UPSC Mains PSYCHOLOGY-PAPER-I 2025

28 Questions • 400 Marks • With Detailed Model Answers

1
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(a) Why did behaviourists avoid the topics of thought and knowledge ? Discuss.

PsychologyHistory of Psychology
2
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(b) Highlight the major factors that influence the psychological well-being of youth in the Indian setting.

PsychologySocial PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology
3
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(c) Do attribution processes explain success and failure behaviour in social context ? Answer this in the light of Weiner's model of attribution.

PsychologySocial Psychology
4
10 Marks150 Wordshard

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(d) Critically evaluate the role of facial-affect programme and display rules in the expression of emotions by citing relevant examples.

PsychologyEmotionSocial Psychology
5
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(e) 'IQ tests are too narrow in focus.' Evaluate the statement from the perspectives of Sternberg and Gardner's theories of intelligence.

PsychologyCognitive Psychology
6
20 Marksmedium

'Personality is all in our genes.' Evaluate the statement in the context of different personality theories.

PsychologyPersonality Psychology
7
15 Marksmedium

When psychologists label their perspective 'humanistic', what does this term mean to you ? What is its relevance in the modern era ?

PsychologyHumanistic Psychology
8
15 Marksmedium

In what ways is probability sampling appropriate in the conduct of psychological research ? Illustrate your answer with different techniques of probability sampling.

PsychologyResearch Methods
9
20 Markshard

Discuss the role of biological, cognitive and learning influences on gender identity and gender typing by focusing on relevant theories and research studies.

PsychologySocial PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology
10
15 Marksmedium

Are quasi-experimental designs more advantageous than experimental designs? Discuss in the light of various methodological considerations.

PsychologyResearch Methods
11
15 Marksmedium

Bring out the contributions of Binet and Wechsler in the measurement of intelligence. In what ways are Wechsler's approach and procedures more effective than Binet's approach and procedures ? Discuss with examples.

PsychologyCognitive Psychology
12
20 Marksmedium

Describe social cognitive theory and its applications to solve large scale societal problems.

PsychologySocial PsychologyBehavioral Psychology
13
15 Markshard

'Meditation alters consciousness.' Discuss this by explaining meditation and consciousness along with relevant research examples.

PsychologyCognitive PsychologyNeuroscience
14
15 Markshard

What is the Whorfian hypothesis of linguistic relativity? Evaluate with empirical evidences.

PsychologyCognitive PsychologyLinguistics
15
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(a) Do correlational studies contribute in understanding 'cause and effect' relationship in human behaviour? Discuss.

PsychologyResearch Methods
16
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(b) Explain how psychological and cultural factors affect perception.

PsychologyCognitive PsychologySocial Psychology
17
10 Marks150 Wordshard

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(c) Can amnesia patients recall emotional events ? Explain your answer citing research evidence.

PsychologyCognitive PsychologyNeuroscience
18
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(d) Discuss how the narrative approach to personality hinges on answering the question, ‘Who am I ?’.

PsychologyPersonality Psychology
19
10 Marks150 Wordsmedium

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

(e) Is jet-lag a genuine phenomena ? Explain it in the light of Circadian rhythms.

PsychologyBiological PsychologySleep
20
20 Marksmedium

How would you justify the use of factor analysis in psychological research? Answer with appropriate concepts and examples.

PsychologyResearch MethodsStatistics
21
15 Marksmedium

State the structure of language and explain its role in speech perception and comprehension.

PsychologyCognitive PsychologyLinguistics
22
15 Marksmedium

What enables us to see the world in 3D despite our retinas capturing only 2D images? Explain.

PsychologyPerceptionNeuroscience
23
20 Markshard

'Motivation is a complex process and cannot be explained by a single approach.' Evaluate the statement with the help of arousal, drive and expectancy theories by citing relevant examples.

PsychologyMotivationBehavioral Psychology
24
15 Marksmedium

Distinguish between deductive and inductive reasoning and throw light on stumbling blocks of reasoning.

PsychologyCognitive Psychology
25
15 Marksmedium

Reward and punishment sometimes fail to effectively change behaviour. Explain with relevant examples.

PsychologyBehavioral PsychologyLearning
26
20 Markshard

Why do human beings form attitudes and prejudices ? Discuss the role of psychosocial factors in bringing the change in them, in the present Indian socio-cultural context.

PsychologySocial PsychologyCultural Psychology
27
15 Marksmedium

Give two examples of the use of the availability heuristic in everyday life - one example when it would be appropriate and another example when it might not be. Explain why your examples are illustrative of availability heuristic.

PsychologyCognitive Psychology
28
15 Marksmedium

Describe some major strategies for memory retention and explain each one with relevant examples.

PsychologyCognitive Psychology