Psychology is one of the trending subjects in today’s world. With the internet in its place, the subject has gained much fame. Over the years, it is the favorite subject among art students. However, the subject is very useful and dynamic. Hence, each one of us has some idea or the other about it. It is a part and parcel of human lives. The subject can be defined as the study of human nature. It tries to decode the complex nature of the human mind. Hence, one can easily learn about the topics. Thus, you can score well in this subject. It is very fit for students with a history in psychology. However, even new aspirants can try to learn the subject with great ease. In today’s article, we will talk about the UPSC IAS Psychology Optional Syllabus.
UPSC IAS Psychology Optional Paper One Syllabus
We will take a deep dive into the paper one syllabus at first. Then, we will move ahead to learn about the paper two syllabus and topics. Further, we will list some useful sources and books for your Psychology Optional prep. This article will also talk about the success rate of the optional. Finally, we will give away some imp tricks. You can use these tips to ace the exam. Firstly, let us talk about paper one UPSC IAS Psychology Syllabus in detail. The first paper talks about the basics of psychology.
The first topic in the syllabus is an intro to the subject. This topic will revolve around the definition & history. It also covers trends in the 21st century in Psychology. The intro also talks about the relation b/w scientific method, social, and natural sciences. Further, you will also read about the use of Psychology to societal problems. In the second topic, you will cover the methods of Psychology. This topic talks about the types and methods of research. You will also read about brainstorming & experimenting. GD and the grounded theory approach are also covered. The third topic in the syllabus is the research methods. Here, you will read about data collection, designs, and their uses.
In addition to this, you will learn about the progress of human behavior. The syllabus also covers topics like sensation, attention, and perception in detail.
Paper One Topics
You will also read about the following topics for UPSC optional psychology syllabus paper one:
- Learning, memory, thinking, and problem-solving.
- Motivation and Emotion.
- Intelligence and aptitude.
- Personality.
- Attitudes, values, and interests.
- Language and communication.
- Issues and perspectives in modern contemporary pyschology.
All these topics, together constitute the UPSC IAS psychology optional syllabus for paper one. This paper carries a total of 250 marks. The first paper covers the basics. Hence, it is imp to cover all the topics in this paper for a clear idea of the first paper. These concepts will also help you to know the second paper. These are the prime topics in paper one.
Psychology Optional Syllabus Paper Two
Now let us look at the UPSC psychology syllabus for paper two. The second paper talks about the issues. applications in psychology. The last topic in the paper one syllabus creates a basis for the second paper. Let us look at the imp headers of the second paper syllabus. For a detailed syllabus: click here.
- Psychological Measurement of Individual Differences.
- Psychological Well Being and Mental Disorders.
- Therapeutic Approaches.
- Work Psychology and Educational Field.
- Use of Psychology to Educational Field.
- Community Psychology.
- Rehabilitation Psychology.
- Use of Psychology to disadvantaged groups.
- Psychological Problems of Social Integration.
- Use of Psychology in IT and mass media.
- Psychology and Economic Development.
- Use of Psychology.
- Use of Psychology in other field: Military, Sports, Media, Terrorism,
- Psychology of Gender.
Benefits of Selecting Psychology Optional
As we can see this paper is major use-focused. It tries to highlight the practical use of theories in real-life areas. Let us see how useful it is to select psychology as a UPSC optional subject. Firstly, the UPSC Psychology Syllabus is very relatable in our day-to-day lives. We all have some idea about the subject. Moreover, it helps us to know ourselves, our society, and the human race better. The first paper helps in introducing various topics of the subject. The subject relies heavily on these terms added in UPSC optional paper one. Hence, the first paper only covers the theory. The first paper also gives a brief idea about research. This will help you in the real-life data collection process.
After you learn the terms of psychology, it is much easier to relate it further. After a clear idea about different concepts, you will seek ways to apply these concepts in real life. The subject is not only logical but also very helpful in personal, social, and official lives. The second paper’s syllabus covers the application of the topics you read about in paper one. It mainly focuses on different groups of society. Hence, it will help you in learning the lives of the various section of our society. Learning social psychology is very essential for an IAS officer. The reason for this is quite simple.
Application of the Subject
As an officer, you are a part of decision-making. Moreover, you also take part in the implementation process of policies. In addition to this, you are also a part of policymaking. It is useless to make policies that are not customized for your population. Knowing your people is very imp. The subject helps you to know your people. You learn about their psychology. Moreover, this subject does not limit its use only to a particular section. It covers many sections. This will give you a first-hand idea about the people around you. As normal human beings, we see how people behave. But as a psychology student, you will try to see why people behave the way they behave.
The real-life use of this subject makes it so popular among budding officers. Other optional subjects are majorly theoretical. Hence, reading them can be quite tedious. Moreover, sorting examples in those subjects is also a task. However, that is not the case with psychology. Firstly, the UPSC IAS Psychology Syllabus is well defined. You will know the focus areas. Moreover, you will have ample real-life and reel life examples to explain concepts. Hence, answer writing becomes very interesting. Let us now list some imp books for your prep. Further, we will discuss the subject’s success rate.
Books for Psychology Optional Syllabus
- Psychology – XI & XII NCERT
- Psychology by Saundra Ciccarelli
- Understanding Psychology by Robert S. Feldman
- Tests, Measurements and Research Methods in Behavioural Sciences by A K Singh
- Psychology by Robert A Baron
- Applied Psychology by Smarak Swain
Now, let us move ahead and talk about the success rate of the subject. The UPSC IAS Psychology Syllabus is clear. Many aspirants have a history in the subject. Hence, they opt for it. In the year 2017, around 193 aspirants chose this subject. Only 21 cleared the subject. Hence, the success rate in 2017 was 10.9%. In the year 2016, 1061 candidates wrote this paper. Around 116 cleared the paper. The success rate remains the same. In 2015, 238 aspirants chose the subject. Only 28 of them cleared it. Hence, the success rate in 2015 was 11.8%. The year 2014 saw the highest success rate that is, 15.8%.
Let us look at the toppers who opted for psychology optional subject. In 2018, Anuraj Jain grabbed the 24th rank with psychology optional. In 2017, Manish Kumar secured the 61st rank. Further, in 2016, Anuj Malik secured the 16th rank. In 2015, Mittali Sethi held the 56th rank with psychology as an optional. IN 2014, Anvesha Reddy secured the 80th rank. Thus, we can see there are many toppers made using this subject. Moreover, the success rate is also quite satisfying. For more such articles: click here.
FAQs
There are many optional subjects in UPSC. Sociology is one of them. It is very popular among aspirants for many years. The subject covers topics about society and change.
Usually, it may take around 3 to 4 months to read the subject for the first time. This depends on the syllabus. Moreover, it also depends on your learning pace and grasping power. If you have a history with the subject, it will take a shorter time.
Yes. When you solve a paper you learn the nature of the questions. This will help you to know the type of topics you have to cover. Hence, it is imp to solve some mock test papers. You can get the previous years’ papers on the official UPSC website.
Editor’s Note | UPSC Psychology Syllabus
Here we will conclude our article. In today’s article, we talked about Psychology. Hence, we first talked about the subject in brief. Further, we talked about the UPSC IAS Psychology Optional Subject. We first talked about the optional paper one syllabus. We listed the topics under the syllabus in brief. Thus, we learned that paper one focuses on theory. Then, we talked about the optional paper two syllabi. We listed the topics under the paper two syllabi as well. Hence, we learned that the second paper focuses on the application of the subject.
