Psychology SYLLABUS

THE WEST BENGAL COLLEGE SERVICE COMMISSION
STATE ELIGIBILITY TEST
Subject: PSYCHOLOGY Code No. 18

SYLLABUS
1. Emergence of Psychology
Psychological thought in some major Eastern Systems: Bhagavad Gita, Buddhism, Sufism
and Integral Yoga. Academic psychology in India: Pre-independence 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.
Western: Greek heritage, medieval period and modern period. Structuralism,
Functionalism, Psychoanalytical, Gestalt, Behaviorism, Humanistic-Existential,
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.
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.
2. Research Methodology and Statistics
Research: Meaning, Purpose, and Dimensions.

Research problems, Variables and Operational Definitions, Hypothesis, Sampling.
Ethics in conducting and reporting research
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
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.
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.
3. Psychological testing
Types of tests
Test construction: Item writing, item analysis
Test standardization: Reliability, validity and Norms
Areas of testing: Intelligence, creativity, neuropsychological tests, aptitude, Personality
assessment, interest inventories
Attitude scales – Semantic differential, Staples, Likert scale.
Computer-based psychological testing
Applications of psychological testing in various settings: Clinical, Organizational and
business, Education, Counseling, Military. Career guidance.
4. Biological basis of behavior
Sensory systems: General and specific sensations, receptors and processes

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.
Muscular and Glandular system: Types and functions
Biological basis of Motivation: Hunger, Thirst, Sleep and Sex.
Biological basis of emotion: The Limbic system, Hormonal regulation of behavior.
Genetics and behavior: Chromosomal anomalies; Nature-Nurture controversy [Twin
studies and adoption studies]
5. Attention, Perception, Learning, Memory and Forgetting
Attention: Forms of attention, Models of attention

Perception:
Approaches to the Study of Perception: Gestalt and physiological approaches
Perceptual Organization: Gestalt, 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
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.
Learning Process:
Fundamental theories: Thorndike, Guthrie, Hull
Classical Conditioning: Procedure, phenomena and related issues
Instrumental learning: Phenomena, Paradigms and theoretical issues; Reinforcement:
Basic variables and schedules; Behaviour modification and its applications
Cognitive approaches in learning: Latent learning, observational learning.
Verbal learning and Discrimination learning
Recent trends in learning: Neurophysiology of learning
Memory and Forgetting
Memory processes: Encoding, Storage, Retrieval
Stages of memory: Sensory memory, Short-term memory (Working memory), Long-
term Memory (Declarative – Episodic and Semantic; Procedural)
Theories of Forgetting: Interference, Retrieval Failure, Decay, Motivated forgetting
6. Thinking, Intelligence and Creativity
Theoretical perspectives on thought processes: Associationism, Gestalt, Information

processing, Feature integration model
Concept formation: Rules, Types, and Strategies; Role of concepts in thinking Types of
Reasoning
Language and thought
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
Creativity: Torrance, Getzels & Jackson, Guilford, Wallach & Kogan
Relationship between Intelligence and Creativity
7. Personality, Motivation, emotion, stress and coping
Determinants of personality: Biological and socio-cultural

Approaches to the study of personality: Psychoanalytical, Neo-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.
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
Emotions: Physiological correlates
Theories of emotions: James-Lange, Canon-Bard, Schachter and Singer, Lazarus,
Lindsley.
Emotion regulation
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].
8. Social Psychology
Nature, scope and history of social psychology

Traditional theoretical perspectives: Field theory, Cognitive Dissonance, Sociobiology,
Psychodynamic Approaches, Social Cognition.
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. 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.
9. Human Development and Interventions
Developmental processes: Nature, Principles, Factors in development, Stages of

Development. Successful aging.
Theories of development: Psychoanalytical, Behavioristic, and Cognitive
Various aspects of development: Sensory-motor, cognitive, language, emotional, social
and moral.
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.
Applications of theories of motivation and learning in School
Factors in educational achievement
Teacher effectiveness
Guidance in schools: Needs, organizational set up and techniques
Counselling: Process, skills, and techniques
10. Emerging Areas
Issues of Gender, Poverty, Disability, and Migration: Cultural bias and discrimination.
Stigma, Marginalization, and Social Suffering; Child Abuse and Domestic violence.
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.
Health: Health promoting and health compromising behaviors, Life style and Chronic
diseases [Diabetes, Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease], Psychoneuroimmunology
[Cancer, HIV/AIDS]
Psychology and technology interface: Digital learning; Digital etiquette: Cyber bullying;
Cyber pornography: Consumption, implications; Parental mediation of Digital Usage.

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THE WEST BENGAL COLLEGE SERVICE COMMISSION

STATE ELIGIBILITY TEST

Subject: PSYCHOLOGY Code No. 18

2. Research Methodology and Statistics

Research: Meaning, Purpose, and Dimensions.

4. Biological basis of behavior

Sensory systems: General and specific sensations, receptors and processes

5. Attention, Perception, Learning, Memory and Forgetting

Attention: Forms of attention, Models of attention

6. Thinking, Intelligence and Creativity

Theoretical perspectives on thought processes: Associationism, Gestalt, Information

7. Personality, Motivation, emotion, stress and coping

Determinants of personality: Biological and socio-cultural

Nature, scope and history of social psychology

9. Human Development and Interventions

Developmental processes: Nature, Principles, Factors in development, Stages of

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