UGC NET Psychology
Paper
II
Unit
1:
Perceptual Processes Approaches to the Study of Perception: Gestalt and
physiological approaches. Perceptual Organization: Gestalt, Figure and Ground,
Laws of Organization. Perceptual Constancy: Size, Shape and Brightness,
Illusion; Perception of Depth and Movements. Role of motivation and learning in
perception.
Unit
2:
Learning Process Classical conditioning: Procedure, Phenomena and related
issues. Instrumental learning: Phenomena, Paradigms and theoretical issues.
Reinforcement: Basic variables and schedules. Verbal learning: Methods and
materials, organizational processes.
Unit
3:
Memory and forgetting Memory Processes: Encoding, Storage, Retrieval. Stages of
Memory: Sensory memory, Short-term Memory (STM) and Long-term Memory (LTM).
Episodic and Semantic memory. Theories of Forgetting: Interference, decay,
retrieval.
Unit
4:
Thinking and Problem Solving Theories of thought processes: Associationism,
Gestalt, Information processing. Concept formation: Rules and strategies.
Reasoning: Deductive and inductive. Problem-Solving: Type and strategies. Role
of concepts in thinking.
Unit
5:
Motivation and Emotion Basic Motivational Concepts: Instincts, needs, drives,
incentives, motivational cycle. Approaches to the Study of Motivation:
Psychoanalytical, ethological, S-R Cognitive, humanistic. Biological Motives:
Hunger, thirst, sleep and sex. Social Motives: Achievement, affiliation,
approval Exploratory behaviour and curiosity Physiological correlates of
emotions. Theories of emotions: James-Lange, Canon-Bard, Schachter and Singer.
Conflicts: Sources and types.
Unit
6:
Human Abilities Intelligence: Biological, Social, Eco-cultural determinants.
Theories of intelligence: Spearman, Thurston, Guilford. Individual and group
differences: Extent and causes. Measurement of human abilities.
Unit
7:
Personality Determinants of personality: Biological and socio-cultural.
Approaches to the study of personality: Psychoanalytic, neo-freudian, social
learning, trait and type, cognitive. Personality Assessment: Psychometric and
projective tests. Self-Concept: Origin and development.
Unit
8:
Research Methodology Research problems, hypothesis, variables and their
Operationalization Types of psychological research. Methods of Psychological
Research: Experimental, Quasi-experimental, case studies, field studies and
cross-cultural studies. Methods of data collection: Observation, interview,
questionnaire, tests and scales. Non-parametric tests
Unit
9:
Measurement and Testing Test Construction: Item writing, item analysis. Test Standardization:
Reliability, validity and norms. Types of Tests: Intelligence, aptitude,
personality-characteristics and important examples. Attitude scales and
interest inventories. Educational measurement and evaluation.
Unit
10:
Biological Basis of Behaviour Receptors, effectors and adjustment mechanisms.
Neural impulse: Origin, conduction and measurement. Sensory system: Vision and
Audition. Human nervous system: Structure and functions.
UGC
NET Psychology
Paper
III-A Core
Unit
1
Signal detection theory, subliminal perception and related factors, information
processing approach to perception, culture and perception, perceptual styles.
Ecological perspective on perception.
Unit
2
Learning theories: Hull, Tolman, Skinner. Cognitive approaches in learning:
Latent learning, observational learning. Experimental analysis of behaviour:
Behaviour modification, shaping Discrimination learning. Neurophysiology of
learning.
Unit
3
Models of memory: Atkinson and Shiffrin, Craik and Lockhart, Tulving. Semantic
memory: Episodic, trace model and network model. Long-term memory: Retrieval
cues, flashbulb memory, constructive processes in memory, eyewitness testimony,
autobiographical memory. Biological basis of memory: The search for the engram,
PET scan, and biochemical factors in memory. Improving memory: Strategies.
Unit
4
Cognitive Strategies: Algorhythms and heuristics. Convergent and divergent
thinking. Decision-making; impediments to problem-solving. Creative thinking
and problem-solving. Language and thought.
Unit
5
Historical antecedents of motivation from Mechanism to Cognition. Cognitive
bases of motivation: Intrinsic motivation, Attribution, Competence. Measurement
of motives: Issues and techniques. Cross-cultural perspectives of motivation:
Achievement, Aggression. Components of Emotion: Physiological, expressive and
cognitive. Neural mechanism of emotion: Central and peripheral. Measurement of
Emotions: Physiological, expressive and cognitive measures. Current theories of
emotions and facial feedback hypothesis. Stress and coping: Reactions to
stress, outcomes of stress.
Unit
6
Theories of intelligence: Cattell, Jensen, Sternberg Goleman. Creativity: Views
of Torrance, Getzels, Guilford. Intelligence and creativity: Relationship.
Abilities and achievement: Concept and role of emotional intelligence.
Unit
7
Clinical and growth approaches to personality. Existential and humanistic
theories of personality: Frankl, Rollo May, Maslow, Rogers. Personality
assessment: Projective, psychometric and behavioural measures. Psychology of
self: Western and Eastern perspectives, measurement of self.
Unit
8
Research designs: Correlational, factorial, randomized block, matched group,
quasi-experimental, time series design. ANOVA: Randomized and repeated.
Correlational analysis: Partial, multiple and regression analysis. Factor
analysis: Assumptions, methods, rotation and interpretation.
Unit
9
Psychological scaling: Purpose and methods. Sources of bias in psychological
testing. Ethical issues in psychological testing. Application of factor
analysis in standardization of tests-with Important illustrations.
Unit
10
Methods of Physiological psychology: Lesion and Brain Stimulation. Sleep and
waking: Stages of sleep, Disorders of sleep and Physiological mechanisms of
sleep and waking. Ingestive Behaviour: Drinking and its neural mechanism;
hunger and its neural mechanism. Endocrine System: Chemical and glandular. UGC
NET Psychology
Paper
III-B
Elective-I
Current trends in Social Psychology. Social cognition. Social influence.
Prosocial behaviour. Applied social psychology: Health, Environment and Law.
Elective-II
Development processes: Nature, Principles and related. concepts-maturity,
experience factors in development: Biogenic, Psychogenic and Sociogenic. Stages
of Development: Theories of Development: Psychoanalytic, Behaviouristic and
cognitive. Various aspects of development: Sensory-motor, cognitive, language,
emotional, social and moral.
Elective-III
Human development and individual differences. Motivation and learning. Factors
in educational achievement. Social psychology of education. Teacher
effectiveness. Guidance in schools: Needs, organizational set up and
techniques. Counselling: Process and areas.
Elective-IV
Development of industrial and organizational psychology. Selection processes in
organization. Organizational training. Performance appraisal. Motivation and
work. Leadership. Work environment. Organizational behaviour: Theories,
socialization, effectiveness.
Elective-V
Psychopathology: Concepts, classification and causes: Clinical diagnostics.
Common clinical disorders. Mental Retardation. Mental Health: Intervention
models and psychotherapies.
