| Foundations of Psychology (Paper I) |
| Topics |
Subtopics |
| 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 designs
- Quasi-experimental designs
- Focussed group discussions
- Brainstorming
- Grounded theory approach.
|
| 3. Research Methods |
- Major steps in psychological research (problem statement, hypothesis formulation, research design, sampling, tools of data collection, analysis and interpretation, and report writing)
- Fundamental versus applied research
- Methods of data collection (interview, observation, questionnaire, and case study).
- Research Designs (Ex-post facto and experimental).
- Application of statistical techniques (t-test, two-way ANOVA, correlation and 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 wellbeing 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 , factor influencing space and depth perception, size estimation and perceptual readiness
- The plasticity of perception
- Extrasensory perception
- Culture and perception
- Subliminal perception.
|
| 6. Learning |
- Concepts and theories of learning (Behaviourists, Gestaltists, and Information processing models).
- The processes of extinction, discrimination and generalisation .
- Programmed learning
- Probability learning
- Self-instructional learning
- Concepts, types and schedules of reinforcement
- Escape, avoidance and punishment.
- Modelling and social learning .
|
| 7. Memory |
- Encoding and remembering
- 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 judgement
- 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 related issues.
|
| 10. Intelligence and Aptitude |
- Concept of intelligence and aptitude
- Nature and theories of intelligence (Spearman, Thurstone, Guilford 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, 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 the big 5-factor theory
- The notion of self in different traditions.
|
| 12. Attitudes, Values and Interests |
- Definitions of attitudes, values and interests
- Components of attitudes
- Formation and maintenance of attitudes.
- Measurement of attitudes, values, and interests.
- Theories of attitude changes
- Strategies for fostering values.
- Formation o f stereotypes and prejudices
- Changing other’s 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
- Psycho-cybernetics
- Study of Consciousness
- Sleep-wake schedules, Dreams, Stimulus deprivation, Meditation, hypnotic/drug-induced states
- Extrasensory perception
- Intersensory perception
- Simulation studies
|
