Psychology Class 12 Syllabus

The syllabus consists of nine units. The duration of the exam is 3 Hours and Maximum Marks are 70.

Exam Structure

Unit Topic Marks
I Variations in Psychological Attributes 9
II Self and Personality 10
III Meeting Life Challenges 7
IV Psychological Disorders 10
V Therapeutic Approaches 7
VI Attitude and Social Cognition 8
VII Social Influence and Group Processes 7
VIII Psychology and Life 6
IX Developing Psychological Skills 6
  Total 70

Unit I: Variations in Psychological Attributes

  1. Introduction
  2. Individual Differences in Human Functioning
  3. Assessment of Psychological Attributes
  4. Intelligence
  5. Theories of Intelligence
    • Theory of Multiple Intelligences
    • Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
    • Planning, Attention-arousal, and Simultaneous successive Model of Intelligence
  6. Individual Differences in Intelligence
    • Variations of Intelligence
  7. Culture and Intelligence
  8. Emotional Intelligence
  9. Special Abilities
    • Aptitude: Nature and Measurement
  10. Creativity

Unit II: Self and Personality

  1. Introduction
  2. Self and Personality
  3. Concept of Self
  4. Cognitive and Behavioural Aspects of Self
    • Self-esteem, Self-efficacy and Self-regulation
  5. Culture and Self
  6. Concept of Personality
  7. Major Approaches to the Study of Personality
    • Type Approaches
    • Trait Approaches
    • Psychodynamic Approach
    • Behavioural Approach
    • Cultural Approach
    • Humanistic Approach
  8. Assessment of Personality
    • Self-report Measures
    • Projective Techniques
    • Behavioural Analysis

Unit III: Meeting Life Challenges

  1. Introduction
  2. Nature, Types and Sources of Stress
  3. Effects of Stress on Psychological Functioning and Health
    • Stress and Health
    • General Adaptation Syndrome
    • Stress and Immune System
    • Lifestyle
  4. Coping with Stress
    • Stress Management Techniques
  5. Promoting Positive Health and Well-being
    • Stress Resistant Personality
    • Life Skills
    • Positive Health

Unit IV: Psychological Disorders

  1. Introduction
  2. Concepts of abnormality and psychological Disorders
    • Historical Background
  3. Classification of Psychological Disorders
  4. Factors Underlying Abnormal Behaviour
  5. Major Psychological Disorders
    • Anxiety Disorders
    • Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
    • Trauma-and Stressor-Related Disorders
    • Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
    • Dissociative Disorders
    • Depressive Disorder
    • Bipolar and Related Disorders
    • Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders
    • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
    • Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders
    • Feeding and Eating Disorders
    • Substance Related and Addictive Disorders

Unit V: Therapeutic Approaches

  1. Nature and process of psychotherapy
    • Therapeutic relationship
  2. Types of therapies
    • Psychodynamic Therapy
    • Behaviour Therapy
    • Cognitive Therapy
    • Humanistic-existential Therapy
    • Biomedical Therapy
    • Alternative Therapies
  3. Rehabilitation of the Mentally III

Unit VI: Attitude And Social Cognition

  1. Introduction
  2. Explaining Social Behaviour
  3. Nature and Components of Attitudes
  4. Attitude Formation and Change
    • Attitude Formation
    • Attitude Change
    • Attitude-Behaviour Relationship
  5. Prejudice and Discrimination
  6. Strategies for Handling Prejudice
  7. Social Cognition
  8. Schemas and Stereotypes
  9. Impression Formation and Explaining
  10. Behaviour of Others through Attributions
    • Behaviour of Others through Attributions
    • Impression Formation
    • Attribution of Causality
  11. Behaviour in the Presence of Others
  12. Pro-social Behaviour
    • Factors Affecting Pro-social Behaviour

Unit VII: Social Influence And Group Processes

  1. Introduction
  2. Nature and Formation of Groups
  3. Type of Groups
  4. Influence of Group on Individual Behaviour
    • Social Loafing
    • Group Polarisation
  5. Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience
  6. Cooperation and Competition
    • Determinants of Cooperation and Competition
  7. Social Identity
  8. Intergroup Conflict: Nature and Causes
  9. Conflict Resolution Strategies

Unit VIII: Psychology and Life

  1. Introduction
  2. Human-Environment Relationship
    • Different Views of the Human-Environment Relationship
  3. Environmental Effects on Human Behaviour
    • Human Influence on the Environment
    • Noise
    • Pollution
    • Crowding
    • Natural Disasters
  4. Promoting Pro-environmental Behaviour
  5. Psychology and Social Concerns
    • Poverty and Discrimination
    • Aggression, Violence, and Peace
    • Mahatma Gandhi on Non-violence
    • Health
    • Impact of Television on Behaviour

Unit IX: Developing Psychological Skills

  1. Introduction
  2. Developing as an effective Psychologist
  3. General Skills
  4. Observational Skills
  5. Specific Skills
    • Communication Skills
    • Psychological Testing Skills
  6. Interviewing Skills
  7. Counselling Skills