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(Download) UPSC IAS Mains Exam Paper - 2017 : Psychology

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(Download) UPSC IAS Mains Exam Paper - 2017 : Psychology

PSYCHOLOGY
Paper - 1

Time Allowed : Three Hours

Maximum Marks : 250

QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

(Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions)

There are EIGHT questions divided in two Sections and printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH.

Candidate has to attempt FIVE questions in all.

Question Nos. 1 and 5 are compulsory and out of the remaining, THREE are to be attempted choosing at least ONE question from each Section.

The number of marks carried by each question/part is indicated against it.

Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this Question-cum-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one.

Assume suitable data, if considered necessary, and indicate the same clearly.

Unless and otherwise indicated, symbols and notations carry their usual standard meanings.

Attempts of questions shall be counted in sequential order. Unless struck off, attempt of a question shall be counted even if attempted partly. Any page or portion of the page left blank in the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off.

SECTION-A

Q1. Answer each the following questions in about 150 words :

(a) Describe how you used psychology to solve a social problem.
(b) Distinguish between negative reinforcement and punishment. Do you think punishment is an effective way to modify behaviour ?
(c) In a study, the number of students intake in a college correlated very highly with violence. Explain the research finding.
(d) Do you think subliminal messages can actually lead to significant changes in attitudes or behaviour ? Cite research evidence.
(e) Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour. Evaluate.

Q2.(a) Why do we forget ? Differentiate between anterograde and retrograde amnesia.
(b) How can you use 'Focus Group Discussion' to promote use of toilets in rural areas ?
(c) How would you apply Operant Conditioning technique for toilet training to a 3-year-old boy ?

Q3.(a) Whatever we are, it is because of Genes. Discuss.
(b) Which research design would you apply to prove that a particular method of teaching yields best results ? Describe.
(c) How are we able to perceive the world in three dimensions when our eyes are capable of sensing only two-dimensional images ?

Q4. (a) Evaluate "interview" as a method of data collection.
(b) Explain the role of meaningfulness and emotional arousal in encoding. Discuss the implications of encoding specificity principle.
(c) Explain the differences in information processing at various levels of memory. In what way is recall affected by initial processing of information ?

SECTION-B

Q5. Answer each of the following questions in about 150 words :

(a) Creative people usually have high IQ scores but those with highest IQ scores are not necessarily the most creative people. Explain.
(b) Critically evaluate Noam Chomsky's theory of transformational grammar.
(c) Drug-addiction is just a maladaptive behaviour. Like other behaviour, it can be easily changed. Discuss.
(d) What is paradoxical in REM sleep? How active is a person during different stages of sleep ?
(e) Explain different types of reasoning processes used in problem solving with their strengths and limitations.

Q6. (a) According to Gardner's theory, there is no one kind of general intelligence for ranking individuals. Explain.
(b) A young person helped a visually impaired woman to cross the road. He explained his action saying that he has positive attitude towards such persons. Did his attitude determine his behaviour or the behaviour determine his attitude. Explain.
(c) Explain the importance of Critical Periods in language development. In what ways are bilingualism and cognitive development related ?

Q7. (a) Which needs should one be high on to be a successful entrepreneur ? Explain on the basis of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
(b) Can we do justice to measuring personality by projective and objective tests? Discuss.
(c) Why do some people behave aggressively towards those who defy social norms ? How can such aggressive behaviours be changed ?

Q8. (a) Can we determine a person's academic performance based only on IQ score ? Explain.
(b) How do we explain self-defeating behaviour of a person from the Humanistic perspective ?
(c) People emphasize the personal traits more than the situational factors. Evaluate the statement.

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Printed Study Material for IAS Mains General Studies

PSYCHOLOGY
Paper - 2

Time Allowed : Three Hours

Maximum Marks : 250

QUESTION PAPER SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

(Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions)

There are EIGHT questions divided in two Sections and printed both in HINDI and in ENGLISH.

Candidate has to attempt FIVE questions in all.

Question Nos. 1 and 5 are compulsory and out of the remaining, THREE are to be attempted choosing at least ONE question from each Section.

The number of marks carried by each question/part is indicated against it.

Assume suitable data, if considered necessary, and indicate the same clearly.

Unless and otherwise indicated, symbols and notations carry their usual standard meanings.

SECTION-A

Q1. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(a) Critically evaluate the role of self-report personality inventories in personnel selection.
(b) Explain how the concept of individual differences emerged and state its importance for vocational guidance.
(c) Explain the concept of incongruence in person-centred therapy.
(d) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of group decision-making over decisions made by individuals.
(e) Explain psychopathic personality and state how it is related to deviant behaviour.

Q2. (a) Distinguish between content and process theories of work motivation. Comment on the applicability of Maslow's theory of work motivation in the Indian context.
(b) Discuss the importance and requirements of orthogenic schools in the context of pre-delinquent adolescents.
(c) Explain reciprocal inhibition in behaviour therapy and point out its theoretical basis.

Q3. (a) Elaborate the process of spotting and nurturing gifted children in the Indian context.
(b) Explain the behavioural cognitive therapy by Ellis with the steps involved in it.
(c) What is the role of item validation in psychometric scaling? Briefly describe the steps involved.

Q4. (a) In the light of various theories of leadership, what kind of leaders will be effective in bringing about social change?
(b) Explain how hallucinations and delusional contents differ in paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia.
(c) What is the role of the community in handling social problems? Prepare a plan for involving the community to handle crime against women.

SECTION-B

Q5. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(a) Discuss the challenges and opportunities offered by multiculturalism and diversity in today's organizations.
(b) Explain the effects of short-term and chronic exposure to noise on the performance on cognitive tasks.
(c) What are the psychological consequences of the fast development in information technology on adolescents?
(d) Explain how cohesiveness can be promoted in sport teams by using psychological principles.
(e) A large number of people all over the world are forced to leave their homeland because of violence. What are the psychological problems faced by such victims of violence? Discuss a plan for their rehabilitation.

Q6. (a) What is relative deprivation? Explain its consequences on adolescent behaviour in the current Indian scenario.
(b) Which psychological and cultural factors will facilitate the success of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' programme? How can this programme be promoted through information technology and mass media?
(c) What do you understand by intergroup attitudes? Why are such attitudes considered to be a social phenomenon?

Q7. (a) Discuss how social integration can be promoted in India in the light of intergroup contact hypothesis and crossed categorization research.
(b) What is man-machine system? In this context, explain the applications of human engineering in designing the display systems of the aircrafts.
(c) Explain the characteristics of entrepreneurial behaviour. Discuss critically as to how entrepreneurial behaviour can be cultivated through training. Cite evidence in the Indian context.

Q8. (a) Explain the effects of rapid scientific and technological growth on environmental degradation. Discuss the role of psychologists in reducing environmental degradation.
(b) Explain the role of mass media in value development. How can the mass media and information technology be used for promoting pro-social values?
(c) Explain the psychological, socio-cultural and economic consequences of belonging to a disadvantaged group. Suggest the steps to educate and motivate disadvantaged groups towards development.