Saturday, May 26, 2012

UPSC Civil Service Examination - Psychology


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, 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,  selfinstructional
 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, socio-cultural, 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.
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, 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:
(a)  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.
(b) Sports Psychology
Psychological interventions in improving performance of athletes and sports.
Persons participating in Individual and Team Games.
(c) Media influences on pro and antisocial behaviour.
(d) Psychology of terrorism.
14. Psychology of Gender: Issues of discrimination, Management of diversity;
Glass ceiling effect, Self fulfilling prophesy, Women and Indian society



No comments:

Post a Comment