training; Use of psychological tests in the industry;
• Training and human resource development;
• Theories of work motivation – Herzberg, Maslow, Adam Equity theory, Porter and Lawler, Vroom;
• Leadership and participatory management;
• Advertising and marketing;
• Stress and its management;
• Ergonomics; consumer psychology;
• Managerial effectiveness;
• Transformational leadership;
• Sensitivity training;
• Power and politics in organizations.

5. Application of Psychology to Educational Field:

• Psychological principles underlying effective teaching-learning process;
• Learning styles; Gifted, retarded, learning disabled and their training;
• Training for improving memory and better academic achievement;
• Personality development and value education, Educational, vocational guidance and career counseling;
• Use of psychological tests in educational institutions;
• Effective strategies in guidance programmes.

6. Community Psychology:

• Definition and concept of community psychology;
• Use of small groups in social action; Arousing community consciousness and action for handling social problems;
• Group decision making and leadership for social change; Effective strategies for social change.

7. Rehabilitation Psychology:

• Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention programmes-role of psychologists;
• Organising of services for rehabilitation of physically, mentally and socially challenged persons including old persons, Rehabilitation of persons suffering from substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, criminal behaviour;
• Rehabilitation of victims of violence, Rehabilitation of HIV/AIDS victims, the role of social agencies.

8. Application of Psychology to disadvantaged groups:

• The concepts of disadvantaged, deprivation; Social, physical, cultural and economic consequences of disadvantaged and deprived groups;
• Educating and motivating the disadvantaged towards development; Relative and prolonged deprivation.

9. Psychological problems of social integration:

• The concept of social integration;
• The problem of caste, class, religion and language conflicts and prejudice;
• Nature and manifestation of prejudice between the in-group and out-group;
• Causal factors of social conflicts and prejudices;
• Psychological strategies for handling the conflicts and prejudices;
• Measures to achieve social integration.

10. Application of Psychology in Information Technology and Mass Media:

• The present scenario of information technology and the mass media boom and the role of psychologists;
• Selection and training of psychology professionals to work in the field of IT and mass media;
• Distance learning through IT and mass media;
• Entrepreneurship through e-commerce;
• Multilevel marketing; Impact of TV and fostering value through IT and mass media;
• Psychological consequences of recent developments in Information Technology.

11. Psychology and Economic development:

• Achievement motivation and economic development;
• Characteristics of entrepreneurial behaviour;
• Motivating and training people for entrepreneurship and economic development;
• Consumer rights and consumer awareness,
• Government policies for promotion of entrepreneurship among youth including women entrepreneurs.

12. Application of psychology to environment and related fields:

• Environmental psychology-effects of noise, pollution and crowding;
• Population psychology: psychological consequences of population explosion and high population density;
• Motivating for small family norm;
• Impact of rapid scientific and technological growth on degradation of environment.

13. Application of psychology in other fields:

• Military Psychology Devising psychological tests for defence personnel for use in selection, Training, counseling; training psychologists to work with defence personnel in promoting positive health; Human engineering in defence.
• Sports Psychology Psychological interventions in improving performance of athletes and sports. Persons participating in Individual and Team Games.
• Media influences on pro and antisocial behaviour.
• Psychology of terrorism.

14. Psychology of Gender:

• Issues of discrimination,
• Management of diversity;
• Glass ceiling effect,
• Self fulfilling prophesy,
• Women and Indian society