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Foundations of Psychology:
Syllabus/ Topic
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.
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Year Questions M Remarks/Hints
ar
ks
2011 Describe the key assumptions on which 10
psychology claims to be a science.
2011 What is social constructionism? How does it 20
challenge the mainstream psychology?
2011 Examine the concerns for control, measurement 30
and artifacts, and also indicate the threats they
pose to the development of scientific
psychology.
2012 Elucidate the contributions of Sir Francis Gallon 12
in shaping psychology.
2013 How do novices differ from experts ? 10
2013 Critically evaluate the cognitive approach to the 10
study of psychological phenomena.
2013 The discipline of psychology has grown and 25
developed through debate between those who
held that it should be modelled on natural
science and those who subscribed to the view
that it has to follow the model of social science.
What arguments you envision for or against
these views ? What position you would like to
endorse and why ?
2014 Explain how the creation of superordinate goals 10
can help in resolving social conflicts.
2014 What social and psychological factors come in 10
the way of population control in India?
2015 Why is it important to understand psychological 10
processes for other disciplines of social science
?
2015 Keeping in view the strife in current social 15
situation, discuss how a psychologist can
contribute towards providing interventions for
such problems.
2016 Explain how the fundamental understanding of 10
psychology is helpful in the resolution of societal
problems.
2016 Describe how you used psychology to solve a 10
social problem.
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2017 Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour.

Evaluate.
2019 Citing research evidences, bring out the role of 20
cultural factors in socialization.
2019 Explain the role of hypothesis in psychological 10
researches with suitable e.g.
2019 The edifice of behaviourism was built in 10
loopholes of teleological approach in
psychoanalysis. Evaluate.
2019 How did structuralism contribute to the 10
development of psychology as a discipline?
Evaluate

2. Methods of Psychology: 2010 Under what conditions would a researcher 10

Types of research: prefer to use focused group discussion over
Descriptive, evaluative, interviewing?
diagnostic and prognostic;
2010 In what ways does an experimental design differ 10
Methods of Research:
from a quasi-experimental design?
Survey, observation,
case-study and 2011 Suggest a plan of an experimental study to 10
experiments; evaluate the effect of compensatory education
Characteristics of on academic achievement of school-going
experimental design and students from low income group.
non-experimental design, 2012 Discuss the criteria of question-writing in a 12
Quasi-experimental survey research.
designs;
2013 What is ethnocentrism ? How is it reflected in 10
Focussed group
psychological research ?
discussions,
brain storming, 2015 How far is it correct to state that most of the 10
grounded theory approach. problems of psychology can be addressed more
adequately by adopting quasi-experimental
designs?
2015 It is believed that non-experimental designs are 20
more relevant for explaining the emerging
issues like social evils that are seen prominently
in India. Discuss.
2016 How can confounding variables invalidate the 10
apparent results of an experiment?

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3. Research Methods:
Major steps in
Psychological research
(problem statement,
hypothesis formulation,
research designs, sampling,
tools of data collection,
analysis and interpretation
and report writing)
Fundamental versus applied
research;
Methods of data collect ion (
interview, observat ion,
quest ionnaire);
Research designs (ex-post
facto and experimental);
Application of statistical
technique (t - test, two way
ANOVA correlation,
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2016 Discuss, with suitable examples, the key 15
characteristics of within-group and
between-groups designs.
2017 How can you use 'Focus Group Discussion' to
promote use of toilets in rural areas ?
2018 Why is the principle of random assignment of 20
participants used in experimental method? How
do experimenter effects and demand
characteristics influence participants' behaviour
in experimentation? What procedures can be
adopted to minimize such pitfalls?
2019 Differentiate between the experimental and 20
quasi-experimental designs. Evaluate the
applications of quasi-experimental designs in
psychological researches.
2019 Explain the role of hypothesis in psychological 10
researches with suitable e.g.
2019 "Diagnostic and prognostic research are 10
complementary to each other" Explain with
suitable e.g.
2010 What are the problems a researcher is likely to 30
face in making causal inferences if the
researcher were to use a single-group
pre-test-post-test design?
2012 Bring out the difference between 'sampling error' 12
and 'error in sampling'. How 'sampling error' is
reduced ?
2012 Discuss the three basic conditions for using 20
't'-test of significance. Describe at least five
different uses of 't'-test with examples.
2012 Compare LISREL programme with that of SPSS
in the analysis of multivariate data.
2013 What are the requirements to be met by 15
psychological assessment tools for offering
accurate and useful measure of psychological
constructs ?
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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,
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2015 Under what kind of research conditions does the 20
use of factor analysis become necessary ?
Discuss.
2015 With suitable examples, discuss the logic behind 15
following the systematic steps in conducting
psychological research.
2017 In a study, the number of students intake in a
college correlated very highly with violence.
Explain the research finding.
2017 Evaluate "interview" as a method of data
collection.
2017 Which research design would you apply to
prove that a particular method of teaching yields
best results ? Describe.
2018 What are the assumptions underlying ANOVA? 20
Discuss the conditions when two-way ANOVA is
applied and how the results are interpreted with
a hypothetical example.
2018 How can different methods of sampling and data 15
collection be useful in impact evaluation of
government
social schemes? Describe with a suitable
example.
2019 Two-way ANOVA is not merely an addition of 15
two one-way ANOVAa. Describe and evaluate
with examples.
2010 You are the head of an office in which 20
employees habitually come late and leave early.
Suggest a behaviour modification plan for such
employees.
2010 Briefly suggest how well-being of the elderly can 10
be promoted.
2010 How can biological aging be modified with the 30
help of environmental factors?
2010 What is likely to happen if a person is asked to 10
behave in a manner contrary to the attitude the
person holds? Explain on the basis of a theory.
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development tasks, 2010 How do task similarity and modality influence 30

promoting psychological dual-task performance?
well-being across major
2010 Discuss the stages of psychosexual 10
stages of the life span
development according to Freud.
2010 What are the stages of cognitive development 10
according to Piaget?
2011 How does the brain mediate between the 10
genotype and the phenotype for psychological
characteristics?
2011 Compare the Indian and western constructions 30
of ‘Self’ with reference to cross-cultural studies
and bring out their implication for well-being.
2011 Critically evaluate the role of parenting style, 30
peer group and media in identity formation
during adolescence.
2012 Describe the role of epigenetic model in 12
determining human behaviour.
2012 Examine the impact of cultural factors on 20
socialization process among children.
2013 How do genes affect development ? 10
2013 Discuss the importance of early relationship for 15
developmental outcomes in the light of
researches by Bowlby and Anisworth.
2014 Bring out the key developmental challenges fac 25
ed by adolescents in the cognitive and social
domaips.
2014 'Every function in the child's development 10
appears twice : first on social level and later, on
the individual level. "-Vygotsky Discuss the
above statement and indicate your own position
on this proposition.
2014 Discuss how happiness may influence 15
psychological well-being and health.
2014 What psychological conditions keep the poor in 15
a socially disadvantaged state?
2014 How can the adverse consequences of social 15
disadvantage be alleviated ?
2014 What are gender stereotypes in India ? How do 15
they feed into gender discrimination ?

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2015 Discuss the role of socio-cultural factors in 10

promotion of well-being across major stages of
life-span.
2015 “Children are not bom with stereotypes; they 20
learn them from their family, peers, media and
society.”— Discuss.
2015 Describe Piaget’s stages of cognitive 15
development. Critique his theory.
2016 "Cognitive psychologists often use computer as 10
an analogy to explain the relation between
cognition and brain." Discuss.
2016 Identify the most important changes that occur 10
during adolescence
2016 Critically evaluate Erikson's stages of 15
Psychosocial development.
2016 Describe the parenting styles that are used in 15
raising a normal child.
2017 Do you think subliminal messages can actually
lead to significant changes in attitudes or
behaviour ? Cite research evidence.
2017 How would you apply Operant Conditioning
technique for toilet training to a 3-year-old boy ?
2017 Whatever we are, it is because of Genes.
Discuss.
2018 According to Piaget, the egocentric preschooler
is not intentionally 'inconsiderate' but rather has
difficulty taking another's viewpoint. Explain.
2019 What is the significance of attachment to 15
parents in social & emotional well-being of the
child ? Illustrate from perspective of
developmental theories.
2019 Citing research evidences, bring out the role of 20
cultural factors in socialization.
2018 Differentiate between various developmental 15
tasks of young men and women in India.

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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-factors
influencing space and depth
perception, size estimation
and perceptual readiness;
The plasticity of perception;
Extrasensory perception;
Culture and perception,
Subliminal perception.
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2010 Discuss the role of monocular and binocular 20
cues in depth perception.
2010 What is sensory adaptation? Explain with 10
examples.
2011 What do illusions tell about the nature of 10
perception?
2011 Contrast bottom-up and top-down theories of 10
perception.
2011 How does signal-detection theory envisage the 30
decision process? In what other areas of
psychology can it be applied?
2012 Discuss the 'pay-off matrix' in relation to the 12
signal detection theory.
2012 Describe Broadbent's filter theory of attention. 30
Why this elegant theory turned out to be
inadequate ? Comment upon the alternate
approaches.
2012 valuate °duplicity theory' of vision. Cite
experimental evidences in support of this theory.
2015 Demonstrate with suitable examples how the 15
signal detection theory has helped in modifying
the process of vigilance.
2015 Do the cultural settings influence the 15
understanding and evaluation of meanings of
external stimuli ? Provide suitable justification
for your answer.
2016 Describe the phenomenon of subliminal 15
perception and explain it with reference to the
concepts of backward marking and visual
priming. Do you think that the effect of the
phenomenon of subliminal perception can be
generalized ?
2017 How are we able to perceive the world in three
dimensions when our eyes are capable of
sensing only
two-dimensional images ?
2018 Explain and critically evaluate the phenomenon
of perceptual defence.
2018 Discuss signal detection theory and explain its 15
applications.
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6. Learning:
Concept and theories of
learning (Behaviourists,
Gestaltalist and Information
processing models);
The Processes of extinction,
discrimination and
generalization;
Programmed learning,
probability learning,
self-instructional learning,
concepts;
Types and the schedules of
reinforcement, escape,
avoidance and punishment,
modeling and social
learning.
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2018 Perception is plastic. However, it may also be 20
affected by innate tendencies. Critically
evaluate.
2019 Citing examples from life situations, explain the 15
phenomenon of perceptual organisation.
2019 Why do most people experience geometrical 10
illusions? Explain from psychological
perspective.
2019 Discuss the effect of stimulus deprivation on 20 1. give diag. of auditory,
human behaviour with empirical evidences. visionary senses.
2. give case studies -> which
rarely someone might
remember.
3.
2019 How do we see the objects in 3 dimensions? 10
Discuss the factors influencing the same.
2019 How do env factors determine the sensation of 15
hunger? Illustrate with e.g.
2010 Comment on the impact of immediate and 10
delayed reinforcement on learning.
2011 Distinguish between negative reinforcement and 10
punishment. Indicate the limitations of
punishment in the context of learning.
2011 Discuss the consequences of learned 20
helplessness as demonstrated in classic
experiment on dogs. Find out its parallels in real
life.
2012 With suitable examples, critically evaluate both 20
primary and secondary reinforcements and
bring out their role in establishing conditioning.
2012 Discuss various, dimensions of thought 12
processes in relation to concept.
2013 Describe different reinforcement schedules and 10
indicate their effects on the strength of learning.
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2014 Enumerate· the factors that can impact upon the 10

teaching-learning process in rural India.
2014 What are the psychological disadvantages of 20
learning in the distant mode through IT
compared to classroom learning ?
2014 How can teachers help in meeting the 15
educational needs of a child suffering from
ADHD?
2015 Describe the basic elements of observation and 15
bring out the implications of the dimension of
participation in observational research.
2015 Evaluate the notion of programmed learning and 10
describe its relevance for modem day education
with suitable examples*
2015 Review Bandura’s social learning theory and 15
evaluate its impact on understanding aggression
as a result of media generated violence.
2016 How far do you agree with the contention that a 15
more preferred activity can be used to reinforce
a less preferred activity ? Also describe the
types of reinforcement.
2017 Distinguish between negative reinforcement and
punishment. Do you think punishment is an
effective way to modify behaviour ?
2017 How would you apply Operant Conditioning
technique for toilet training to a 3-year-old boy ?
2017 Which research design would you apply to
prove that a particular method of teaching yields
best results ? Describe.
2018 Examine how probability learning is different
from other types of learning Give examples.
2018 Differentiate between positive and negative 15
types of reinforcement and punishment.
Describe how these could be applied to enforce
putting on the seat belts while driving.
2019 Define 'concept'. Illustrate different types of 20 refer NCERT
concepts and processes involved in formation of
the same.
2019 What is vicarious learning? Discuss its 15
applications in acquisition of emotional
responses.

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7. Memory:
Encoding and remembering;
Short term memory,
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.
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2019 "Discrimination and generalisation are two 10
complementary processes in skill learning."
Discuss with reference to operant conditioning.
2010 Discuss the levels of processing framework of 30
memory and the relevant supporting research
evidence.
2010 Explain anterograde amnesia with special 10
reference to the classical case of HM.
2010 How would you process information for 10
maintaining it for long-term usage?
2011 On what grounds are STM and LTM 10
distinguished?
2011 How the principles of encoding help enhancing 10
the use of mnemonic devices?
2011 How does level of processing model differ from 30
multistore and working memory models?
Explain.
2012 Compare Sperling's experiments with that of 20
Neisser's experiments in the study of sensory
memory. What did these two experiments prove
?
2013 What factors contribute to the encoding of 10
information into LTM ?
2013 Describe and evaluate the modal model of 20
short-term memory.
2013 Compare template matching and feature 15
detection accounts of pattern recognition.
2014 How can teachers help in meeting the 15
educational needs of a child suffering from
ADHD?
2015 Citing studies on amnesia show how the explicit 20
and implicit memory systems are separate,
2015 How far do you agree with the contention that 15
research findings on infant memory can present
novel approaches toward analyzing adult
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memories ? Corroborate your answer with

examples.
2016 What do you understand by amnesia ? Illustrate 10
the types of amnesia with reference to the case
of "H.M.'s brain operation".
2016 Describe the processing of sensory input and 15
explain how it is selected, organized and
interpreted.
2016 Give a critical appraisal of interference theory of 20
forgetting and show how the process of retrieval
inhibition influences forgetting.
2016 Explain the phenomena of implicit and explicit 15
memories. Also critically evaluate Tulving's
model of long-term memory.
2017 Explain the role of meaningfulness and
emotional arousal in encoding. Discuss the
implications of encoding specificity principle.
2017 Why do we forget ? Differentiate between
anterograde and retrograde amnesia.
2017 Explain the differences in information
processing at various levels of memory. In what
way is recall affected by initial processing of
information ?
2018 "Human memory is not like information stored in
a tape recorder or compact disc." Critically
evaluate the statement
2018 Demonstrate the importance of the shallow and 15
deep levels of processing in remembering. With
the help of daily life examples, explain how
retrieval cucs enable us to remember.
2019 Is amnesia merely a phenomenon od retrieval 15
failure? Discuss in the light of empirical
evidences.
2019 "Multistore Memory model best explains the 20
nature of memory". Evaluate the statement in
theoretical perspective & empirical evidences,

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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 judgment;
Recent trends.
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2010 How would you process information for 10
maintaining it for long-term usage?
2010 What are the stages of cognitive development 10
according to Piaget?
2010 Discuss the role of heuristics 1n reasoning. 10
2011 Differentiate between inductive and deductive 10
reasoning, and give reasons for the preference
of scientist towards inductive reasoning.
2011 What are the criteria to identify creativity? How 30
can a teacher promote creativity in the
classroom setting?
2012 Enumerate various methods of problem solving.
Critically evaluate their advantages and
limitations also.
2014 Discuss the implications of employing group 15
decision-making in issues involving
development in the Indian cultural context.
2014 What role can mental imagery play in enhancing 10
the performance of sportspersons ? Discuss.
2015 What are the general strategies used in problem 10
solving ? How do these differ from
domain-specific procedures ?
2015 Describe Piaget’s stages of cognitive 15
development. Critique his theory.
2016 Show your acquaintance with the cognitive 20
approach to classical conditioning and describe
how classical conditioning principles can be
used to solve everyday problems.
2016 Distinguish between mundane and exceptional 20
creativities and citing suitable research
evidences, describe the confluence approach to
creativity.
2016 Critically examine the metacognitive processes 15
in problem solving. How do functional fixedness
and mental set interfere in solving the problems
effectively?
2017 Explain different types of reasoning processes
used in problem solving with their strengths and
limitations.
2018 Discuss how psychology can be applied in
solving the problem of global climate change.
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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
the related issues.
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2018 According to Piaget, the egocentric preschooler
is not intentionally 'inconsiderate' but rather has
difficulty taking another's viewpoint. Explain.
2018 Explain the use of availability heuristic and
representativeness heuristic in problem solving
with the help of research studies.
2018 Do you think being in a good mood reduces
your capacity to process incoming information?
Examine in the light of research studies
2018 "Creativity refers to novel ideas that address 15
some problems in a useful way." Critically
examine the statement and discuss how
creative insight can be explained.
2019 Explain how divergent thinking differs from 15
convergent thinking. Discuss the methods to
foster divergent thinking in children.
2010 Discuss the constituents of emotional 10
intelligence
2010 Discuss the role of cognition in experiencing 30
emotion in the light of experimental studies.
2011 How does arousal theory explain human 10
motivation?
2011 What is the difference between intrinsic and 10
extrinsic motivation? Explain with the help of
examples.
2011 What are the functions of emotions? 10
2012 Is facial expression of emotion innate or
acquired ? Support your answer with suitable
evidence.
2012 Evaluate various factors which influence intrinsic 12
motivation
2012 How would you measure emotion of an 20
individual ? Discuss the effect of emotion on
behaviour.
2013 Bring out the role of left and right hemispheres 15
in emotional experience.
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2013 What is intrinsic motivation ? Why it gets 20

reduced if the person gets external reward for
undertaking a task that he or she loves ?
2014 Explain psychological characteristics of a 20
successful entrepreneur.
2014 What psychological motives have retarded 20
economic development in India, according to
some psychologists ? Discuss.
2014 How will you distinguish between anxiety and 10
mood disorders ?
2015 Bring out the disruption in retrieval processes 10
due to anxiety, context and repression.
2015 Distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic 20
motivation. Which one is more powerful and why
?
2015 Discuss the brain mechanisms underlying 10
hunger motive.
2016 Explain motivational concepts with reference to 15
homeostatic models.
2017 Explain the role of meaningfulness and
emotional arousal in encoding. Discuss the
implications of encoding specificity principle.
2017 Why do some people behave aggressively
towards those who defy social norms ? How can
such aggressive behaviours be changed ?
2017 Which needs should one be high on to be a
successful entrepreneur ? Explain on the basis
of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
2018 Are emotionally competent people internally 15
controlled? Explain. What are the ways to
enhance intrinsic motivation of young adults?
2019 How do env factors determine the sensation of 15
hunger? Illustrate with e.g.
2019 What in acheivement motivation? Discuss the 15
projective technique as a method for assessing
achievement motivation.

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10. Intelligence and
Aptitude:
Concept of intelligence and
aptitude,
Nature and theories of
intelligence - Spearman,
Thurstone, Gullford 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.
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2010 Discuss the constituents of emotional 10
intelligence
2010 Critically assess Gardner's theory of multiple 30
intelligence.
2010 Distinguish between IQ and deviation IQ. 10
2010 Discuss different the concept of N Ach and 30
methods which have been used to measure it.
2011 Compare the model of fluid and crystallized 10
intelligence with the two factor theory of
Spearman.
2011 Describe and evaluate the model of intelligence 30
proposed by J. P. Das.
2012 Compare 'multi-factor' theory of intelligence with 20
that of theory of 'multiple intelligences'.
2012 Critically evaluate the relationship between 20
intelligence and creativity. Cite experimental
evidences in support of your answer.
2013 Explicate Sternberg's view of intelligence and 10
bring out its implications for schooling.
2014 What is the purpose of item analysis ? How 20
would you carry it out for a test of aptitude ?
2014 What different types of norms will a psychologist 15
need to develop a test of general mental ability
for use in India ?
2015 Evaluate the utility of J.P. Das’ model in 10
understanding the concept of intelligence.
2015 Discuss briefly the evolution of factor theory of 15
intelligence in the works of Spearman,
Thurstone and Guilford.
2015 What is an aptitude ? Describe the various tests 15
of aptitudes.
2016 Explain the contribution of Salovey and Mayer 10
with regard to the concept of emotional
intelligence.
2016 Describe the characteristics of Gardner's theory 10
of intelligence.
2016 Give a comparative account of information 20
processing models of intelligence proposed by
Sternberg and J.P. Das.
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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 big 5
factor theory;
The notion of self in different
traditions
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2017 Creative people usually have high IQ scores but
those with highest IQ scores are not necessarily
the most creative people. Explain.
2017 According to Gardner's theory, there is no one
kind of general intelligence for ranking
individuals. Explain
2017 Can we determine a person's academic
performance based only on IQ score ? Explain.
2018 Describe how J. P. Das' theory is distinct from 20
other theories of intelligence.
2019 How is Gardner's Theory of intelligence different 20
from Spearman's theory? Illustrate.
2019 In what ways is deviation IQ different from 10
traditional IQ? Discuss.
2010 What are the 'big five' personality factors? 30
Critically examine their conceptual basis.
2012 In which way IRT is an improvement over 30
classical test theory ? Compare the two
approaches and critically evaluate Rasch's
model of IRT.
2012 What is the essence of a projective technique ? 30
Critically evaluate perceptive, apperceptive and
productive projective tests in the measurement
of personality.
2013 What is the situationalist critique of trait 10
psychology ?
2014 Describe the Indian approach to personality as 15
reflected in the principle of three Gunas.
2014 What psychological knowledge will you put to 15
use for social inclusion of the stigmatized?
2014 Can leaders be trained ? What will be the 20
essential components of a leadership training
programme for the civil servants ?
2014 What is meant by unconditional positive regard? 10
2015 Highlight the problems in assessment of 10
personality using the pencil-paper tests.
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2015 Describe the trait and type approaches to 20

personality. Highlight Jung’s typology with its
weaknesses.
2015 State the components of Big-5 factor theory of 15
personality. Why is it considered superior to
other factor theories of personality ?
2016 Are projective tests really projective in nature ? 15
Describe Rorschach and TAT tests and
comment on their reliabilities.
2016 Discuss the Indian approach to personality as 15
evident in tri-gunas.
2017 Can we do justice to measuring personality by
projective and objective tests? Discuss.
2017 How do we explain self-defeating behaviour of a
person from the Humanistic perspective ?
2017 People emphasize the personal traits more than
the situational factors. Evaluate the statement.
2018 Compare the trait perspective and humanistic 20
perspective on personality.
2019 Critically evaluate the use of paper-pencil tests 15
in personality assessment.
2019 How is NEO Five-Factor Theory different from 15
16 Personality Factors Theory? Explain.
2019 The edifice of behaviourism was built in 10
loopholes of teleological approach in
psychoanalysis. Evaluate.

12. Attitudes, Values and 2010 What is likely to happen if a person is asked to 10
Interests: behave in a manner contrary to the attitude the
Definition of attitudes, person holds? Explain on the basis of a theory.
values and interests;
2011 Describe different psychological measures of 30
Components of attitudes;
values and outline a programme for fostering
Formation and maintenance
values. Among school-going children.
of attitudes;
Measurement of attitudes, 2012 Discuss A-B-C components of attitude. Describe 30
values and interests; the procedure of development of a tool for
Theories of attitude change; measurement of attitude.

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Strategies for fostering 2013 What is the role of social categorization in the 25
values; formation of prejudice ? Suggest some
Formation of stereotypes strategies to reduce prejudice.
and prejudices;
2013 What makes a persuasive attempt effective ? 20
Changing others behaviour;
Discuss.
Theories of attribution;
Recent trends 2014 Which rehabilitative strategies can be employed 10
by the organisations to handle the workplace
violence ?
2014 As a psychologist, develop a programme to 10
bring about attitudinal change in favour of small
family norm.
2016 Discuss cognitive dissonance theory of attitude 10
change.
2016 What is meant by attribution ? Describe, citing 10
examples, the phenomenon of attributional
augmentation,
2016 Explain the components of attitude and examine 15
the methods of attitude formation.
2017 A young person helped a visually impaired
woman to cross the road. He explained his
action saying that he has positive attitude
towards such persons. Did his attitude
determine his behaviour or the behaviour
determine his attitude. Explain.
2018 According to Bandura, human beings often
demonstrate impressive capacity for the
self-regulation of their own behaviour. Evaluate.
2018 In what way can dissonance be an effective
means for changing attitudes and behaviour
2018 Explain the concepts of self-serving bias and 15
fundamental attribution error. How do they affect
problem solving?
2018 Discuss the significance and correlates of 15
values. Comment on the impact of social media
on values.
2019 "Stereotypes can lead to the development of 10
prejudice and discrimination." Explain citing
examples from Indian context.
2019 Illustrate that values can be best fostered during 15
childhood. Discuss different methods for
fostering moral & ethical values among
school-going children.

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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.
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2010 Compare Chomsky's innate mechanism view 30
with Skinner's view of language development.
2011 How does language differ from other forms of 30
communication? Referring to relevant studies,
document children's progress from non verbal
communication to the use of language.
2012 Discuss the modifications of Chornsky's 12
'transformational generative grammar'.
2012 What is meant by effective communication ? 20
Evaluate various sources of effective
communication.
2013 What are the processes of language production 10
?
2015 Illustrate with suitable examples the non-verbal 10
process of communication.
2015 How does Chomsky’s Theory differ from that of 15
Skinner in language development ? Discuss.
2016 Discuss the components of language acquisition 15
citing the average age at which these are
demonstrated by a child.
2017 Critically evaluate Noam Chomsky's theory of
transformational grammar.
2017 Explain the importance of Critical Periods in
language development. In what ways are
bilingualism and cognitive development related
?
2018 Explain various limitations of verbal
communication.
2018 Describe the structure and features of language 20
focussing on what makes human language
unique in comparison to communication in
animals.
2019 How can language be analysed for its 15
similarities across cultures? Explain with
scientific evidences.
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14. Issues and Perspectives
in Modern Contemporary
Psychology:
Computer application in the
psychological laboratory
and psychological testing;
Artificial intelligence ;
Psychocybernetics;
Study of consciousness -
sleep - wake schedules;
dreams,
stimulus deprivation,
meditation,
hypnotic/drug induced
states;
Extrasensory perception;
Intersensory perception
Simulation studies.
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2019 Evaluate 'critical period' hypothesis in language 10
acquisition.
2010 What is REM sleep and how is it related to 10
dreaming?
2011 Elaborate upon the salient developments in 30
consciousness studies and indicate the effect of
‘meditation’ on psychological functions.
2012 Enumerate different stages of sleep. Discuss 20
the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive
performance.
2013 Why our representations of the external world 15
are not entirely accurate ?
2013 How the psychoanalytic view differs from 25
physiological or cognitive view of dream ?
2013 What makes a persuasive attempt effective ? 20
Discuss.
2015 Why are we awake at certain times and asleep 15
at others ? Explain this with help of opponent
process model.
2016 Explain different types of psycho-active drugs 10
and patterns of their use.
2016 Describe the physiological changes that are 20
accompanied by shifts in consciousness in the
process of sleep. Also discuss major sleep
disorders.
2017 Drug-addiction is just a maladaptive behaviour.
Like other behaviour, it can be easily changed.
Discuss.
2017 What is paradoxical in REM sleep? How active
is a person during different stages of sleep ?
2018 Perception is plastic. However, it may also be 20
affected by innate tendencies. Critically
evaluate.
2018 How have neuroscientists and evolutionary 15
scientists contributed to modern psychology?
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2018 Is sleep a passive process? Justify your answer 15

with proper scientific support.
2018 Discuss contemporary researches on simulating 15
human intelligence using machines and their
implications for understanding human
behaviour,

Misc 2013 What do you understand by 'effect size' and 15

'statistical power' ? Explain their significance.
2011 How is the information we hold about ourselves 10
organized and interpreted?
2014 Discuss the implications of employing group 15
decision-making in issues involving
development in the Indian cultural context.
2014 What psychological knowledge can be used to 20
develop a programme for women entrepreneurs
?
2012 In which way IRT is an improvement over 30
classical test theory ? Compare the two
approaches and critically evaluate Rasch's
model of IRT.
2014 What psychological knowledge will you put to 15
use for social inclusion of the stigmatized?
2014 To what extent, do you think that the Principle of 10
management derived from the study of industrial
organisations can be applied to improve the
functioning of bureaucratic organisations in
India?
2015 Discuss the theoretical bases of behaviouristic 15
approaches of psychotherapy.
2014 Which rehabilitative strategies can be employed 10
by the organisations to handle the workplace
violence ?
2012 What is McCrary-Hunter 'invariance hypothesis' 20
? Discuss the shape and characteristics of serial
position error curve in terms of 'invariance
hypothesis'.

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2014 What psychological factors keep the group of 15

terrorists cohesive?
2014 What factors can impede. fair assessment of 10
individual differences ? Examine in the light of
research evidence.

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