Rajasthan Public Service Commission

Syllabus For Screening Test For Post of College Lecturer: Psychology

Unit - I

Biological Basis of Behaviour & Perceptual processes :

• Receptors, effectors and adjuster mechanisms .
• Neural impulse : Origin, conduction and measurement.
• Sensory system : Vision and Audition.
• Human nervous system : Structure and functions.
• Approaches to the Study of Perception: Gastalt and physiological approaches
• Perceptual Organization: Gestalt, Figure and Ground, Laws of Organization.
• Perceptual Constancy : Size, Shape and Brightness, Illusion, Perception of Depth and Movements.
• Role of motivation and learning in perception .

Unit - II

Learning Process:

• Classical conditioning : Procedure, Phenomena and related issues.
• Instrumental learning : Phenomena, Paradigms and theoretical issues.
• Reinforcement : Basic variables and schedules.
• Verbal learning : Methods and materials. Organizational process.

Unit - III

Memory and forgetting :

• Memory processes : Encoding, Storage, Retrieval.
• Stages of memory: Sensory memory, Short-term Memory (STM) and Long-term Memory (LTM)
• Episodic and Semantic memory.
• Theories of Forgetting: Interference, decay, retrieval.

Unit - IV

Motivation, Emotion and Thinking :

• Basic motivational concepts : Instincts, needs, drives, incentives, motivational cycle
• Approaches to the study of motivation : Psychoanalytical, ethological, S-R Cognitive, humanistic.
• Biological Motives : Hunger, thirst, sleep and sex.
• Social Motives : Achievement, affiliation, approval.
• Exploratory behaviour and curiosity.
• Physiological correlates of emotions.
• Theories of emotions : James-Lange, Canon-Bard, Schachter and Singer.
• Conflicts : Sources and types.
• Theories of thought processes : Associationism, Gestalt, Information processing.
• Concept formation : Rules and strategies.
• Reasoning : Deductive and inductive.
• Problem-solving : Type and strategies.
• Role of concepts in thinking.

Unit - V

Human Abilities and Personality:

• Intelligence : Biological, Social, Eco-cultural determinants.
• Theories of intelligence : Spearman, Thurston, Guilford.
• Individual and group differences : Extent and causes.
• Measurement of human abilities.
• Determinants of personality : Biological and socio-cultural.
• Approaches to the study of personality : Psychoanalytic, neo-freudian, social learning, trait and type, cognitive.
• Personality assessment : Psychometric and projective tests.
• Self-concept : Origin and development.

Unit - VI

Research Methodology and Psychological Testing:

• Research problems, hypothesis, variables and their operationalization /
• Types of psychological research.
• Methods of psychological research : Experimental, Quasi-experimental, case studies, field studies and cross-cultural studies.
• Methods of data collection : Observation, interview, questionnaire, tests and scales.
• Non-parametric tests.
• Test construction: Item writing, item analysis. test standardization: Reliability, validity and norms
• Types of tests: Intelligence, aptitude, personality-characteristics and important examples
• Attitude scales and interest inventories
• Educational measurement and evaluation.

Unit - VII

Abnormal and Clinical Psychology :

• Abnormal Behaviour : Concepts and Approaches, Classification System.
• Causes of Abnormality : Biogenic, Psychogenic and Sociogenic.
• Neuroses and Psychoses, Types, Etiology
• Mental Retardation and Personality Disorders.
• Psychosomatic Disorders.
• Clinical Psychology : Concepts and Issues and Models, Community Psychology and Mental Health .
• Therapies : Biological, Psychotherapy - Behaviour Therapy, Group Therapy, Family Therapy.

Unit - VIII

Social Psychology :

• Social Psychology : Nature, Levels and Approaches and Methods.
• Social Cognition : Person Perception, Self-Perception, Social Perception.
• Attitude: Nature Formation, Measurement and Theories of Attitude Change.
• Group Processes : Group Formation, Group Effectiveness and Group Cohesiveness, Group Dynamics.
• Leadership : Nature, Types and Theories of Leadership.
• Altruism and Aggression.
• Environmental Psychology.

Unit - IX

Educational and counseling Psychology:

• Educational Psychology: Nature, Scope, Problems and Methods, Teacher Effectiveness, Social Psychology of Education.
• Motivation, Learning, Transfer of Learning, Creativity, Problem Solving, Verbal Learning.
• Exceptional Children: Gifted, Retarded, Disturbed and Handicapped.
• Counseling : Nature, Goals and Principles of Guidance, Roles and Functions of Counselors and their Professional training.
• Approaches to Counseling: Directive, Non-Directive, Behaviouritic, Humanistic, Gestalt, Eclectic.
• Techniques of Guidance: Group Guidance, Role Playing, Career Counseling, Case Study, Interview.
• Areas of Counseling: Educational, Vocational, Personal, Occupational Guidance Programme.

Unit - X

Industrial and Organizational Psychology:

• Industrial Psychology: Nature, Scope and Methods, Job Analysis and Personnel Selection.
• Training and Development: Principles and Methods, Job Evaluation, Performance Appraisal.
• Motivation and Work: Theories of Work Motivation-Maslow, Harzberg, Alderfer, McGregor, Vroom.
• Leadership: Theories of Leadership, Job Satisfaction and Industrial Morale.
• Work and Environment: Work and Fatigue, Man-Machine System, Human Engineering, Equipment Design, Environment Design, Industrial Accidents and Safety.
• Management of Organizational Behaviour: Leadership and Management, Decision Making, Communication, Group Dynamics, Organizational stress and Mental Health.
• Organizational Psychology: Types of Organizations, systems Approach, Behavioral Approaches, Socialization and Organizational Climate.

Note :- Pattern of Question Paper

1. Objective type paper
2. Maximum Marks : 100
3. Number of Questions : 100
4. Duration of Paper : Two Hours
5. All questions carry equal marks.
6. There will be Negative Marking.

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