Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Important Topics for Psychology Mains
Paper I Section A

S.
1

Chapter

Introduction

Methods of
Psychology

Topic

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
Experimental Methods & Non Experimental Methods
Control Groups & Within Subject Design of Experiment
Methodological Problems in Psychology

Types of Research - Diagnostic, Prognostic, Descriptive,

Evaluative
Focussed Group Discussions
Brain Storming
Grounded Theory Approach
3

Research Methods &

Quant Analaysis

Development of
Human Behaviour

Attention & Perception

Ghanshyam Thori

Major Steps in Psychological Research

Fundamental Vs. Applied Research
Methods of Data Collection (Interv, Observ, Questionnr, Case Study)
Experimentor's effect's influence on Findings of a study
Factor Analysis
Item Response Theory
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 - Shortnote (Optional)
Perception & its characteristics.
Perceptual Organization
Perceptual Defence (Short Note).
Signal Detection Theory & Classical Psychophysics (Short Note).
General Concepts in Attention.

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Sublimial Perception (Short Note)
Threshold - Absolute & Differential Threshold (Part of
Psychophysics)
Vigilance & Factors Influencing it
Plasticity of Perception
Figure After Affects

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

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

S.

Chapter
Thinking & Problem
Solving

Paper I
8

Section B
Topic

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

Motivation & Emotion

Ghanshyam Thori

Emotion - Characteristics, Components & Functions

James Lange theory of Emotion
Emergency Theory of Canon Bard
Schachter Singer Theory & Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Lazarus

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

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 perosnality assessment.
Projective Techniques Vs. Psychometric Tests in Personality
assesmt.
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

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

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
S.N.
1

Chapter
Psychological
Measurement
of Indl Difference

Well Being & Mental

Disorders

Topics
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)
Stress - it consequences & Stess Management
Psychopathic Personality
Schizophrenia
Mental Disorders (Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, Schizphernia

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

& delusional disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse
disorders)
Happiness Disposition
Concept of Positive Health & Factors affecting it
Concept of Mental Health & Factors affectiing it
Indian Techniques of Stess Management (Short Note)

Therapeutic
Approaches

Psychodynamic therapy
Behaviour Therapy
Client Centred Therapy (Humanistic Approach)
Congnitive Therapy
Indigenous Therapy (Yoga, Meditation, Reiki).
Biofeedback (Short Note).
Prevention & Rehabilitation of the Mentally ill
Concept of Mental Health & Factors affectiing it
Caplan's Threefold Model of Prevention (short note)

Work Psychology &

Organizational
Behaviour

Application of
Psychology
to Education Field

Community
Psychology.

Maslow's Theory & its application to industry

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 & organiz.
goals.
Teaching Learning Process
Learning Styles & its Uses in teaching-learning process (Full Length)
Retarded Child (Short Note).
Training of Gifted Children
Learning Disabled & their training
Community Psychologist & his role esp in social change.
Social Change & resistance to change & how to tackle it.
Group - its characterisitics, group behaviour, cohesion.
Use of Small Groups in Social Action
Indian Society: Its resistance to change & remedy for it.

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Ghanshyam Thori

Rehabilitation
Psychology

Chapterwise Important Topics in 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
S.N.

Chapter

Topics

Application of
psycholgoy 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).

Psychological &
problem of social
integration

Concept of social integration & how to achieve it.

Prejeudice - 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 (Egs from Indian Context)
Missing Portion (Women Entrepreneur & Achievement Motivation)

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology

Consumer Rights & Consumer Courts - Psychological Perspective
(short note)

12

Application of
psychology to Env. &
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 perrformance of athletes
Psychology of Terrorism - How to deal

14

Psychology of Gender

Glass Ceiling Effect

Issues of Discrimination
Women & Indian Society
Self Fulfillinig Prophesy
Management of Diversity

Ghanshyam Thori

Chapterwise Important Topics in Psychology