For a UPSC CSE aspirant, the optional subject is also an important subject. In the UPSC mains exam, optional marks have two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. Each paper is of 250 marks which makes a total of 500 marks. The UPSC optional subject list contains 48 subjects in total, one of which is Psychology.

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SYLLABUS FOR PAPER I

Foundations of Psychology

1. Introduction:

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

2. Methods of Psychology:

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

3. Research Methods:

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

4. Development of Human Behavior:

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

5. Sensation, Attention and Perception:

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

6. Learning:

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

7. Memory:

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

8. Thinking and Problem Solving:

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

9. Motivation and Emotion:

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

10. Intelligence and Aptitude:

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

11. Personality:

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

12. Attitudes, Values and Interests:

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

13. Language and Communication:

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

14. Issues and Perspectives in Modern Contemporary Psychology:

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

SYLLABUS FOR PAPER – II

Psychology: Issues and Applications

1. Psychological Measurement of Individual Differences:

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

2. Psychological well being and Mental Disorders:

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

3. Therapeutic Approaches:

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

4. Work Psychology and Organizational Behavior:

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

5. Application of Psychology to Educational Field:

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

6. Community Psychology:

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

7. Rehabilitation Psychology:

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

8. Application of Psychology to disadvantaged groups:

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

9. Psychological problems of social integration:

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

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
• Distance learning through IT and mass media
• Selection and training of psychology professionals to work in the field of IT and mass media
• Entrepreneurship through e-commerce
• Psychological consequences of recent developments in Information Technology
• Multilevel marketing; Impact of TV and fostering value through IT and mass media

11. Psychology and Economic development:

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

12. Application of psychology to environment and related fields:

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

13. Application of psychology in other fields:

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

14. Psychology of Gender:

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