Psychology Class XI Syllabus

Exam Structure

Unit I: What is psychology?

1. Introduction
2. What is Psychology?
   1. Psychology as a Discipline
   2. Psychology as a Natural Science
   3. Psychology as a Social Science
3. Understanding Mind and Behaviour
4. Popular Notions about the Discipline of Psychology
5. Evolution of Psychology
6. Development of Psychology in India
7. Branches of Psychology
8. Themes of Research and Applications
9. Psychology and Other Disciplines
10. Psychologists at Work
11. Psychology in Everyday Life

Unit II: Methods of Enquiry in Psychology

1. Introduction
2. Goals of Psychological Enquiry
   1. Steps in Conducting Scientific Research
   2. Alternative Paradigms of Research
3. Nature of Psychological Data
4. Some Important Methods in Psychology
   1. Observational Method
   2. Experimental Method
   3. Correlational Research
   4. Survey Research
   5. Psychological Testing
   6. Case Study
5. Analysis of Data
   1. Quantitative Method
   2. Qualitative Method
6. Limitations of Psychological Enquiry
7. Ethical Issues

Unit III: The Bases of Human Behaviour

1. Introduction
2. Evolutionary Perspective
3. Biological and Cultural Roots
4. Biological Basis of Behaviour
   1. Neurons
5. Structure and Functions of Nervous System and
6. Endocrine System and their Relationship with
7. Behaviour and Experience
   1. The Nervous System
   2. The Endocrine System
8. Heredity: Genes and Behaviour
9. Cultural Basis : Socio-Cultural Shaping of Behaviour
   1. Concept of Culture
10. Enculturation
11. Socialisation
12. Acculturation

Unit IV: Human Development

1. Introduction
2. Meaning of Development
   1. Life-Span Perspective on Development
3. Factors Influencing Development
4. Context of Development
5. Overview of Developmental Stages
   1. Prenatal Stage
6. Infancy
7. Childhood
8. Challenges of Adolescence
9. Adulthood and Old Age

Unit V: Sensory, Attentional, and Perceptual Processes

1. Introduction
2. Knowing the world
3. Nature and varieties of Stimulus
4. Sense Modalities
   1. Visual Sensation
   2. Auditory Sensation
5. Attentional Processes
   1. Selective Attention
   2. Sustained Attention
6. Perceptual Processes
   1. Processing Approaches in Perception
7. The Perceiver
8. Principles of Perceptual Organisation
9. Perception of Space, Depth, and Distance
   1. Monocular Cues and Binocular Cues
10. Perceptual Constancies
11. Illusions
12. Socio-Cultural Influences on Perception

Unit VI: Learning

1. Introduction
2. Nature of Learning
3. Paradigms of Learning
4. Classical Conditioning
   1. Determinants of Classical Conditioning
5. Operant/Instrumental Conditioning
   1. Determinants of Operant Conditioning
   2. Key Learning Processes
6. Observational Learning
7. Cognitive Learning
8. Verbal Learning
9. Concept Learning
10. Skill Learning
11. Transfer of Learning
12. Factors Facilitating Learning
13. The Learner: Learning Styles
14. Learning Disabilities
15. Applications of Learning Principles

Unit VII: Human Memory

1. Introduction
2. Nature of memory
3. Information processing Approach: The Stage Model
4. Memory Systems : Sensory, Short-term and Long-term Memories
5. Levels of Processing
6. Types of Long-term Memory
   1. Declarative and Procedural; Episodic and Semantic
7. Knowledge Representation and Organisation in Memory
8. Memory as a Constructive Process
9. Nature and Causes of Forgetting
   1. Forgetting due to Trace Decay, Interference and Retrieval Failure
10. Enhancing Memory
    1. Mnemonics using Images and Organisation

Unit VIII: Thinking

1. Introduction
2. Nature of Thinking
   1. Building Blocks of Thought
3. The Processes of Thinking
4. Problem Solving
5. Reasoning
6. Decision-making
7. Nature and Process of Creative Thinking
   1. Nature of Creative Thinking
   2. Process of Creative Thinking
8. Developing Creative Thinking
   1. Barriers to Creative Thinking
   2. Strategies for Creative Thinking
9. Thought and Language
10. Development of Language and Language Use

Unit IX: Motivation and Emotion

1. Introduction
2. Nature of Motivation
3. Types of Motives
   1. Biological Motives
   2. Psychosocial Motives
4. Maslow‟s Hierarchy of Needs
5. Nature of Emotions
6. Physiological Bases of Emotions
7. Cognitive Bases of Emotions
8. Cultural Bases of Emotions
9. Expression of Emotions
   1. Culture and Emotional Expression
   2. Culture and Emotional Labelling
10. Managing Negative Emotions
11. Enhancing Positive Emotions