UPSC Psychology Syllabus for Mains CSE 2024
UPSC Psychology Optional Syllabus
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The UPSC offers Psychology as an optional subject along the total 48 optional subjects. The UPSC Psychology Syllabus assesses candidates’ comprehension of psychology as a science and their ability to apply psychological understanding to real-world issues. The UPSC Psychology syllabus covers a huge variety of subjects spanning both theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology.
In this article, we presents a comprehensive overview of the UPSC Psychology syllabus for the Optional Subjects. The syllabus comprises two papers, Paper I and Paper II, each carrying 250 marks, thereby totaling 500 marks. Below we have provided the complete UPSC Psychology Optional syllabus:
UPSC Psychology Optional Syllabus for Paper‐I
Foundations of Psychology
- Introduction to Psychology:
- Definition;
- Historical antecedents;
- Trends in the 21st century;
- Psychology and scientific methods;
- Relation to other social sciences and natural sciences;
- Application to societal problems.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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}.
- Sensation, Attention and Perception [Cognitive]:
- 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.
- Learning:
- Concept and theories of learning (Behaviourists, Gestaltist 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, modelling and social learning.
- Memory [Cognitive]:
- 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: Meta-memory;
- Amnesia: Anterograde and retrograde.
- Thinking and Problem Solving [Cognitive]:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, multiple intelligence},
- Concept of IQ, Deviation I Q, Constancy of IQ;
- Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.
- 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.
- 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.
- Language and Communication [Cognitive]:
- 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.
- Issues and Perspectives in Modern Contemporary Psychology:
- Computer application in the psychological laboratory and psychological testing; Artificial intelligence; Psych cybernetics; Study of consciousness-sleep-wake schedules; dreams, stimulus deprivation, meditation, hypnotic/drug induced states;
- Extrasensory perception; Inter-sensory perception Simulation studies.
UPSC Psychology Optional Syllabus for 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 centred 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 counselling; Use of psychological tests in educational institutions; Effective strategies in guidance programmes.
6. Community Psychology:
- Definition and concept; 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, counselling; 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.
Other UPSC Optional Subjects
List of Literature Optional Subjects for UPSC
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| Bodo | Dogri |
| English | Gujarati |
| Hindi | Kannada |
| Kashmiri | Konkani |
| Maithilli | Malayalam |
| Manipuri | Marathi |
| Nepali | Odia |
| Punjabi | Sanskrit |
| Santhali | Sindhi |
| Tamil | Telugu |
| Urdu | Optional Home Page |
