Topic wise Previous Year Questions (Solved) : Introduction to Psychology | Psychology for UPSC Optional (Notes) PDF Download

Q1: What makes psychology a science? Discuss. (2024)

Ans: Psychology is recognized as a science due to its systematic approach to studying human behavior and mental processes, employing empirical methods to ensure objectivity and reliability. Its scientific status is particularly relevant in India, where psychological insights guide social policies and mental health initiatives.

• Empirical Methods: Psychology uses experiments and observations, like studies on stress among Indian students, to gather verifiable data.
• Objectivity: It minimizes bias through standardized tests, such as IQ assessments in Indian schools, ensuring consistent results.
• Hypothesis Testing: Theories are tested, as in research on caste-based discrimination’s psychological impact, refining understanding through evidence.
• Replicability: Studies, like those on mindfulness in India’s wellness programs, are repeated to confirm findings, strengthening reliability.

For instance, the 2024 NIMHANS study on depression used controlled trials, showcasing scientific rigor. Critics argue psychology’s subjective elements, like emotions, challenge full scientific status, yet its methodological discipline counters this.

Psychology’s scientific foundation lies in its empirical, objective, and replicable approaches, making it a vital tool for understanding human behavior. 

Q2: Citing relevant examples, explain independent, dependent, and mediating variables. (2024)

Ans: Variables are core to psychological research, shaping experimental design and analysis. Independent, dependent, and mediating variables play distinct roles, with applications in India’s diverse psychological studies, enhancing understanding of behavior and interventions.

• Independent Variable (IV): The manipulated factor, like meditation duration in a stress study among Indian IT workers, affecting outcomes.
• Dependent Variable (DV): The measured outcome, such as reduced anxiety levels in the same study, reflecting IV’s impact.
• Mediating Variable: Explains the IV-DV relationship, like improved self-efficacy mediating meditation’s effect on anxiety, clarifying the process.
• Practical Example: In a 2024 Delhi school study, teaching style (IV) influenced student performance (DV), with motivation (mediating) explaining how teaching impacts learning.

The 2024 NIMHANS research on social media (IV) and adolescent self-esteem (DV) found peer validation as a mediator. Critics note identifying mediators requires complex analysis, yet variables ensure precise research.

Understanding variables enables robust psychological research, guiding effective interventions in India’s varied socio-cultural context. 

Q3: Describe the diversity in the disciplinary thoughts with special reference to structuralism, functionalism, and behaviourism. (2024)

Ans: Psychology’s evolution reflects diverse disciplinary thoughts, with structuralism, functionalism, and behaviourism shaping its foundation. These perspectives, relevant to India’s psychological studies, highlight different aspects of mental processes and behavior.

• Structuralism: Led by Wundt, it analyzes consciousness’s structure through introspection, like studying sensory experiences in Indian meditation practices, but its subjectivity limited applicability.
• Functionalism: Pioneered by James, it focuses on mental processes’ adaptive functions, as in studying how Indian students’ coping mechanisms enhance academic resilience.
• Behaviourism: Championed by Watson and Skinner, it emphasizes observable behavior, like using reinforcement in India’s classroom management to improve discipline.
• Comparative Impact: Structuralism laid groundwork for experimental psychology, functionalism inspired applied fields, and behaviourism shaped behavior modification techniques in India’s therapy programs.

For example, 2024 CBSE teacher training used behaviourist principles for student engagement. Critics argue structuralism’s introspection lacks rigor, while behaviourism ignores cognition. Nonetheless, these schools enriched psychology’s scope.

The diversity of structuralism, functionalism, and behaviourism provides a robust framework for understanding human behavior in India’s dynamic context. 

Q4: Critically evaluate the positive and negative effects of modern computer technology and artificial intelligence on human behaviour. (2024)

Ans: Modern computer technology and artificial intelligence (AI) profoundly influence human behavior, offering benefits and challenges. In India, where digital adoption is rapid, evaluating these effects is crucial for shaping policies and mental health strategies.

• Positive Effects: Technology enhances learning, like AI-driven apps improving Indian students’ math skills, and fosters connectivity through social platforms.
• Negative Effects: Excessive screen time, as in India’s urban youth, increases anxiety and reduces attention spans, impacting mental health.
• AI’s Role: AI personalizes experiences, like mental health chatbots in India, but overreliance risks reduced human interaction, as seen in tech-heavy workplaces.
• Ethical Concerns: Data privacy issues, evident in India’s 2024 cyber breaches, erode trust, affecting behavior toward technology.

The 2024 Digital India initiative boosted education access but raised addiction concerns. Critics note technology’s benefits depend on equitable access, often lacking in rural India.

Technology and AI transform behavior positively but require regulation to mitigate negative impacts, ensuring balanced societal progress. 

Q5: What advice would you give to a civil servant to reduce prejudice and discrimination in Indian society? Discuss. (2024)

Ans: Prejudice and discrimination, rooted in caste, religion, and gender, challenge India’s social fabric. As a civil servant, leveraging psychological principles can foster inclusivity and reduce biases, aligning with India’s constitutional values.

• Promote Contact Hypothesis: Facilitate intergroup interactions, like community programs in Uttar Pradesh, reducing stereotypes through shared activities.
• Educate on Cognitive Biases: Train officials and citizens, as in Karnataka’s anti-caste campaigns, to recognize and counter unconscious biases.
• Implement Behavioral Interventions: Use nudging, like inclusive messaging in public offices, to encourage equitable behavior, as seen in Delhi’s gender-neutral policies.
• Strengthen Policy Enforcement: Ensure strict action against discrimination, like enforcing SC/ST Act provisions, deterring biased behavior.

The 2024 Beti Bachao campaign reduced gender prejudice through awareness drives. Critics note deep-rooted cultural norms resist change, requiring sustained efforts.

Civil servants can reduce prejudice by combining psychological strategies and robust policies, fostering a more inclusive Indian society.

Q6: How is the descriptive type of research different from diagnostic research? Answer the question giving suitable examples of each. (2023)

Ans: Descriptive and diagnostic research are distinct psychological research approaches, each serving unique purposes in understanding behavior and mental processes. Their differences are critical in India’s context, where research informs social and health policies.

• Descriptive Research: It observes and describes phenomena without manipulation, like surveying stress levels among Indian students to document patterns.
• Diagnostic Research: It identifies causes and relationships, such as analyzing factors behind student stress, like academic pressure or family expectations.
• Scope and Depth: Descriptive research provides snapshots, as in India’s 2023 mental health surveys, while diagnostic research delves deeper, linking stress to socio-economic factors.
• Examples: A descriptive study maps depression prevalence in Mumbai; a diagnostic study explores how urbanization contributes to it.

The 2023 NIMHANS survey described mental health trends, while its diagnostic follow-up identified workplace stress causes. Critics note descriptive research lacks causal insights, but both are complementary.

Descriptive and diagnostic research together provide comprehensive insights, guiding effective psychological interventions in India. 

Q7: "Mental health study is the major trend in Psychological studies in the 21st century." Discuss. (2023)

Ans: Mental health has emerged as a dominant focus in 21st-century psychology, driven by rising awareness and societal challenges. In India, where mental health issues are increasingly recognized, this trend shapes research and policy.

• Growing Prevalence: Rising depression and anxiety, as in India’s urban youth, fuel research on causes and interventions.
• Technological Integration: Studies use AI and apps, like India’s 2023 teletherapy trials, to enhance mental health access.
• Social Relevance: Research addresses stigma, as in campaigns like Bell Bajao, promoting help-seeking behavior.
• Policy Impact: Findings inform laws, like India’s Mental Healthcare Act, ensuring treatment rights.

The 2023 NIMHANS study on workplace mental health highlighted stress management needs. Critics argue overemphasis on mental health may neglect other areas, like cognitive psychology, but its urgency is undeniable.

Mental health’s prominence in psychology reflects its critical role in addressing modern challenges, driving inclusive well-being in India. 

Q8: What do you mean by subliminal perception? Discuss its role in advertising with the help of suitable examples. (2023)

Ans: Subliminal perception refers to processing stimuli below conscious awareness, influencing behavior or attitudes. In advertising, it subtly shapes consumer preferences, raising ethical concerns, particularly in India’s vibrant media landscape.

• Definition: Subliminal perception involves stimuli, like brief images, processed unconsciously, as in ads affecting brand recall.
• Role in Advertising: It creates emotional connections, like soft music in Indian FMCG ads evoking trust.
• Examples: A 2023 Indian cola ad flashed refreshing imagery, boosting subconscious appeal; jewelry ads use subtle family cues to evoke tradition.
• Ethical Issues: Manipulative subliminal ads, like hidden messages, risk consumer autonomy, prompting regulatory scrutiny in India.

The 2023 ban on misleading ads in India addressed subliminal tactics. Critics argue its effectiveness is overstated, yet its psychological impact is significant.

Subliminal perception in advertising influences consumer behavior subtly, necessitating ethical guidelines to protect India’s consumers. 

Q9: Your relative is going through chemotherapy. How will your knowledge about learning theories be helpful? (2023)

Ans: Learning theories, rooted in psychology, explain how behaviors are acquired and modified, offering practical support for someone undergoing chemotherapy. In India, where cancer care is challenging, these theories can enhance coping and recovery.

• Classical Conditioning: Pairing positive stimuli, like calming music with hospital visits, reduces chemotherapy-related anxiety, as seen in Indian cancer support groups.
• Operant Conditioning: Rewarding small achievements, like maintaining nutrition, with praise, reinforces healthy habits, practiced in Delhi’s oncology wards.
• Social Learning: Observing resilient patients, as in India’s cancer survivor networks, inspires coping strategies through modeling.
• Cognitive Learning: Teaching problem-solving, like managing side effects, empowers patients, as in 2023 Mumbai hospital workshops.

For example, a 2023 Tata Memorial initiative used operant conditioning to encourage adherence to treatment schedules. Critics note individual differences affect outcomes, but tailored applications work.

Learning theories provide actionable strategies to support chemotherapy patients, improving their emotional and physical resilience in India.

 Q10: Explain in detail the use of computer technology in psychological studies. Give your answer citing appropriate recent work in the field. (2023)

Ans: Computer technology has transformed psychological studies, enabling precise data collection, analysis, and intervention delivery. In India, where digital tools are expanding, these advancements enhance research and mental health outcomes.

• Data Collection: Online surveys and apps, like 2023 NIMHANS mental health apps, gather real-time data on stress and depression.
• Experimental Design: Software simulates scenarios, as in Delhi’s 2023 VR studies on phobia treatment, improving control and scalability.
• Data Analysis: Tools like SPSS analyze complex datasets, as in India’s 2023 adolescent behavior studies, identifying trends.
• Interventions: AI chatbots, like India’s 2023 teletherapy platforms, provide accessible counseling, addressing mental health stigma.

The 2023 IIT Madras study used AI to predict learning disabilities, showcasing technology’s diagnostic power. Critics note digital divides limit rural access in India, but technology’s potential is vast.

Computer technology revolutionizes psychological research and practice, driving innovative solutions for India’s diverse population.