Unit I: Variations in Psychological Attributes

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

• 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.
• 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: Selfreport measures, behavioural analysis, and projective measures.

Unit III: Meeting Life Challenges

• 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

• This unit discusses the concepts of normality and abnormality and the major psychological disorders.
• Concepts of abnormality and psychological disorders; Classification of disorders;
• Factorsunderlying abnormal behaviour;
• Major psychological disorders – Anxiety, Somatic, Dissociative, Mood, Schizophrenic, Developmental and Behavioural-Substance use related.

Unit V: Therapeutic Approaches

• The unit discusses the goals, techniques, and effectiveness of different approaches to treating 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.

Unit VI: Attitude and Social Cognition

• This unitfocuses on the 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;
• Behaviourin the presence of others;
• Pro-socialbehaviour;
• Prejudice and discrimination;
• Strategies for handling prejudice.

Unit VII: Social Influence and Group Processes

• The unit deals with the concept of the 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 the group on individual behaviour;
• Intergroup conflicts;
• Conflict resolution strategies.

Unit VIII: Psychology and Life

• The unit focuses on the application of psychological understanding to some importantsocial issues.
• Human-environment relationship;
• Environmental effects on human behaviour: Noise, pollution, crowding, natural disasters; Promoting pro-environmental behaviour;
• Psychology and social concerns: Aggression, Violence, and Peace, Discrimination and Poverty, health, the impact of television on behaviour.

Unit IX: Developing Psychological Skills

• The unit deals with some effective psychological and interpersonal skills for facilitating personalsocial development.
• Effective psychological skills: Observational skills, Interviewing skills, Testing skills, Counselling skills — empathy, authenticity, positive regard, and Communication skills — listening.