Important Topics for Psychology Mains
Paper I Section A
1 Introduction Psychology as a science
Psychology & its relation to other fields
Perspectives In Psychology (Just 6 headings – Details elsewhere)
Contribution of Gestalt School to development of Psychology (SN)
Humanistic Perspective as the third force (Short Note)
Historical Antecedents
Trends in 21st Century
2. Methods of Psychology
Experimental Methods & Non Experimental Methods
Control Groups & Within Subject Design of Experiment
Methodological Problems in Psychology
Types of Research – Diagnostic, Prognostic, Descriptive,
Evaluative Focused Group Discussions
Brain Storming
Grounded Theory Approach
3. Research Methods &Quant Analaysis
Major Steps in Psychological Research
Fundamental Vs. Applied Research
Methods of Data Collection (Interv, Observ, Questionnr, Case Study)
Experiment or’s effect’s influence on Findings of a study
Factor Analysis
Item Response Theory
4. Development of Human Behaviour
Socialization & Cultural Factors
Role of Environment & Genetics on development of Human Behaviour
Life Span Development – Developmental Tasks
Critical Period
Maturation
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Culture & Personality (Optional – Can be left if shortage of time)
Concept of Self – Short note (Optional)
5 . Attention & Perception
Perception & its characteristics.
Perceptual Organization
Perceptual Defence (Short Note).
Signal Detection Theory & Classical Psychophysics (Short Note).
General Concepts in Attention.
Subliminal Perception (Short Note)
Threshold – Absolute & Differential Threshold (Part of Psychophysics)
Vigilance & Factors influencing it
Plasticity of Perception
Figure after Affects
6 . Learning
Classical Conditioning.
Operant Conditioning
Forms of Learning (including observational learning/Modelling).
Programmed Learning & its application in teaching.
Discrimination & Generalization (wrt to both CC & Operant Conditioning)
Process of Extinction (wrt to both CC & Operant Conditioning)
Theories of Learning – Gestaltist & Information Processing Approach
Escape, Avoidance & Punishment
Attainment of Concepts & Concept Learning
7 . Memory
Information Processing Models of Memory
Two process theories of memory (short Note)
Forgetting (Short Note)
Theories of Forgetting (Repression, Decay & Interference theories)
Ways of Memory Enhancement
Basic Processes of Remembering
Stage Vs. Process Models of Memory
Concept of working memory
Metamemory
Amnesia – Anteretrograde & Retrograde
Iconic & Echoic Memory
Paper I Section B
8.Thinking & Problem Solving
Concept Formation
Convergent & Divergent thinking (Short Note)
Creativity & Fostering Creativity (Short Note).
Creativity & its link with Intelligence (Short Note)
Problem Solving & the steps involved
Mental Set & Problem Solving (short note)
Facilitatory & Hindering factors in problem solving
Methods of Problem Solving
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Concept of Problem Space
9 . Motivation & Emotion
Emotion – Characteristics, Components & Functions
James Lange theory of Emotion
Emergency Theory of Canon Bard
Schachter Singer Theory & Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Lazarus
Motivation – Its characteristics & the steps involved
Theories of Motivation (Hull, Lewin, Freud, Maslow, Deci & Ryan)
Field Theory or Vector Valence Theory of Kurt Lewin (Short Note)
Need Hierarchy Theory of Motivation (Maslow)
Psychoanalytical theory of Motivation
Drive Theory or Push theory of Hull
Extrinsic & Intrinsic Motivation
Emotional Competence
Homeostasis
Social & Economic Motives
Cognitive Evalutaion theory of Intrinsic Motivation
Cognitive Approach to Motivation & Emotion
Instinct, Drive, Arousal & Incentive Theories of Motivation
10 . Intelligence & Aptitude
Spearmans
Thurstone’s Theory of Intelligence
Concept of Intelligence – nature & development
Concept of Aptitude (Short Note).
Creativity & its link with Intelligence (Short Note)
Emotional Intelligence & how to measure it (Full Length)
Social Intelligence (Short Note).
Multiple Intelligence & its measurement (Short Note)
Theories of Intelligence – J.P Guilford, Eysenck-Vernon Model
Sternberg Theory of Intelligence
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Bruner’s Theory of Cognitive Development (Short Note)
J.P. Das – PASS Model
Concept of IQ, Deviation IQ, Constancy of IQ
Fluid Intelligence & Crystallized Intelligence (Cattell’s Theory)
11 . Personality
Theories of Personality (Psychoanalytical)
Humanistic Approach to Personality
Rogers Concept of fully functional person.
Behaviouristic Approach to Personality
Trait & Type approaches to Personality (V. Important)
Projective techniques of personality assessment.
Projective Techniques Vs. Psychometric Tests in Personality assessment.
Personality – Concept & Individuality
Socio-Cultural Approach to Personality
Piagets theory of Cognitive Development
Indian Approach to Personality (Esp Guna Theory, Vedantic theory)
Self
Big 5 Theory
12. Attitudes, Values & Interests
Attitude – its Components & Formation
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Other theories of attitude
Attribution Theory
Attitude Change
Values – Concept, Components & Measurement (Short Note).
Strategies for fostering Values
Interest – Concept, Components & Measurement (Short Note)
How Values Motivate Individual
Measuring Attitude (Thurstone & Likert Attitude Scale)
Attribution Theories
13. Language & Communication
Communication & its process, Importance & Barriers
Persuasive & Effective Communication
Skinner & Chomsky’s theory of language development.
Human Language – Properties, Structure & Linguistic Hierarchy
Role of Language in Communication
Language Acquisition – Predisposition, Critical Period Hypothesis
14. Issues & Perspectives in Modern
Extrasensory Perception
Intersensory Perceiption.
Contemporary Psychology
Altered State of Consciousness & Meditation (short note)
Hypnosis (short note)
drug use (short note)
Sensory deprivation
Dreams
Sleep & Its Stages
Artificial Intelligence (Short Note).
Psychocybernetics
Use of Computers in Pyschological Experiments & Tests.
Paper II Section A
1 .Psychological Measurement of individual Difference
Psychological Tests – Types, Uses & Limitations.
Ethical Issues (Short Note)
Examine the methods of reliability & validity of psychological tests.
Construction of Psychological tests
Nature of Individual Difference (Short Note)
Present Status of Psychological Testing in India (Short Note)
2.Well Being & Mental Disorders
Stress – it consequences & Stess Management
Psychopathic Personality
Schizophrenia
Mental Disorders (Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia
& delusional disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse disorders)
Happiness Disposition
Concept of Positive Health & Factors affecting it
Concept of Mental Health & Factors affecting it
Indian Techniques of Stress Management (Short Note)
3. Therapeutic Approaches
Psychodynamic therapy
Behaviour Therapy
Client Centered Therapy (Humanistic Approach)
Cognitive Therapy
Indigenous Therapy (Yoga, Meditation, Reiki).
Biofeedback (Short Note).
Prevention & Rehabilitation of the mentally ill
Concept of Mental Health & Factors affecting it
Caplan’s Threefold Model of Prevention (short note)
4. Work Psychology & Organizational
Maslow’s Theory & its application to industry
Behaviour Herzberg theory of work motivation (Short Note)
Techniques of personnel selection (Short Note)
Participatory Management System.
Work Motivation (Definition & Concept).
Leadership & its form (Short Note).
Indian Industry illustrations for each of the cases above
Advertising & Marketing – Role of Psychology in it (Short Note)
Equity Theory, Porter & Lawler, Vroom
Ergonomics
Transformational Leadership
Consumer Psychology
Power & Politics in Organization
Use of Psychological tests in the industry
Human Resource Development to achieve personal & organization goals.
5. Application of Psychology
Teaching Learning Process to Education Field Learning Styles & its Uses in teaching-learning process (Full Length)
Retarded Child (Short Note).
Training of Gifted Children
Learning Disabled & their training
6. Community Psychology.
Community Psychologist & his role especially in social change.
Social Change & resistance to change & how to tackle it.
Group – its characteristics, group behaviour, cohesion.
Use of Small Groups in Social Action
Indian Society: Its resistance to change & remedy for it.
7.Rehabilitation Psychology
Drug Addiction – Causes & remedy
Juvenile Delinquency
Rehabilitation of Terrorists
Rehabilitation of Physically, Mentally & Socially challenged persons
Rehabilitation of Old Persons (Full Length)
Rehabilitation of HIV/AIDS Victims
Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
Paper II Section B
8. Application of psychology to disadvantaged groups
Concepts of disadvantaged, deprivation and social deprivation.
Remedies for the problems mentioned above.
Examples from India of each categories (Eg. Tribals etc).
Educating & Motivating the disadvantaged towards development
Prolonged & relative deprivation (Short Note).
9.Psychological & problem of social integration
Concept of social integration & how to achieve it.
Prejudice – its origin, effect & methods to reduce it.
Examples in Indian context of prejudice & social integration (Very Important)
Conflicts (Caste, Class, Religion & Language conflicts) & how to tackle them
10.Application of Psychology in IT & Mass Media
Psychological effect of IT
Role of Psychologist in IT & Mass Media
Role Played by TV in spreading awareness & bringing social change
Distance learning through IT & Mass Media & its benefits (Short Note)
Multi-level marketing (Short Note)
E-commerce (Short Note)
11. Psychology & Economic Development.
McClelland’s achievement motivation theory
Entrepreneur – characteristics, entrepreneur syndrome.
Women Entrepreneurs ( from Indian Context)
Missing Portion (Women Entrepreneur & Achievement Motivation)
Consumer Rights & Consumer Courts – Psychological Perspective (short note)
12.Application of psychology to Environment & Related Fields
Environment Degradation (noise, pollution and crowding)
How to motivate people to adopt small family norm.
Population Explosion – Causes & Psychological Consequences
13.Other applications of psychology
Role of psychology in the recruitment & training of defence personnel.
Human Engineering in Defence (Short Note)
Psychological Interventions in improving performance of athletes
Psychology of Terrorism – How to deal
14 . Psychology of Gender
Glass Ceiling Effect
Issues of Discrimination
Women & Indian Society
Self Fulfilling Prophesy
Management of Diversity
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