Topic

Sub-topics

Research Methods and Statistics

• Approaches to research: Philosophical worldviews & criteria involved in approach.
• Research design: quantitative & qualitative, mixed methods.
• Designing research: Research problems, purpose statement, Variables and Operational Definitions, Hypothesis, Sampling.
• Nature of quantitative & qualitative research: Structured, semi-structured interviewing, self-completion questionnaires (Survey), observation, Experimental, Quasi-experimental, Field studies, Focus group discussions, Narratives, Case studies, Ethnography.
• Ethics in conducting and reporting research.
• Statistics in Psychology: Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion. Normal Probability Curve. Parametric and Non-parametric tests Effect size and Power analysis.
• Correlational Analysis: Correlation [Product Moment, Rank Order], Partial correlation, multiple correlation. Special Correlation Methods: Biserial, Point biserial, tetrachoric, phi coefficient.
• Regression: Simple linear regression, Multiple regression.
• Factor analysis: Assumptions, Methods, Rotation and Interpretation.
• Experimental Designs: ANOVA [One-way, Factorial], Randomized Block Designs, Repeated Measures Design, Latin Square, Cohort studies, Time series, MANOVA, ANCOVA.
• Single-subject designs.

Psychometrics

• Scales and items’ Construction and analysis of items: Intelligence test items, performance tests, Ability & Aptitude test, Personality questionnaires.
• Method of test construction and Standardization of measures: Reliability, Validity, Norms
• Application of assessment and measurements in Tests— Applications of psychological testing in various settings-educations, counselling and guidance, clinical, organizational and developmental.

Biological and evolutionary basis of behavior

• Heredity and behavior Evolution and natural selection, Nervous system, structures of the brain and their functions.
• Neurons: Structure, functions, types, neural impulse, synaptic transmission. Neurotransmitters.
• Hemispheric lateralization
• The endocrine system types and functions, Biological basis of Motivation: Hunger, Thirst, Sleep and Sex.
• Biological basis of emotion: The Limbic system.
• Hormonal regulation of behavior.
• Methods of Physiological Psychology: Invasive methods – Anatomical methods, degeneration techniques, lesion techniques, chemical methods, microelectrode studies.
• Non-invasive methods – EEG, Scanning methods.
• Muscular and Glandular system.
• Genetics and behavior: Chromosomal anomalies; Nature-Nurture controversy [Twin studies and adoption studies].

Perception, Learning, Memory, and Forgetting

• What is sensation, sensory thresholds and sensory adaptations, Vision, hearing, touch and pain, smell and taste, kinesthesis and vestibular sense.
• Perception: role of attention; organizing principles of perception, gestalt perception, depth perception and illusions.
• Theories of learning: classical conditioning, operant conditioning, social learning theory, cognitive learning.
• Memory: encoding, storage, retrieval, Information processing theories of memory, Retrieval in Long term memory, reconstructive, nature of long-term memory.
• Forgetting: encoding failure, interference theory, memory trace decay theory, the physical aspects of memory.

Cognition: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language

• Basic elements of though: Concepts, Propositions, Imagery.
• Current paradigms of cognitive psychology – Information processing approach, ecological approach.
• Problem-solving: Methods of problem-solving, Strategies and obstacles, Role of Metacognitive processing, decision-making: choosing among alternatives.
• Intelligence: Theories of intelligence (Spearman; Thurstone; Jensen; Cattell; Gardner; Stenberg) and Emotional Intelligence; Measuring intelligence, Individual differences in Intelligence; Role of heredity and environment, Difference between Intelligence, Aptitude, and Creativity.

Personality: Theories of personality

Psychoanalytic, behaviorist, social cognitive view, humanism and trait and type theories, Biology of personality, and Assessment of personality.

Motivation, Emotion and Stress and Coping

• Approaches to understanding motivation: instinct, drive-reduction, arousal, incentive, humanistic, Achievement motivation, Intrinsic motivation, aggression, curiosity, and exploration.
• Emotions: nature of emotions; biological basis of emotions, Theories of emotions: James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter and Singer, Lazarus.
• Definition of stress; what are stressors; cognitive factors in stress. Factors in stress reaction: General adaptation syndrome; effect of stress. Coping with stress: problem-focused coping; emotion-focused coping.
• REBT and meditation

Social Psychology

• Social perception: Attribution; impression formation; social categorization, implicit personality theory.
• Social influence: conformity, compliance and
• Obedience.
• Attitudes, beliefs, and values: Evaluating the social world, attitude formation, attitude change and persuasion, cognitive dissonance, Prejudice, discrimination, Aggression, power and prosocial behavior, Belief systems, and value patterns. Group dynamics, leadership style, and effectiveness.
• Theories of intergroup relations and conflicts.

Development across the lifespan

• Nature versus nurture in human development,
• Prenatal development: Chromosomes, Genes, and DNA.
• Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development in infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
• Theories of aging.
• Moral development.

Applications of Psychology

• Psychological disorders: Conceptions of mental disorders.
• Assessment and diagnosis, DSM, and Other tools. PTSD and Trauma.
• Psychotherapies: Psychodynamic, Phenomenological/Experiential therapy; Behavior therapy; cognitive therapy; biological therapy.
• Applications of theories of motivation and learning in School: Factors in educational achievement; counselling & guidance in schools.  Application of theories of motivation, learning, emotions, perceptions, group dynamics & leadership to organizational set-up.
• Issues of Personal space, crowding, and territoriality.