Maharashtra HSC Syllabus Psychology

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Psychology (48)

Introduction of learners’ immediate society and
Psychology is introduced as an elective environment.
subject at the Higher Secondary stage of school 2. To develop in learners an appreciation of
education. As a discipline, psychology multidisciplinary nature of psychological
specialises in the study of experience, knowledge and its applications in various
behaviours and mental processes of human aspects of life.
beings within a socio-cultural and socio- 3. To enable learners to become perceptive,
historical context. This course purports to socially aware and self-reflective.
introduce the learners to the basic ideas, 4. To facilitate students’ quest for personal
principles and methods in psychology so as to growth and effectiveness and to enable
enable them to understand themselves and their them to become responsive and responsible
social world better. The emphasis is put on citizens.
creating interest and exposure needed by
learners to develop their own knowledge base Std. XI
and understanding.
The course deals with psychological Unit Sub -Unit
knowledge and practices which are contextually 1 1.0 Introduction to Psychology
rooted. It emphasises the complexity of 1.1 Definitions - Wundt, Watson, Morgan
behavioural processes and discourages & King, Feldman
simplistic cause-effect thinking. This is pursued 1.2 Branches of Psychology :
by encouraging critical reasoning, allowing Cognitive Psychology, Biological
students to appreciate the role of cultural factors Psychology, Developmental
in behaviour and illustrating how biology and Psychology, Social Psychology,
experience shape behaviour. The course while Environmental Psychology, Health
developing an appreciation of subjectivity, also Psychology, Clincal and Counselling
focuses on multiplicity of worldviews. Psychology, Organisational
It is suggested that the teaching-learning Psychology, Educational Psychology
processes should involve students in evolving 1.3 Recent Perspectives of Psychology:
their own understanding. Therefore, teaching Behaviouristic perspective,
of psychology should be based on the use of Psychoanalytic perspective,
case studies, narratives, experiential exercises, Cognitive perspective, Biological
analysis of common everyday experiences, etc. perspective, Humanistic perspective
Objectives 1.4 Psychology in Everyday Life
1. To develop appreciation about human 1.5 Psychologists at work :
behaviour and human mind in the context Clinical Psychologists, Counselling
Psychologists, Community

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Psychologists, School Psychologists, 5 5.0 Attention and Perception
Organisational psychologists. 5.1 Distinction between attention and
2 2.0 Methods of Psychological perception
Enquiry 5.2 Attentional Processes :
2.1 Objectives of Psychological enquiry: Selective attention, divided
Description, Prediction, explanation, attention, span of attention,
control and Application attention deficit hyperactivity
2.2 Important Methods of data collection: disorder
Observational method, experimental 5.3 Principles of perceptual
method, correlational method, Survey organization :
method, Psychological testing, case Principle of proximity, principle of
study and project method. similarity, principle of continuity,
3 3.0 Foundations of Human principle of smallness, principle of
Behaviour symmetry, principle of surrounded-
3.1 Heredity : Genes and Chromosomes ness, principle of closure.
3.2 Central Nervous System : Brain and 5.4 Illusions : Geometric illusions and
Spinal chord apparent movement illusions
3.3 Endocrine System : Pituitary gland, 5.5 Socio-cultural influences on
thyroid gland, adrenal gland, gonads. perception :
3.4 Socio – cultural Factors : Family, differential familiarity, salience of
Community, faith, gender, caste and stimuli, habits of perceptual inference.
disability 6 6.0 Learning
3.5 Socialization : Acculturation and 6.1 Nature of learning : Definition and
Enculturation features of learning
4 4.0 Human Development 6.2 Classical and Operant Conditioning:
4.1 Meaning of Development : Life-span Pavlov’s experiment on classical
perspective on development, Growth, conditioning, Skinner’s experiment
Development, Maturation and on operant conditioning
Evolution 6.3 Observational Learning : Imitation,
4.2 Principles of Development social learning and modelling
4.3 Factors Influencing Development : 6.4 Learning Styles : Relational style and
Heredity and environment analytical style
4.4 Stages of Development : Prenatal 6.5 Learning Disabilities : Symptoms of
stage, infancy, childhood, adolescence, learning disabilities.
adulthood and oldage 7 7.0 Human Memory
4.5 Context of Development : 7.1 Nature of Memory : Definitiion, stages
Microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, of memory
macrosystem Chronosystem 7.2 Memory Systems : Sensory, Short-
term memory and long-term memory

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7.3 Measurement of Memory : Recall, The Nature of Practicals
recognitiion, re-learning and A : Project
reconstruction The student shall be required to undertake
7.4 Nature and Causes of Forgetting : one project which will have impetus on
Ebbinghaus’s curve of forgetting, trace understanding of human behaviour. The
decay, interference, retrieval failure project would involve the use of different
7.5 Improving Memory : Keyword methods of enquiry and related skills.
method, method of loci, chunking, B : Experiments :
first letter technique, minimising The student shall undertake Five
interference experiments which are identified as below:
7.6 Eyewitness Memory 1. Span of attention
8 8.0 Motivation and Emotion 2. Muller-tyer Illusion
8.1 Nature of motivation : Motivation 3. Recall and Recognition
cycle 4. Substitution Learning
8.2 Types of motives : 5. Memory Span for Digits
Biological motives and Psychosocial OR
motives C : Small Studies
8.3 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs The student shall undertake small studies
8.4 Nature of Emotion : Definition and in the form of case studies related to the
Types of Emotions by Plutchik topic covered in the course.
8.5 Expression of Emotions : Culture and
emotional expression, culture and Std.XII
emotional labelling Unit Sub -Unit
8.6 Enhancing Positive Emotions : 1 Intelligence
Personality traits, positive meaning, Definitions of intelligence
quality connections, being engaged, History of intelligence testing
faith and positive interpretations. Distribution of intelligence quotient in
Practicals population
Practicals of Psycholigy is classified Types of intelligence tests
among three major aspects : Project, Aptitude
Experiments and Small Studies. There will be Emotional intelligence
continuous evaluation of these practicals by 2 Personality
the internal examiner who will essentially be Definitions of Personality
the teacher supervising and monitoring the Factors influencing personality
practical work. He will internally evaluate the Major approaches to the study of
student for 20 marks and submit it to the Personality
examining authority. Assessment of personality

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3 Stress Management Practicals : (Based on continuous
Nature of Stress Evaluation)
Sources of Stress Practicals of Psychology is classified
Types of Stress among three major aspects : Project,
Stress management techniques Psychological Testing and Case Studies. There
Promoting Positive health and well-being will be continuous evaluation of these practicals
4 Psychological Disorders and Therapies by the internal examiner who will essentially
Concept of abnormality be the teacher supervising and monitoring the
Classification of psychological disorders practical work. He will internally evaluate the
Major Psychological disorders student for 20 marks and submit it to the
Types of therapies examining authority under his hand and
5 Attitude signature.
Definition of attitude The Nautre of Practicals
Attitude formation A. Project
Change of attitude The student shall be required to undertake
Prejudice one project which would involve the use
6 Social Influence of different methods of enquiry and related
Nature of Social influence skills.
Dynamics of Social influence OR
Influence of group on individual behaviour B. Psychological Testing
Intergroup conflicts The student shall be required to conduct
7 Psychology and Life five Psychological tests related to the topic
Human-environment relationship covered in the course. Psychological
Environmental effects on human behaviour testing would involve using standardised
Promoting pro-environmental behaviour Psychological assessment devices in
Psychology and Social Concerns different domains i.e. intelligence, aptitude,
8 Developing Psychological Skills personality, stress, anxiety, depression,
Nature attitude, prejudice etc.
Effective Psychological Skills OR
Counselling Skills C. Case Studies
Communication Skills The Student shall be required to prepare
one case profile. The case profile will
include developmental history of the
subject using both qualitative (observation,
interview, rating etc.) and quantitative
approaches.