IAS Mains Previous Years Paper : Psychology (2003)

PAPER - I
SECTION A
1. Answer any three of the following in not more than 200 words each:
(a) "In the present modern age there is a wide range of application of Psychology and consequently the present status of psychology is that of exporter of knowledge/ Discuss the statement highlighting your point of view.
(b) Explain the basic processes involved in remembering and also highlight the phenomenon which may occur when any one of the basic processes fails to operate properly.
(c) 'Psychology is a science'. Discuss the statement in the light of its historical development
(d) What can be done to move from correlational inferences to causal inferences?

2. Differentiate between learning and training. Discuss Pavlovian learning theory with the help of experimental evidence.

3. What is perceptual organization? Describe its various factors with tine help of examples.

4. Discuss in detail the influence of child-rearing practices on the growth and development of an individual.

SECTION B
5. Answer any three of the following in not .more than 200 words each:
(a) Is personality consistent? Give your answer with the support of relevant studies.
(b) ''Motivation is a goal-directed behaviour'. Discuss the statement highlighting the steps involved in the process of motivation. .
(c) What is communication? Describe the processes involved in communication.
(d) Describe the meaning of creativity and discuss the ways for fostering creative talents.

6. Is intelligence different from aptitude? Discuss Spearman's theory of intelligence.

7. How attitudes are formed? Discuss its various components.

8. Give a detailed description of computer applications in psychological studies and research. Cite relevant examples in support of your answer.

PAPER - II
SECTION A
1. Answer any THREE of the following (Each answer should not exceed 200 words) :
(a) Leaders in the organizational set up work with different kinds of strategies than leaders in other fields. Comment
(b) Describe the salient tenets of career counselling. Is it different from vocational guidance?
(c) Examine the significance of indigenous therapies like Yoga and meditation. How effective they are?
(d) How would you identify the mentally and socially challenged individuals? Can they be brought back to the main-stream of life?

2. Discuss the salient features of a psychological test. Identify the process involved in construction and standardization of a psychological test. What are the ethical issues involved in the use of a psychological test?

3. Sustaining positive and effective mental health is more dependent on prevention than cure. Do you agree with this statement? Answer with the help of a relevant model and highlight the role of quality of life.

4. Evaluate the role of a community psychologist in arousing community consciousness and action for handling social problem. Give suitable examples to substantiate your arguments.

SECTION B
5. Answer any THREE of the following (Each answer should not exceed 200 words):
(a) Examine the relevance of sports psychology with reference to Indian scenario.
(b) Identify the true characteristics of an entrepreneur Discuss with reference to McClellands assumptions.
(c) Has the mass media especially the TV played a significant role in affecting the psyche of people? Give examples to support your answer.
(d) Environmental psychology is limited as far as its application is concerned. Do you agree with this statement? Cite examples to support your arguments.

6. How does the military psychology bring in a new perspective to the understanding of human behaviour ? What is the role of human engineering in defence ?

7. Is it possible to achieve social integration with the help of psychological principles? How can a psychologist deal effectively with class and caste conflicts?

8. Define relative deprivation. Draw a. programme which will facilitate the motivation and education of the deprived Discuss with some theoretical assumptions.