UGC NET Psychology Syllabus [Latest]

Check the UGC NET syllabus for Psychology below:

Units Syllabus Details

Unit I - Emergence of o Psychological thought in some major Eastern Systems:

Psychology Bhagavad Gita, Buddhism, Sufism and Integral Yoga.
Academic psychology in India: Preindependence era; post-
independence era; 1970s: The move to addressing social issues;
1980s: Indigenization; 1990s: Paradigmatic concerns,
disciplinary identity crisis; 2000s: Emergence of Indian
psychology in academia. Issues: The colonial encounter; Post
colonialism and psychology; Lack of distinct disciplinary
identity.
o Western: Greek heritage, medieval period and modern period.
Structuralism, Functionalism, Psychoanalytical, Gestalt,
Behaviorism, HumanisticExistential, Transpersonal, Cognitive
revolution, Multiculturalism. Four founding paths of academic
psychology - Wundt, Freud, James, Dilthey. Issues: Crisis in
psychology due to strict adherence to experimental analytical
paradigm (logical empiricism). Indic influences on modern
psychology.
o Essential aspects of knowledge paradigms: Ontology,
epistemology, and methodology. Paradigms of Western
Psychology: Positivism, Post-Positivism, Critical perspective,
Social Constructionism, Existential Phenomenology, and Co-
operative Enquiry. Paradigmatic Controversies. Significant
Indian paradigms on psychological knowledge: Yoga,
Bhagavad Gita, Buddhism, Sufism, and Integral Yoga. Science
and spirituality (avidya and vidya). The primacy of self-
knowledge in Indian psychology.

Unit 2: Research o Research: Meaning, Purpose, and Dimensions. Research

Methodology and problems, Variables and Operational Definitions, Hypothesis,
Statistics Sampling. Ethics in conducting and reporting research
o Paradigms of research: Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed
methods approach Methods of research: Observation, Survey
[Interview, Questionnaires], Experimental, Quasi-experimental,
Field studies, Cross-Cultural Studies, Phenomenology,
Grounded theory, Focus groups, Narratives, Case studies,
Ethnography
o Statistics in Psychology: Measures of Central Tendency and
Dispersion. Normal Probability Curve. Parametric [t-test] and
 Non-parametric tests [Sign Test, Wilcoxon Signed rank test,
Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Friedman]. Power
analysis. Effect size.
o Correlational Analysis: Correlation [Product Moment, Rank
Order], Partial correlation, multiple correlation. Special
Correlation Methods: Biserial, Point biserial, tetrachoric, phi
coefficient.
o Regression: Simple linear regression, Multiple regression.
Factor analysis: Assumptions, Methods, Rotation and
Interpretation.
o Experimental Designs: ANOVA [One-way, Factorial],
Randomized Block Designs, Repeated Measures Design, Latin
Square, Cohort studies, Time series, MANOVA, ANCOVA.
Single-subject designs.

Unit 3: Psychological o Types of tests

testing o Test construction: Item writing, item analysis
o Test standardization: Reliability, validity and Norms Areas of
testing: Intelligence, creativity, neuropsychological tests,
aptitude, Personality assessment, interest inventories
o Attitude scales – Semantic differential, Staples, Likert scale.
Computer-based psychological testing
o Applications of psychological testing in various settings:
Clinical, Organizational and business, Education, Counseling,
Military. Career guidance.

Unit 4: Biological o Sensory systems: General and specific sensations, receptors

basis of behavior and processes
o Neurons: Structure, functions, types, neural impulse, synaptic
transmission. Neurotransmitters. The Central and Peripheral
Nervous Systems – Structure and functions. Neuroplasticity.
Methods of Physiological Psychology: Invasive methods –
Anatomical methods, degeneration techniques, lesion
techniques, chemical methods, microelectrode studies. Non-
invasive methods – EEG, Scanning methods.
o Muscular and Glandular system: Types and functions
o Biological basis of Motivation: Hunger, Thirst, Sleep and Sex.
o Biological basis of emotion: The Limbic system, Hormonal
regulation of behavior.
o Genetics and behavior: Chromosomal anomalies; Nature-
Nurture controversy [Twin studies and adoption studies]

Unit 5: Attention, o Attention: Forms of attention, Models of attention Perception:

Perception, Learning, Approaches to the Study of Perception: Gestalt and
 Memory and physiological approaches Perceptual Organization: Gestalt,
Forgetting Figure and Ground, Law of Organization Perceptual
Constancy: Size, Shape, and Color; Illusions Perception of
Form, Depth and Movement Role of motivation and learning in
perception
o Signal detection theory: Assumptions and applications
Subliminal perception and related factors, information
processing approach to perception, culture and perception,
perceptual styles, Pattern recognition, Ecological perspective
on perception.
o Learning Process: Fundamental theories: Thorndike, Guthrie,
Hull Classical Conditioning: Procedure, phenomena and related
issues Instrumental learning: Phenomena, Paradigms and
theoretical issues;
o Reinforcement: Basic variables and schedules; Behaviour
modification and its applications Cognitive approaches in
learning: Latent learning, observational learning. Verbal
learning and Discrimination learning
o Recent trends in learning: Neurophysiology of learning
o Memory and Forgetting Memory processes: Encoding,
Storage,
o Retrieval Stages of memory: Sensory memory, Short-term
memory (Working memory), Long-term Memory (Declarative
– Episodic and Semantic; Procedural)
o Theories of Forgetting: Interference, Retrieval Failure, Decay,
Motivated forgetting

Unit 6: Thinking, o Theoretical perspectives on thought processes: Associationism,

Intelligence and Gestalt, Information processing, Feature integration model
Creativity Concept formation: Rules, Types, and Strategies; Role of
concepts in thinking Types of Reasoning Language and
thought
o Problem solving: Type, Strategies, and Obstacles Decision-
making: Types and models Metacognition: Metacognitive
knowledge and Metacognitive regulation Intelligence:
Spearman; Thurstone; Jensen; Cattell; Gardner; Stenberg;
Goleman; Das, Kar & Parrila
o Creativity: Torrance, Getzels & Jackson, Guilford, Wallach &
Kogan Relationship between Intelligence and Creativity

Unit 7: Personality, o Determinants of personality: Biological and socio-cultural

Motivation, emotion, Approaches to the study of personality: Psychoanalytical, Neo-
stress and coping Freudian, Social learning, Trait and Type, Cognitive,
Humanistic, Existential, Transpersonal psychology. Other
 theories: Rotter's Locus of Control, Seligman's Explanatory
styles, Kohlberg’s theory of Moral development.
o Basic motivational concepts: Instincts, Needs, Drives, Arousal,
Incentives, Motivational Cycle. Approaches to the study of
motivation: Psychoanalytical, Ethological, S-R Cognitive,
Humanistic Exploratory behavior and curiosity Zuckerman's
Sensation seeking Achievement, Affiliation and Power
Motivational Competence Self-regulation Flow
o Emotions: Physiological correlates Theories of emotions:
James-Lange, Canon-Bard, Schachter and Singer, Lazarus,
Lindsley. Emotion regulation
o Conflicts: Sources and types Stress and Coping: Concept,
Models, Type A, B, C, D behaviors, Stress management
strategies [Biofeedback, Music therapy, Breathing exercises,
Progressive Muscular Relaxation, Guided Imagery,
Mindfulness, Meditation, Yogasana, Stress Inoculation
Training].

Unit 8: Social o Nature, scope and history of social psychology

Psychology o Traditional theoretical perspectives: Field theory, Cognitive
Dissonance, Sociobiology, Psychodynamic Approaches, Social
Cognition.
o Social perception [Communication, Attributions]; attitude and
its change within cultural context; prosocial behavior Group
and Social influence [Social Facilitation; Social loafing]; Social
influence [Conformity, Peer Pressure, Persuasion, Compliance,
Obedience, Social Power, Reactance]. Aggression.
o Group dynamics, leadership style and effectiveness. Theories
of intergroup relations [Minimal Group Experiment and Social
Identity Theory, Relative Deprivation Theory, Realistic
Conflict Theory, Balance Theories, Equity Theory, Social
Exchange Theory] Applied social psychology: Health,
Environment and Law; Personal space, crowding, and
territoriality.

Unit 9: Human o Developmental processes: Nature, Principles, Factors in

Development and development, Stages of Development. Successful aging.
Interventions o Theories of development: Psychoanalytical, Behavioristic, and
Cognitive
o Various aspects of development: Sensory-motor, cognitive,
language, emotional, social and moral.
o Psychopathology: Concept, Mental Status Examination,
Classification, Causes Psychotherapies: Psychoanalysis,
Person-centered, Gestalt, Existential, Acceptance Commitment
 Therapy, Behavior therapy, REBT, CBT, MBCT, Play therapy,
Positive psychotherapy, Transactional Analysis, Dialectic
behavior therapy, Art therapy, Performing Art Therapy, Family
therapy.
o Applications of theories of motivation and learning in School
Factors in educational achievement Teacher effectiveness
o Guidance in schools: Needs, organizational set up and
techniques Counselling: Process, skills, and techniques

Unit 10: Emerging o Issues of Gender, Poverty, Disability, and Migration: Cultural
Areas bias and discrimination. Stigma, Marginalization, and Social
Suffering; Child Abuse and Domestic violence.
o Peace psychology: Violence, non-violence, conflict resolution
at macro level, role of media in conflict resolution. Wellbeing
and self-growth: Types of wellbeing [Hedonic and
Eudemonic], Character strengths, Resilience and Post-
Traumatic Growth.
o Health: Health promoting and health compromising behaviors,
Life style and Chronic diseases [Diabetes, Hypertension,
Coronary Heart Disease], Psychoneuroimmunology [Cancer,
HIV/AIDS]
o Psychology and technology interface: Digital learning;
o Digital etiquette: Cyber bullying; Cyber pornography:
Consumption, implications; Parental mediation of Digital
Usage.