CBSE Syllabus for Class 11 Psychology
Course Structure
| Unit | Topic | Marks |
| I | What is Psychology? | 7 |
| II | Methods of Enquiry in Psychology | 10 |
| III | The Bases of Human Behaviour | 8 |
| IV | Human Development | 6 |
| V |
Sensory, Attentional and Perceptual
Processes |
8 |
| VI | Learning | 9 |
| VII | Human Memory | 8 |
| VIII | Thinking | 7 |
| IX | Motivation and Emotion | 7 |
| Total | 70 |
Unit I: What is psychology?
- Introduction
-
What is Psychology?
- (i) Consciousness (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- a) Psychology as a Discipline
- b) Psychology as a Natural Science
- c) Psychology as a Social Science
- Understanding Mind and Behaviour
- Popular Notions about the Discipline of Psychology
- Evolution of Psychology
- Development of Psychology in India
- Branches of Psychology
- Themes of Research and Applications
- Psychology and Other Disciplines
- Psychologists at Work
-
Psychology in Everyday Life
- (i) Linkages across psychological processes (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
Unit II: Methods of Enquiry in Psychology
- Introduction
-
Goals of Psychological Enquiry
- a) Steps in Conducting Scientific Research
- b) Alternative Paradigms of Research
- Nature of Psychological Data
-
Some Important Methods in Psychology
- a) Observational Method
- b) Experimental Method
- c) Correlational Research
- d) Survey Research
- e) Psychological Testing
- f) Case Study
-
Analysis of Data
- a. Quantitative Method
- (i) Concepts and computation of the Measures of Central Tendency; Graphical Presentation of Data: Bar, Histogram, Polygon(From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- b. Qualitative Method
- Limitations of Psychological Enquiry
- Ethical Issues
Unit III: The Bases of Human Behaviour
- Introduction
- Evolutionary Perspective
- Biological and Cultural Roots
-
Biological Basis of Behaviour
- a) Neurons
- Structure and Functions of Nervous System and
- Endocrine System and their Relationship with
-
Behaviour and Experience
- a) The Nervous System
- (i) Sleep and Wakefulness(From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- b) The Endocrine System
- Heredity: Genes and Behaviour
-
Cultural Basis : Socio-Cultural Shaping of Behaviour
- a) Concept of Culture
- Enculturation
- Socialisation
-
Acculturation
- (i) Globalization (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- (ii) Diversity and Pluralism in the Indian Context (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
Unit IV: Human Development
- Introduction
-
Meaning of Development
- a) Life-Span Perspective on Development
- Factors Influencing Development
- Context of Development
-
Overview of Developmental Stages
- a) Prenatal Stage
- Infancy
- Childhood
- Challenges of Adolescence
- Adulthood and Old Age
Unit V: Sensory, Attentional, and Perceptual Processes
- Introduction
- Knowing the world
- Nature and varieties of Stimulus
-
Sense Modalities
- a) Visual Sensation
- b) Auditory Sensation
-
Attentional Processes
- a) Selective Attention
- b) Sustained Attention
-
Perceptual Processes
- a) Processing Approaches in Perception
- The Perceiver
- Principles of Perceptual Organisation
-
Perception of Space, Depth, and Distance
- a) Monocular Cues and Binocular Cues
- Perceptual Constancies
- Illusions
-
Socio-Cultural Influences on Perception
- (i) Person Perception
Unit VI: Learning
- Introduction
- Nature of Learning
- Paradigms of Learning
- Classical Conditioning
- Determinants of Classical Conditioning
-
Operant/Instrumental Conditioning
- a) Determinants of Operant Conditioning
- b) Key Learning Processes
- Observational Learning
- Cognitive Learning
- Verbal Learning
- Concept Learning
- Skill Learning
-
Transfer of Learning
- (i) Learning Curve (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- Factors Facilitating Learning
- The Learner : Learning Styles
- Learning Disabilities
- Applications of Learning Principles
Unit VII: Human Memory
- Introduction
- Nature of memory
-
Information processing Approach : The Stage Model
- (i) An alternative approach – The Information Processing Perspective (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- Memory Systems : Sensory, Short-term and Long-term Memories
- Levels of Processing
-
Types of Long-term Memory
- a) Declarative and Procedural; Episodic and Semantic
- Knowledge Representation and Organisation in Memory
- Memory as a Constructive Process
-
Nature and Causes of Forgetting
- a) Forgetting due to Trace Decay, Interference and Retrieval Failure
- b) Pathologies related to Memory (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
-
Enhancing Memory
- a) Mnemonics using Images and Organisation
Unit VIII: Thinking
- Introduction
-
Nature of Thinking
- a) Building Blocks of Thought
- The Processes of Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Reasoning
- Decision-making
-
Nature and Process of Creative Thinking
- a) Nature of Creative Thinking
- b) Process of Creative Thinking
-
Developing Creative Thinking
- a) Barriers to Creative Thinking
- b) Strategies for Creative Thinking
-
Thought and Language
- (i) Stages of Cognitive development Introduction to the ideas of Piaget, and Vygotsky (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- Development of Language and Language Use
Unit IX: Motivation and Emotion
- Introduction
- Nature of Motivation
-
Types of Motives
- a) Biological Motives
- b) Psychosocial Motives
- Maslow‟s Hierarchy of Needs
- Nature of Emotions
- Physiological Bases of Emotions
- Cognitive Bases of Emotions
- Cultural Bases of Emotions
-
Expression of Emotions
- a) Culture and Emotional Expression
- b) Culture and Emotional Labelling
- Managing Negative Emotions
-
Enhancing Positive Emotions
- (i) Human Existence (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- (ii) Competence (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- (iii) Self-efficacy (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- (iv) Intrinsic motivation (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
- (v) Development of positive emotions (From the CBSE Supplementary Reading Material)
