5. Attention, Perception, Learning, Memory and Forgetting

Attention:

• Forms of attention
• Models of attention

Perception:

Approaches to the Study of Perception:

• Gestalt
• Physiological approaches

Perceptual Organization:

• Gestalt
• Figure and Ground
• Law of Organization

Perceptual Constancy:

• Size
• Shape
• Color
• Illusions

Perception of Form, Depth and Movement

Role of motivation and learning in perception

Signal detection theory:

• Assumptions
• Applications

Subliminal perception and related factors
Information processing approach to perception
Culture and perception
Perceptual styles
Pattern recognition
Ecological perspective on perception

Learning Process:

Fundamental theories:

• Thorndike
• Guthrie
• Hull

Classical Conditioning:

• Procedure
• Phenomena
• Related issues

Instrumental learning:

• Phenomena
• Paradigms
• Theoretical issues

Reinforcement:

• Basic variables
• Schedules

Behaviour modification and its applications

Cognitive approaches in learning:

• Latent learning
• Observational learning

Verbal learning and Discrimination learning

Recent trends in learning:

• Neurophysiology of learning

Memory and Forgetting

Memory processes:

• Encoding
• Storage
• Retrieval

Stages of memory:

• Sensory memory
• Short-term memory (Working memory)
• Long-term Memory (Declarative – Episodic and Semantic; Procedural)

Theories of Forgetting:

• Interference
• Retrieval Failure
• Decay
• Motivated forgetting

6. Thinking, Intelligence and Creativity

Theoretical perspectives on thought processes:

• Associationism
• Gestalt
• Information processing
• Feature integration model

Concept formation:

• Rules
• Types
• Strategies

Role of concepts in thinking

Types of Reasoning

Language and thought

Problem solving:

• Type
• Strategies
• Obstacles

Decision-making:

• Types
• Models

Metacognition:

• Metacognitive knowledge
• Metacognitive regulation

Intelligence:

• Spearman
• Thurstone
• Jensen
• Cattell
• Gardner
• Stenberg
• Goleman
• Das, Kar & Parrila

Creativity:

• Torrance
• Getzels & Jackson
• Guilford
• Wallach & Kogan

Relationship between Intelligence and Creativity

7. Personality, Motivation, emotion, stress and coping

Determinants of personality:

• Biological
• Socio-cultural

Approaches to the study of personality:

• Psychoanalytical
• Neo-Freudian
• Social learning
• Trait and Type
• Cognitive
• Humanistic
• Existential
• Transpersonal psychology

Other theories:

• Rotter’s Locus of Control
• Seligman’s Explanatory styles
• Kohlberg’s theory of Moral development

Basic motivational concepts:

• Instincts
• Needs
• Drives
• Arousal
• Incentives
• Motivational Cycle

Approaches to the study of motivation:

• Psychoanalytical
• Ethological
• S-R Cognitive
• Humanistic

Exploratory behavior and curiosity
Zuckerman’s Sensation seeking

Achievement, Affiliation and Power
Motivational Competence
Self-regulation
Flow

Emotions:

• Physiological correlates

Theories of emotions:

• James-Lange
• Canon-Bard
• Schachter and Singer
• Lazarus
• Lindsley

Emotion regulation

Conflicts:

• Sources
• Types

Stress and Coping:

• Concept
• Models
• Type A, B, C, D behaviors

Stress management strategies:

• Biofeedback
• Music therapy
• Breathing exercises
• Progressive Muscular Relaxation
• Guided Imagery
• Mindfulness
• Meditation
• Yogasana
• Stress Inoculation Training

8. Social Psychology

Nature, scope and history of social psychology

Traditional theoretical perspectives:

• Field theory
• Cognitive Dissonance
• Sociobiology
• Psychodynamic Approaches
• Social Cognition

Social perception:

• Communication
• Attributions

Attitude and its change within cultural context
Prosocial behavior

Group and Social influence:

• Social Facilitation
• Social loafing

Social influence:

• Conformity
• Peer Pressure
• Persuasion
• Compliance
• Obedience
• Social Power
• Reactance

Aggression

Group dynamics
Leadership style and effectiveness

Theories of intergroup relations:

• Minimal Group Experiment and Social Identity Theory
• Relative Deprivation Theory
• Realistic Conflict Theory
• Balance Theories
• Equity Theory
• Social Exchange Theory

Applied social psychology:

• Health
• Environment
• Law
• Personal space
• Crowding
• Territoriality

9. Human Development and Interventions

Developmental processes:

• Nature
• Principles
• Factors in development
• Stages of Development

Successful aging

Theories of development:

• Psychoanalytical
• Behavioristic
• Cognitive

Various aspects of development:

• Sensory-motor
• Cognitive
• Language
• Emotional
• Social
• Moral

Psychopathology:

• Concept
• Mental Status Examination
• Classification
• Causes

Psychotherapies:

• Psychoanalysis
• Person-centered
• Gestalt
• Existential
• Acceptance Commitment Therapy
• Behavior therapy
• REBT
• CBT
• MBCT
• Play therapy
• Positive psychotherapy
• Transactional Analysis
• Dialectic behavior therapy
• Art therapy
• Performing Art Therapy
• Family therapy

Applications of theories of motivation and learning in School
Factors in educational achievement
Teacher effectiveness

Guidance in schools:

• Needs
• Organizational set up
• Techniques

Counselling:

• Process
• Skills
• Techniques

10. Emerging Areas

Issues of Gender, Poverty, Disability, and Migration:

• Cultural bias and discrimination
• Stigma
• Marginalization
• Social Suffering
• Child Abuse
• Domestic violence

Peace psychology:

• Violence
• Non-violence
• Conflict resolution at macro level
• Role of media in conflict resolution

Wellbeing and self-growth:

• Types of wellbeing [Hedonic and Eudemonic]
• Character strengths
• Resilience
• Post-Traumatic Growth

Health:

• Health promoting and health compromising behaviors
• Life style
• Chronic diseases [Diabetes, Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease]
• Psychoneuroimmunology [Cancer, HIV/AIDS]

Psychology and technology interface:

• Digital learning
• Digital etiquette
• Cyber bullying
• Cyber pornography: Consumption, implications
• Parental mediation of Digital Usage