The UPSC Optional Syllabus for Psychology is as given below:
| Psychology Syllabus – Civil Services Mains Exam UPSC: |
| Optional Subject consists of 2 papers. Each paper is of 250 marks, making a total of 500 marks. |
| PAPER – I |
| 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, brainstorming, 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 behavior; 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 behavior; 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, the concept of IQ, deviation IQ, the 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 behavior; 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 perceptionSimulation studies. |
| PAPER – II |
| 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, lifestyle 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 programs. |
| 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 programs-role of psychologists; Organising of services for the 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 the 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 behavior; Motivating and training people for entrepreneurship and economic development; Consumer rights and consumer awareness, Government policies for the 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 the environment. |
| 13. Application of psychology in other fields: |
| (a) Military Psychology |
| Devising psychological tests for defense personnel for use in selection, Training, counseling; training psychologists to work with defense personnel in promoting positive health; Human engineering in defense. |
| (b) Sports Psychology |
| Psychological interventions in improving the performance of athletes and sports. Persons participating in Individual and Team Games. |
| (c) Media influences on pro and antisocial behavior. |
| (d) Psychology of terrorism. |
| 14. Psychology of Gender: |
| Issues of discrimination, Management of diversity; Glass ceiling effect, Self fulfilling prophesy, Women and Indian society. |
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