Table of Contents
The UPSC Psychology Optional Paper is a part of the UPSC IAS Mains Exam, which comprises a total of nine papers. The UPSC Psychology syllabus includes Foundations of Psychology for Paper 1 and Psychology- Issues and Applications for Paper 2. This optional subject for the IAS Exam focuses on both theoretical and practical aspects of psychology.
Among the 48 optional subjects listed by UPSC for the IAS Mains Exam, Psychology is popular among students. It helps candidates understand psychology as a science and how to apply this knowledge to real-world problems. Below, we provide a detailed discussion of the Psychology Syllabus for the Mains exam.
UPSC Psychology Syllabus 2025
Opting for Psychology as an optional subject for the UPSC Mains exam is great for candidates who have a keen interest and strong skills in the field. There are many books available to help students prepare for this subject. In the exam, students must answer five out of eight questions, with one mandatory question from the last three. Excelling in the Psychology optional exam can significantly enhance an IAS aspirant’s overall score in the UPSC Mains.
| Aspect | Details |
| Exam Type | Civil Service Examination |
| Mode | Offline |
| Total Duration | 3 Hours |
| Total Papers | 2 Papers |
| Marks per Paper | 250 Marks |
| Total Marks | 500 Marks |
| Impact on Overall Score |
A strong performance in Psychology can significantly boost the overall score in the UPSC Mains exam
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UPSC Psychology Syllabus 2025
Every year, the UPSC Commission releases the Psychology syllabus along with the UPSC Notification. There are two 250-mark papers in the psychology topic, for a total of 500 marks. There are two portions to each paper, and there are eight questions altogether. This post includes a downloadable PDF of the UPSC Psychology Optional Syllabus as well as the comprehensive syllabus for the optional subject, psychology.
UPSC Psychology Syllabus 2025 for Optional Paper I
Candidates can check out the Topic-wise UPSC Psychology Syllabus for Mains Optional paper I. Below in the table, we have provided the topics and sub-topics.
Foundations of Psychology
| Topic | Subtopics |
| Introduction |
Definition of Psychology; Historical antecedents of Psychology and trends in the 21st century; Psychology and scientific methods; Psychology with other social sciences and natural sciences; Application of Psychology to societal problems.
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| Methods of Psychology |
Types of research: Descriptive, evaluative, diagnostic, and prognostic; Methods of Research: Survey, observation, case-study, and experiments; Characteristics of experimental design and non-experimental designs; Quasi-experimental designs; Focused group discussions, brainstorming, grounded theory approach.
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| Research Methods |
Major steps in psychological research: problem statement, hypothesis formulation, research design, sampling, tools of data collection, analysis and interpretation, and report writing; Fundamental vs. applied research; Methods of data collection (interview, observation, questionnaire, case study); Research Designs (Ex-post facto and experimental); Application of statistical techniques (t-test, two-way ANOVA, correlation and regression, factor analysis); Item response theory.
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| Development of Human Behaviour |
Growth and development; Principles of development; Role of genetic and environmental factors in determining human behaviour; Influence of cultural factors in socialization; Life span development—Characteristics, development tasks, promoting psychological well-being across major stages of the life span.
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| Sensation, Attention, and Perception |
Sensation: concepts of threshold, absolute and difference thresholds, signal-detection, and vigilance; Factors influencing attention including set, and characteristics of stimulus; Definition and concept of perception, biological factors in perception; Perceptual organization—Influence of past experiences, perceptual defence, factors influencing space and depth perception, size estimation, and perceptual readiness; The plasticity of perception; Extrasensory perception; Culture and perception; Subliminal perception.
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| Learning |
Concepts and theories of learning (Behaviourists, Gestaltalists, and Information processing models); Processes of extinction, discrimination, and generalization; Programmed learning, probability learning, self-instructional learning; Concepts, types, and schedules of reinforcement; Escape, avoidance, and punishment; Modeling and social learning.
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| Memory |
Encoding and remembering; Short-term memory, Long-term memory, Sensory memory, Iconic memory, Echoic memory: The Multistore model, levels of processing; Organization and mnemonic techniques to improve memory; Theories of forgetting: decay, interference, and retrieval failure; Metamemory; Amnesia: Anterograde and retrograde.
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| Thinking and Problem Solving |
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; Concept formation processes; Information processing; Reasoning and problem-solving; Facilitating and hindering factors in problem-solving; Methods of problem-solving: Creative thinking and fostering creativity; Factors influencing decision making and judgment; Recent trends.
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| Motivation and Emotion |
Psychological and physiological basis of motivation and emotion; Measurement of motivation and emotion; Effects of motivation and emotion on behaviour; Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation; Factors influencing intrinsic motivation; Emotional competence and related issues.
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| Intelligence and Aptitude |
Concept of intelligence and aptitude; Nature and theories of intelligence: Thurstone, Guilford, Vernon, Sternberg, J.P. Das; Emotional Intelligence, Social intelligence; Measurement of intelligence and aptitudes; Concept of IQ, deviation IQ, constancy of IQ; Measurement of multiple intelligence; Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.
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| Personality |
Definition and concept of personality; Theories of personality: psychoanalytical, socio-cultural, interpersonal, developmental, humanistic, behaviouristic, trait and type approaches; Measurement of personality: projective tests, pencil-paper test; Indian approach to personality; Training for personality development; Latest approaches like big 5-factor theory; The notion of self in different traditions.
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| Attitudes, Values, and Interests |
Definitions of attitudes, values, and interests; Components of attitudes; Formation and maintenance of attitudes; Measurement of attitudes, values, and interests; Theories of attitude changes, strategies for fostering values; Formation of stereotypes and prejudices; Changing others’ behavior; Theories of attribution; Recent trends.
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| Language and Communication |
Human language—Properties, structure, and linguistic hierarchy; Language acquisition—Predisposition, critical period hypothesis; Theories of Language development—Skinner and Chomsky; Process and types of communication—Effective communication training.
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| Issues and Perspectives in Modern Contemporary Psychology |
Computer application in the psychological laboratory and psychological testing; Artificial intelligence; Psychocybernetics; Study of consciousness: sleep-wake schedules, dreams, stimulus deprivation, meditation, hypnotic/drug-induced states; Extrasensory perception; Intersensory perception; Simulation studies.
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UPSC Psychology Syllabus 2025 for Optional Paper II
Candidates can review the topic-wise UPSC Psychology Syllabus for Mains Optional Paper II here. Below in the table, we have provided the topics and sub-topics.
Psychology: Issues and applications
| Topic | Subtopics |
| Psychological Measurement of Individual Differences |
The nature of individual differences; Characteristics and construction of standardized psychological tests; Types of psychological tests; Use, misuse, and limitations of psychological tests; Ethical issues in the use of psychological tests.
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| Psychological Well-being and Mental Disorders |
Concept of health, ill health, positive health, well-being; Causal factors in mental disorders (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and delusional disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse disorders); Factors influencing positive health and well-being; Lifestyle and quality of life; Happiness disposition.
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| Therapeutic Approaches |
Psychodynamic therapies; Behaviour therapies; Client-centered therapy; Cognitive therapies; Indigenous therapies (Yoga, Meditation); Biofeedback therapy; Prevention and rehabilitation of the mentally ill; Fostering mental health.
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| Work Psychology and Organisational Behaviour |
Personnel selection and training; Use of psychological tests in the industry; Training and human resource development; Theories of work motivation (Herzberg, Maslow, Adam Equity theory, Porter and Lawler, Vroom); Leadership and participatory management; Advertising and marketing; Stress and its management; Ergonomics; Consumer psychology; Managerial effectiveness; Transformational leadership; Sensitivity training; Power and politics in organizations.
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| Application of Psychology to the Educational Field |
Psychological principles underlying the effective teaching-learning process; Learning styles; Gifted, retarded, learning disabled and their training; Training for improving memory and academic achievement; Personality development and value education; Educational, vocational guidance and career counselling; Use of psychological tests in educational institutions; Effective strategies in guidance programs.
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| Community Psychology |
Definition and concept of community psychology; Use of small groups in social action; Arousing community consciousness and action for handling social problems; Group decision-making and leadership for social change; Effective strategies for social change.
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| Rehabilitation Psychology |
Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs—the role of psychologists; Organising services for the rehabilitation of physically, mentally, and socially challenged persons, including elderly persons; Rehabilitation of persons suffering from substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, and criminal behaviours; Rehabilitation of victims of violence; Rehabilitation of HIV/AIDS victims; The role of social agencies.
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| Application of Psychology to Disadvantaged Groups |
The concepts of disadvantaged and deprivation; Social, physical, cultural, and economic consequences of disadvantaged and deprived groups; Educating and motivating the disadvantaged towards development; Relative and prolonged deprivation.
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| Psychological Problems of Social Integration |
The concept of social integration; The problem of caste, class, religion, and language conflicts and prejudice; Nature and the manifestation of prejudice between the ingroup and outgroup; Causal factors of such conflicts and prejudices; Psychological strategies for handling conflicts and prejudices; Measures to achieve social integration.
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| Application of Psychology in IT and Mass Media |
The present scenario of Information Technology and the mass media boom and the role of psychologists; Selection and training of psychology professionals to work in the field of IT and mass media; Distance learning through IT and mass media; Entrepreneurship through e-commerce; Multilevel marketing; Impact of TV and fostering value through IT and mass media; Psychological consequences of recent developments in Information Technology.
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| Psychology and Economic Development |
Achievement motivation and economic development; Characteristics of entrepreneurial behaviour; Motivating and training people for entrepreneurship and economic development; Consumer rights and consumer awareness; Government policies for the promotion of entrepreneurship among youth, including women entrepreneurs.
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| Application of Psychology to Environment |
Environmental psychology: effects of noise, pollution, and crowding; Population psychology: psychological consequences of population explosion and high population density; Motivating for small family norms; Impact of rapid scientific and technological growth on degradation of the environment.
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| Application of Psychology in Other Fields |
a) Military Psychology: Devising psychological tests for defence personnel for use in selection, training, and counselling; Training psychologists to work with defence personnel in promoting positive health; Human engineering in defence. b) Sports Psychology: Psychological interventions in improving the performance of athletes and sports participants in individual and team games. c) Media: Influences on pro and anti-social behaviour. d) Terrorism: Psychology of terrorism.
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| Psychology of Gender |
Issues of discrimination; Management of diversity; Glass ceiling effect; Self-fulfilling prophecy; Women and Indian society.
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UPSC Psychology Syllabus 2025 Download PDF
Candidates who are appearing in the UPSC Psychology mains Exam can download the UPSC Psychology Syllabus PDF Here. Click on the link below to Download the UPSC Psychology Syllabus 2025.
Download UPSC Psychology Syllabus 2025 PDF
UPSC Psychology Syllabus Preparation Tips
Candidates can check some of the preparation resources added to you like using books and newspapers. You can use online resources through different web portals and platforms. Solve UPSC previous year’s questions to build a strong understanding of these topics.
- Read NCERT Books
- Focus on Key Concepts
- Practice Answer Writing
- Analyze Previous Years’ Papers
- Create a Study Plan
- Current Affairs
Note that consistency, discipline, and a thorough understanding of concepts are key to success in the UPSC Mains Psychology examination. Good luck with your preparation.
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