(Download) NCERT Revised syllabus Of Psychology (Class 11 to 12 )

Rationale

Psychology is introduced as an elective subject at the higher secondary stage of school education. As a discipline, psychology specialises in the study of experiences, behaviours and mental processes of human beings within a socio-cultural and socio-historical context. This course purports to introduce the learners to the basic ideas, principles and methods in psychology so as to enable them to understand themselves and their social world better. The emphasis is put on creating interest and exposure needed by learners to develop their own knowledge base and understanding. The course deals with psychological knowledge and practices which are contextually rooted. It emphasises the complexity of behavioural processes and discourages simplistic cause-effect thinking. This is pursued by encouraging critical reasoning, allowing students to appreciate the role of cultural factors in behaviour, and illustrating how biology and experience shape behaviour. The course while developing an appreciation of subjectivity, also focuses on multiplicity of worldviews.

It is suggested that the teaching-learning processes should involve students in evolving their own understanding. Therefore, teaching of psychology should be based on the use of case studies, narratives, experiential exercises, analysis of common everyday experiences, etc.

Objectives

1.  To develop appreciation about human behaviour and human mind in the context of learners’ immediate society and environment.

2.  To develop in learners an appreciation of multidisciplinary nature of psychological knowledge and its applications in various aspects of life.

3.  To enable learners to become perceptive, socially aware and self-reflective.

4.  To facilitate students’ quest for personal growth and effectiveness, and to enable them to become responsive and responsible citizens.

CLASS XI

Semester I: Foundations of Psychology - I

(Total 90 Periods)

Unit I: What is Psychology?

(12 Periods)

The unit seeks to develop understanding and appreciation of psychology as a discipline, its evolution, its applications and its relationships with other sciences through appropriate and interesting examples and analysis of everyday experience .

What is psychology?; Popular notions about discipline of psychology; Understanding mind and behaviour; Evolution of psychology; Branches of psychology: Themes of research and applications; Psychology and other disciplines ; Psychologists at work ; Psychology in everyday life; Development of Psychology in India.

Unit II: Methods of Enquiry in Psychology

(18 Periods)

The objective of this unit is to discuss methods of enquiry for collecting psychological data.

Goals of psychological enquiry; Nature of psychological data; Some important methods:
Observational, Experimental, Correlational, Survey, Psychological testing, Case Study; Analysis of data; Limitations of psychological enquiry; Ethical issues.

Unit III: The Bases of Human Behaviour 

 (18 Periods)

The unit will focus on the role of biological and socio-cultural factors in the shaping of human behaviour.

Evolutionary perspective; Biological basis : Biological and cultural roots; Biology of behaviour:

Structure and functions of nervous system and endocrine system; Relationship of nervous system and endocrine system with behaviour and experience; Brain and behaviour; Heredity: Genes and behaviour; Cultural basis : Socio-cultural shaping of behaviour (e.g. family, community, faith, gender, caste, disability etc.); Socialisation , enculturation and acculturation.

Unit IV: Human Development

 (20 Periods)

This unit deals with variations in development and the developmental tasks during the life span.

Meaning of development; Factors influencing development; Context of development; Overview of developmental stages: Infancy, Childhood, Challenges of Adolescence, Adulthood and Old age.

Unit V: Sensory, Attentional and Perceptual Processes

 (22 Periods)

This unit aims at understanding how various sensory stimuli are received, attended to and given meaning.

Knowing the world ; Nature and varieties of stimulus; Sense modalities; Adaptation; Attentional processes; Selective and sustained attention ; Perceptual processes; The Perceiver; Principles of perceptual organisation; After images; Perception of space, depth and distance; Perceptual constancies; Illusions; Socio-cultural influences on perception.

Semester II: Foundations of Psychology-II

 (Total 90 Periods)

Unit VI: Learning

  (22 Periods)

This unit focuses on how one acquires new behaviour and how changes in behaviour take place.

Nature of learning; Paradigms of learning: Classical and operant conditioning, Observational learning, Cognitive learning, Verbal learning, Concept learning, Skill learning; Factors facilitating learning; Transfer of learning; The Learner: Learning styles; Learning disabilities; Applications of learning principles.

Unit VII: Human Memory    

(22 Periods)

This unit deals with how information is received, stored, retrieved and lost. It will also discuss how memory can be improved.

Nature of memory; Information Processing Approach; Levels of processing ; Memory systems — Sensory memory, Short-term memory, Long-term memory; Knowledge representation and organisation in memory ; Memory as a constructive process; Nature and causes of forgetting; Enhancing memory.

Unit VIII: Thinking 

   (24 Periods)

This unit deals with thinking and related processes like reasoning, problem-solving, decision making and creative thinking . The relationship between thought and language will also be discussed.

Nature of thinking; Thought and language; Development of language and language use; Reasoning; Problem-solving; Decision making; Nature and Process of creative thinking; Developing creative thinking.

Unit IX: Motivation and Emotion

    (22 Periods)

This unit focuses on why human beings behave as they do. It also deals with how people experience positive and negative events and respond to them.

Nature of motivation; Biological motives; Social and psychological motives — Achievement, Affiliation and Power; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; Nature of emotions; Physiological, cognitive and cultural bases of emotions; Expression of emotions; Enhancing positive emotions, e.g. Happiness, Optimism etc.; Managing negative emotions, e.g. anger, fear etc.

Practicals for Semesters I and II

   (60 Periods)

(Projects, Experiments, Small Studies, etc.)

The students shall be required to undertake one project and conduct three practicals. The project would involve the use of different methods of enquiry and related skills. Practicals would involve undertaking experiments and conducting small studies, exercises, related to the topics covered in the course (Human development, Learning, Memory, Motivation, Perception, Attention, Thinking).

CLASS XII

Semester III: Psychology and Self

(Total 90 Periods)

Unit I: Variations in Psychological Attributes  

      (20 Periods)

The unit aims at studying how people differ with respect to their various psychological attributes.

Individual differences in human functioning; Assessment of psychological attributes; Intelligence: Individual differences in intelligence; Theories of intelligence; Culture and intelligence; Special abilities: Aptitude — nature and measurement; Creativity; Emotional intelligence.

Unit II: Self and Personality

     (20 Periods)

This unit focuses on the study of self and personality in the context of different approaches in an effort to appraise the person. The assessment of personality will also be discussed.

Concepts of self, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-regulation; Culture and self; Concept of personality; Major approaches — Type and Trait, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Behavioural, Cultural; Assessment of personality : Self-report measures, behavioural analysis, and projective measures.

Unit III: Meeting Life Challenges 

    (16 Periods)

This unit deals with the nature of stress and how responses to stress depend on an individual’s appraisal of stressors. Strategies to cope with stress will also be dealt with .

Nature, types and sources of stress; Effects on psychological functioning and health; Coping with stress; Promoting positive health and well-being.

Unit IV: Psychological Disorders

(16 Periods)

This unit discusses the concepts of normality and abnormality and the major psychological disorders.

Concepts of abnormality and psychological disorders; Classification of disorders; Factors underlying abnormal behaviour; Major psychological disorders – Anxiety, Somatic, Dissociative, Mood, Schizophrenic, Developmental and Behavioural-Substance use related.

Unit V: Therapeutic Approaches

    (18 Periods)

The unit discusses the goals, techniques, and effectiveness of different approaches to treat psychological disorders.

Nature and process of therapy: Therapeutic relationship; Types of therapies: Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Cognitive, Behaviour and Bio-medical ; Alternative therapies — Yoga, Meditation; Rehabilitation of mentally ill.

Semester IV: Psychology and Society

(Total 90 Periods)

Unit VI: Attitude and Social Cognition  

 (24 Periods)

This unit focuses on formation and change of attitudes, cultural influences on attributional tendencies and conditions influencing pro-social behaviour.

Explaining social behaviour: Impression formation and explaining behaviour of others through attributions; Social cognition; Schemas and stereotypes; Nature and components of attitudes; Attitude formation and change; Behaviour in the presence of others; Pro-social behaviour; Prejudice and discrimination; Strategies for handling prejudice.

Unit VII: Social Influence and Group Processes

 (24 Periods)

The unit deals with the concept of group, its functions and the dynamics of social influence on conformity, obedience and compliance. Different conflict resolution strategies will also be discussed.

Conformity, Obedience, and Compliance; Cooperation and Competition; Nature and formation of groups; Types of groups; Social identity; Influence of group on individual behaviour; Inter-group conflicts; Conflict resolution strategies.

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