Psychology Optional Syllabus for UPSC
The UPSC Psychology optional is examined in two Mains papers of 250 marks each, 500 marks in total. Paper I has 7 topics and Paper II has 6 topics, listed below with their subtopics.
Psychology Paper I syllabus
1. Foundations of Psychology
- Nature, scope, methods
- Schools of psychology
- Recent trends
2. Biological Basis
- Nervous system, endocrine
- Genetics & behavior
- Consciousness, sleep
3. Cognition
- Attention, perception
- Learning, memory
- Thinking, language
4. Motivation & Emotion
- Theories of motivation
- Emotion theories
- Stress, coping
5. Personality
- Trait theories
- Psychoanalytic approach
- Humanistic, cognitive approaches
6. Development
- Cognitive development
- Social, emotional development
- Life-span development
7. Individual Differences
- Intelligence, aptitude
- Creativity, giftedness
- Psychological testing
Psychology Paper II syllabus
1. Social Psychology
- Social cognition, attitudes
- Group dynamics
- Interpersonal relations
2. Applied Psychology
- Clinical psychology
- Counseling, therapy
- Health psychology
3. Organizational Psychology
- Personnel selection, training
- Motivation, leadership
- Organizational development
4. Educational Psychology
- Learning, teaching
- Special education
- Guidance, counseling
5. Environmental Psychology
- Environment & behavior
- Crowding, noise effects
- Design psychology
6. Psychology in India
- Indigenous concepts
- Applications in Indian context
- Current trends
Other Social Sciences optionals
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