Preview_PYQ_Psychology

Preview

Previous Years’ Solved Papers

Psychology





PAPER-1 (2016-2019)



Previous Years’ Solved Papers


Psychology





PAPER-1 (2016-2019)





For Civil Services (Main) Examination











Arun Kumar

Ex-Commissioner, DI
Central Vigilance Commission

Madhusoodan Sunnambala

MSc. M.Phil, Psychology
Official Examiner (Psychology), IB

Published by
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ISBN: 978-93-89176-74-2
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Preface



It is with great contention that we humbly place this book among the aspirants
from the UPSC Community who have chosen Psychology as their Optional Subject
or do intend to do so in the near future. Though on one hand, this is the first
book which provides a comprehensive account of the Past Year Solved Papers
of UPSC Psychology Optional (Paper 1), as we wrote this book, we made
deliberate attempts to supersede the only limited dimension in which a reader
might perceive this book. It took a great deal of effort from our end, our team
and our faculty members to draft this Answer Booklet cum Guide on ‘How to
Write Effective Answers in Psychology Paper’, ‘The Past Years Trends and
Analysis’, etc. As you will go through the text, you will realise that this is not
only an elaborate culmination of Past Year Solved Questions. This is one of a
kind experiment, which has been made in the UPSC Community, a book which
seeks to teach its readers: How to understand the demands of the question? How
to decipher the marking scheme of the UPSC Psychology Optional Examination?
How to write effective Answers? Etc.
Psychology is a powerful and intriguing subject. On one hand as it seeks to
investigate the components and functioning of the mind, on the other hand, it is
a subject which will help you understand and appreciate your feelings and
emotions and thoughts and desires in a better manner. It will help you develop a
scientific understanding of yourself as a being. It will help you deal with the
stress of the examination. From the exam standpoint, the subject of Psychology
goes brilliantly with GS Paper IV, i.e. Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude, and on the
other hand, with the ‘Essay paper’. This is because all these papers require the
candidate to develop the skill of ‘abstract thinking’. If the art of Answer Writing
is dealt with successfully, it will enable a candidate to transfer his skills in the
Ethics as well as the Essay paper. Overall, with Psychology as an optional, the
candidate can play in a 1,000 Marks range (500 for Optional, 250 for Essay
Paper and 250 for Ethics paper). We hope the reader would take an active interest
in acknowledging the various new concepts which have been introduced through
this book; the concept of ‘Blooms Taxonomy’ or the concept of ‘Command
Terms’. Our Indian Education system really doesn’t teach these things until a
student reaches at a post-graduate level under certain teaching courses. But most
of the competitive exams do incorporate the use of these tools. As a result, we
have made our best sincere effort to help the reader understand these terminologies
in the most efficient and effective manner in context to the subject of Psychology.
We keenly look forward for your feedback/input at: magnusedutech@gmail.com



Acknowledgements



We extend our deepest gratitude to our team, our publishers and everyone who
has turned this endeavour into a bright possibility.

We are thankful to Rithwik Aryan, for working endless hours and assisting us in
drafting all the research, answers, etc; Sulekh Varma and the team at OakBridge
Publishing for working with ferocious zeal and enthusiasm even during the tough
times of COVID and publishing this book under such a short notice.
We are also thankful to our extended family in the UPSC Community - Ahana
Saha, Ruchika Somani, Surya, Jitesh and Nirpesh. We are lucky to have your
valuable association.



Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)
Syllabus


Syllabus









Syllabus of Psychology Paper 1 – Civil Services (Main)
Examination

1. Introduction
   Definition of Psychology;
   Historical antecedents of Psychology and trends in the 21st century;

   Psychology and scientific methods;
   Psychology in relation to other social sciences and natural sciences;
   Application of Psychology to societal problems.


2. 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 design,
Quasi-experimental designs; Focussed group discussions, brain storming,
grounded theory approach.

3. Research Methods
   Major steps in Psychological research (problem statement, hypothesis
formulation, research designs, sampling, tools of data collection, analysis
and interpretation and report writing)
   Fundamental versus applied research;

   Methods of data collection (interview, observation, questionnaire);
   Research designs (ex-post facto and experimental);
   Application of statistical technique (t – test, two way ANOVA
correlation, regression and factor analysis);
   Item response theory.

x Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)


4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Learning
   Concept and theories of learning (Behaviourists, Gestaltalist and
Information processing models);
   The Processes of extinction, discrimination and generalization;
   Programmed learning, probability learning, self-instructional learning,
concepts;
   Types and the schedules of reinforcement, escape, avoidance and
punishment, modeling and social learning.

7. Memory
   Encoding and remembering;

   Short term memory, Long term memory, Sensory memory, Iconic
memory, Echoic memory:

Syllabus xi


   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.

8. 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.

9. 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 the related issues.

10. Intelligence and Aptitude
   Concept of intelligence and aptitude,
   Nature and theories of intelligence – Spearman, Thurstone, Gullford
Vernon, Sternberg and 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.

11. Personality
   Definition and concept of personality;

   Theories of personality (psychoanalytical, sociocultural, interpersonal,
developmental, humanistic, behaviouristic, trait and type approaches);

xii Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)


   Measurement of personality (projective tests, pencil-paper test);

   The Indian approach to personality;
   Training for personality development;
   Latest approaches like big 5 factor theory;

   The notion of self in different traditions.

12. Attitudes, Values and Interests
   Definition of attitudes, values and interests;
   Components of attitudes; Formation and maintenance of attitudes;

   Measurement of attitudes, values and interests;
   Theories of attitude change; Strategies for fostering values;
   Formation of stereotypes and prejudices; Changing others behaviour;

   Theories of attribution;
   Recent trends.

13. 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.

14. 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.
●————●

Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)
Trend Analysis


Trend Analysis





























Figure 1: 2016 Paper 1: Trends and Analysis Graph

●————●

xiv Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)
























Figure 2: 2017 Paper 1: Trends and Analysis Graph
The 2017 question paper was quite basic in nature. Anyone with a good
understanding of Psychology and efficiency in Answer Writing would have been
able to score well.
Special Emphasis was laid on ‘Research Methods’ with 3-4 Higher-order
thinking questions:
In a study, the number of student intake in a college correlated
very highly with violence. Explain the research finding. 10M
Which research design would you apply to prove that a particular
method of teaching yields best results? Describe. 20M
Evaluate ‘interview’ as a method of data collection. 20M
High weightage was also given to the Unit: Memory with following questions:
Why do we forget? Differentiate between anterograde and
retrograde amnesia. 20M
Explain the role of meaningfulness and emotional arousal in
encoding. Discuss the implications of encoding specificity principle. 15M

Trend Analysis xv


Explain the differences in information processing at various
levels of memory. In what way is recall affected by initial
processing of information. 15M
One tricky question from Unit 13: Language and Communication, which holds
high importance for future papers is:
Critically evaluate Noam Chomsky’s theory of transformational
grammar. 10M
●————●

xvi Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)























Figure 3: 2018 Paper 1: Trends and Analysis Graph

The 2018 Paper 1 was highly conceptual with equal distribution of Questions
from almost every Unit. Some of the challenging questions (challenging because
of the ‘Command Term’ or because there are either limited resources available
for that concept) which were posed are:
Explain and Critically evaluate the phenomenon of perceptual
defence. (Unit: Sensation, Attention, Perception) 10M
How have neuroscientists and evolutionary scientists contributed
to modern psychology? 15M
Differentiate between various developmental tasks of young men
and women in India. (Unit: Human Development) 15M
Discuss contemporary research on stimulating human intelligence
using machines and their implications in understanding of Human
Behaviour. (Unit: Intelligence) 15M

●————●

Trend Analysis xvii























Figure 4: 2019 Paper 1: Trends and Analysis Graph

Observations from the Latest Paper (2019 Paper 1)


(1) Breaking the Pattern
Previously, students were used to encountering various Applicative and
Integrative questions in the Compulsory Section, i.e., Question 1 and Question 5
of paper 1. Questions like ‘How can Psychology be used to tackle the problem of
global climate change?’ (2018) or ‘Discuss how you used Psychology to Solve a
Social Problem?’ (2017). Questions like these don’t belong to a particular unit.
On the other hand, these questions try to assess the candidate’s holistic grasp on
the various concepts of Psychology; their divergent thinking, creativity,
application skills, etc. The 2019 Question Paper didn’t have any such questions.
This is because, the 2019 UPSC Psychology Paper 1 wasn’t really designed to
check the candidate’ ability to integrate various topics or otherwise check their
ability to provide solutions to daily problems using the basic theories of
Psychology.
On the other hand, the 2019 Paper was really designed to break the candidate’s
existing notions about the Pattern of the Paper.

xviii Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)


As human beings, we tend to seek for patterns. These patterns help us make
quick or efficient decisions. In other words, these patterns serve as short-cuts
which makes our tasks easier. Sometimes so much easier, that we start working
in smarter ways or creating hacks. Competitive Exams appreciate ‘Smart Work’
but they don’t really like to feel that they are being hacked or violated.
This is what was happening initially: Usually students would expect the
paper to be in a linear pattern. This meant that Question No. 2 or 3 in the paper,
would comprise of topics from Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, etc. The compulsory
question from Section B would only comprise of Questions from Unit 7 to Unit
14. I.e. No one would expect a question from Unit 10: Intelligence in Section
A. Or, no one would expect a question from Unit 6: Learning in Section B.
Unit 1-7 were meant for Section A and Unit 8-14 were meant for Section B.
There was no crossing of borders. But UPSC asked a Question from Unit 10
in Section A. They also asked a question from Unit 6 in Section B. The
funnier part is that, they made it a part of the compulsory question. Which
meant that if the student had gone to the exam hall with limited preparation
(i.e., with the intention of dodging questions from few units), he was bound
to lose marks.

(2) Exploring Deeper Pockets
Another interesting observation which can be made in the 2019 Paper, is that
UPSC nudged the candidates to go a little deeper into the concepts which they
study. One of the two crucial things we have always told our students is that
‘Integration’ is the key towards cracking this exam. Specially when it comes to
Psychology Optional, the student must always be in a position to integrate the
topics so that he/she can look at the bigger picture. For example, if the student is
learning about the ‘Schema Theory’, he must also know ‘How these Schemas are
stored in our mind?’ (Topic: Memory), How these schemas can be changed with
experience (Piaget’s theory, Role of Assimilation & Accommodation, Topic:
Human Development) and then How these Schemas affect they way we assimilate
information in future, etc.

Similarly, under Unit 2 and Unit 3 of Paper 1, which broadly deals with the
idea of ‘Research’, though it is important that the student knows the difference
between Experimental and Non-Experimental Design, it is crucial that the
student knows about the various methods of collecting data. But at the same time,
the student must also think Critically and keep posing questions about the
‘Reliability’ and ‘Validity’ of any research.
In short, the student must always be integrating topics from Inside the Unit
and then Across the Units. It is only then, that they will feel capable of writing
crisp and informative answers to the questions which are asked in the exam.

Trend Analysis xix


This has been a general trend from as long as 2014. An unconventional
measure UPSC took in 2019 was that they reminded the candidates to not
only focus on integration, but also to never leave a topic unattended, even if
much information hasn’t been provided about it. It sometimes so happens in
NCERT or Baron, that students would come across a topic about which hardly 4
or 5 lines have been mentioned. They make a note of it, and then they move on.
That is a detrimental approach. For example:

(i) In the compulsory question of 2019, UPSC asked the first question about
‘Teleological Behaviourism’. The much notorious question: ‘The edifice
of Behaviourism was built on the loopholes of the teleological approach
in Psychoanalysis. Evaluate’. Even though this question is a part of the
historical antecedents of Psychology, students usually don’t come across
this topic in particular. This is because Teleological Behaviourism was
an advanced version of the School of Behaviourism. I.e. it is that extra
mile which the student failed to travel.
nd
(ii) The 2 question (Q. No. 1) b) was asked about ‘Diagnostic and Prognostic
Research’. This is one of those topics which is clearly mentioned in the
syllabus, but not much of information is given about it in the existing
coursebooks. As a result, students tend to overlook them. Even the
rd
3 question focussed on the importance of ’Hypothesis’ in Psychological
research. Students usually know the types of hypothesis, but never really
give a thought about what does a Hypothesis do really?
These points should serve as a reminder: that the student must go an extra mile
(i.e. explore the topics deeply, with enough enthusiasm and curiosity) if they
wish to ace in the examination.
Every topic is important. And there is no way that you can skip a concept or
two (just because it is not discussed widely) and expect to supersede the 300+
boundary. Even the Section B of the 2019 Paper 1 had a lot of shuffling. Special
emphasis was laid on Unit 13: Language & Communication with the compulsory
question: ‘Evaluate the Critical Period Hypothesis’ in Language Acquisition.
Even a compulsory question from Unit 1 was asked in Section B.

All this shows that the 2019 Paper was all about shuffling and breaking pre-
conceived notions.

Way Forward
One note-worthy point we would like to make before we begin making
assumptions about the future paper is that the UPSC has always raised
important questions from the unit ‘Attitude, Value & Interests’. If you
see the above-mentioned graphs, you will realise that every year 2-3

xx Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)


questions are asked from ‘Attitude, Values and Interests’. So, this is one
topic you must focus on.
In the upcoming examinations, we can expect the UPSC to lay special
emphasis on topics like ‘Motivation & Emotion’, because not many
theoretical questions have been asked from this unit post 2015. Unit 14:
Issues & Perspectives in Modern Contemporary Psychology is also an
important unit for future Papers.
Apart from this, we suggest that while revising, students should study
‘Human Development’ and ‘Language and Communication’ together.
Students must also pay special emphasis on various basic aspects of
‘Unit 2’ and ‘Unit 3’ for Paper 1. Questions from very basic concepts can
be asked from Unit 3: Research Methods. These basic concepts could
include: Major steps involved in Psychological Research, Ethical
implications of conducting Research on Humans and Animals, etc.
●————●

Contents



Preface v
Acknowledgements vii
Syllabus ix
Trend Analysis xiii
Contents xxi

How to Write Scoring Answers in Psychology Optional? 1
Decoding the question using ‘Command Terms’ 1
Why did the goats get slaughtered? 3
Why does this happen? 4
Do you think subliminal messages can actually lead to significant
changes in attitudes or behaviour? Cite research evidence 4
Bloom’s Taxonomy: A one stop methodology of understanding
exactly what the Question is trying to assess 5



SOLVED PAPERS


Civil Services Main Examination 2016 - Paper 1 11
(1) 11
(a) Explain how the fundamental understanding of psychology is
helpful in the resolution of societal problems 11

(b) How can confounding variables invalidate the apparent results
of an experiment? 12
(c) ‘Cognitive Psychologists often use computer as an analogy to
explain the relation between cognition and brain.’ Discuss. 13
(d) Identify the most important changes that occur during adolescence 14
(e) What do you understand by Amnesia? Illustrate the types of
amnesia with reference to the case of H.M’s brain operation 14
(2) 15
(a) Discuss, with suitable examples, the key characteristics of
within-group and between-group designs. 15

xxii Contents


(b) Describe the processing of sensory input and explain how it is
selected, organised and interpreted. 16
(c) Show your acquaintance with the cognitive approach to
classical conditioning and describe how classical conditioning
principles can be used to solve everyday problems. 17
(3) 19

(a) Give a critical appraisal of interference theory of forgetting and
show how the process of retrieval inhibition influences
forgetting. 19
(b) Describe the phenomenon of subliminal perception and explain
it with reference to the concepts of backward marking and
visual priming. Do you think that the effect of the phenomenon
of subliminal perception can be generalised? 20

(c) Critically evaluate Erikson’s stages of Psychosocial development. 21
(4) 21
(a) Describe the parenting styles that are used in raising a normal
child. 21

(b) How far do you agree with the contention that a more preferred
activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity? Also
describe the types of reinforcement. 22
(c) Explain the phenomenon of implicit and explicit memories.
Also critically evaluate Tulving’s model of long-term memory. 23
(5) 24
(a) Describe the characteristics of Gardner’s theory of Intelligence. 24

(b) Explain different types of psycho-active drugs and patterns of
their use. 25

(c) Discuss cognitive dissonance theory of attitude change. 25
(d) Explain the contribution of Salovey and Mayer with regard to
the concept of emotional intelligence. 26
(e) What is meant by attribution? Describe, citing examples, the
phenomenon of attributional augmentation. 27
(6) 27
(a) Explain the components of attitude and examine the methods of
attitude formation. 27

Contents xxiii


(b) Distinguish between mundane and exceptional creatives and
citing suitable research evidences, describe the confluence
approach to creativity. 29
(c) Are Projective Tests really projective in nature? Describe
Rorschach and TAT tests, by commenting on their reliabilities. 31
(7) 32

(a) Critically examine the metacognitive processes in problem
solving. How do functional fixedness and mental set interfere in
solving the problems effectively? 32
(b) Explain motivational concepts with reference to homeostatic
models. 33
(c) Describe the physiological changes that are accompanied by
shifts in consciousness in the process of sleep. Also discuss
major sleep disorders. 34
(8) 35
(a) Give a comparative account of information processing models
of intelligence proposed by Sternberg and J.P. Das. 35
(b) Discuss the Indian Approach to Personality as evident in tri-
gunas? 36
(c) Discuss the components of language acquisition citing the
average age at which these are demonstrated by a child. 38


Civil Services Main Examination 2017 - Paper 1 (Solved) 41
(1) 41
(a) Describe how you used Psychology to solve a social problem. 41
(b) Distinguish between negative reinforcement and punishment. Do
you think punishment is an effective way to modify behaviour? 42
(c) In a study, the number of student’s intake in a college correlated
very highly with violence. Explain the research finding. 43
(d) Do you think subliminal messages can actually lead to significant
changes in attitudes or behaviour? Cite research evidence. 44
(e) Psychology is the scientific study of Human Behaviour.
Evaluate 44

(2) 45
(a) Why do we forget? Differentiate between anterograde and
retrograde amnesia. 45

xxiv Contents


(b) How can you use ‘Focus Group Discussion’ to promote use of
toilets in rural areas? 45
(c) How would you apply Operant Conditioning technique for
toilet training to a 3-year-old boy? 46
(3) 47
(a) Whatever we are, it is because of Genes. Discuss. 47
(b) Which research design would you apply to prove that a
particular method of teaching yields best results? Describe. 48
(c) How are we able to perceive the world in three dimensions
when our eyes are capable of sensing only two-dimensional
images? 49
(4) 50
(a) Evaluate ‘interview’ as a method of data collection. 50
(b) Explain the role of meaningfulness and emotional arousal in
encoding. Discuss the implications of encoding specificity
principle. 51
(c) Explain the differences in information processing at various
levels of memory. In what ways is recall affected by initial
processing of information. 53
(5) 54
(a) Creative people usually have high IQ scores but those with
highest IQ scores are not necessarily the most creative people.
Explain. 54
(b) Critically Evaluate Noam Chomsky’s theory of transformational
grammar. 55
(c) Drug-addiction is just a maladaptive behaviour. Like other
behaviour, it can be easily changed. Discuss. 56
(d) What is paradoxical in REM sleep? How active is a person
during different stages of sleep? 57
(e) Explain the different types of reasoning processes used in
problem -solving with their strengths and limitations. 57
(6) 58
(a) According to Gardner’s theory, there is no one kind of general
intelligence for ranking individuals. Explain. 58
(b) A young person helped a visually impaired woman to cross the
road. He explained his action saying that he has positive

Contents xxv


attitude towards such persons. Did his attitude determine his
behaviour or the behaviour determine his attitude? Explain. 59
(c) Explain the importance of Critical Periods in language
development. In what ways are bilingualism and cognitive
development related? 61
(7) 62

(a) Which needs should one be high on to be a successful
entrepreneur? Explain on the basis of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs. 62
(b) Can we do justice to measuring personality by projective and
objective tests. Discuss. 62
(c) Why do some people behave aggressively towards those who
defy social norms? How can such aggressive behaviours be
changed? 63
(8) 65
(a) Can we determine a person’s academic performance based only
on IQ score? Explain. 65
(b) How do we explain self-defeating behaviour of a person from
the Humanistic Perspective? 65
(c) People emphasise the personal traits more than the situational
factors. Evaluate the statement. 66



Civil Services Main Examination 2018 - Paper 1 69
(1) 69
(a) Discuss how psychology can be applied in solving the problem
of global climate change. 69
(b) ‘Human memory is not like information stored in a tape
recorder or compact disc’. Critically evaluate the statement. 70

(c) According to Piaget, the egocentric pre-schooler is not
intentionally ‘inconsiderate’ but rather has difficulty taking
another’s viewpoint. Explain. 70
(d) Explain and critically evaluate the phenomenon of perceptual
defence. 71
(e) Examine how probability learning is different from other types
of learning. Give examples. 72

xxvi Contents


(2) 73

(a) Perception is plastic. However, it may also be affected by
innate tendencies. Critically evaluate. 73
(b) How have neuroscientists and evolutionary scientists
contributed to modern psychology? 74
(c) Demonstrate the importance of shallow and deep levels of
processing in remembering. With the help of daily life
examples, explain how retrieval cues enable us to remember. 74
(3) 75
(a) Why is the principle of random assignment of participants used
in experimental method? How do experimenter effects and
demand characteristics influence participant’s behaviour in
experimentation? What procedures can be adopted to minimize
such pitfalls? 75
(b) Differentiate between positive and negative types of
reinforcement and punishment. Describe how these could be
applied to enforce putting on the seat belts while driving. 77
(c) Differentiate between various developmental tasks of young
men and women in India. 78
(4) 79
(a) What are the assumptions underlying ANOVA? Discuss the
conditions when two-way ANOVA is applied and how the
results are interpreted with a hypothetical example. 79
(b) Discuss signal detection theory and explain its applications. 80
(c) How can different methods of sampling and data collection be
useful in impact evaluation of government social schemes?
Describe with a suitable example. 81
(5) 82
(a) Evaluate the ‘critical period’ hypothesis in language
acquisition. 82
(b) Do you think being in a good mood reduces your capacity to
process incoming information? Examine in the light of research
studies. 83
(c) According to Bandura, human beings often demonstrate
impressive capacity for the self-regulation of their own
behaviour. Evaluate. 84

Contents xxvii


(d) In what way can dissonance be an effective means for changing
attitudes and behaviour. 84
(e) Explain various limitations of verbal communication. 85
(6) 86
(a) Compare the trait perspective and humanistic perspective on
personality. 86
(b) “Creativity refers to novel ideas that address some problems in
useful way.” Critically examine the statement and discuss how
creative insight can be explained. 87
(c) Is sleep a passive process? Justify your answer with proper
scientific support. 88
(7) 89
(a) Describe the structure and features of language focussing on
what makes human language unique in comparison to communi-
cation in animals. 89
(b) Discuss contemporary research on stimulating human
intelligence using machines and their implications for
understanding human behaviour. 90
(c) Discuss the significance and correlates of values. Comment on
the impact of social media on values. (15) Level: Hard 91
(8) 92
(a) Describe how J.P. Das’s theory is distinct from other theories of
intelligence. 92
(b) Explain the concepts of self-serving bias and fundamental
attribution error. How do they effect problem- solving? 93
(c) Are emotionally competent people internally controlled?
Explain what are the ways to enhance intrinsic motivation of
young adults? 93


Civil Services Main Examination 2019 - Paper 1 95
(1) 95
(a) The edifice of behaviourism was built on the loopholes of the
teleological approach in psychoanalysis. Explain. 95
(b) “Diagnostic and Prognostic researches are complementary to
each other.” Explain with suitable examples. 96

xxviii Contents


(c) Explain the role of hypothesis in psychological researches with
suitable examples. 96
(d) How do we see the objects in three dimensions? Discuss the
factors influencing the same. 97
(e) In what ways is deviation IQ different from traditional IQ?
Discuss. 98

(2) 99
(a) ‘Multi-store model of memory best explains the nature of
memory’. Evaluate the statement in theoretical perspective and
empirical evidences. 99
(b) What is the significance of attachment to parents in social and
emotional well-being of a child? Illustrate from the perspective
of developmental theorists. 100
(c) How do environmental factors determine the sensation of
hunger? Illustrate with examples. 101
(3) 102
(a) Differentiate between experimental and quasi-experimental
designs. Evaluate the applications of quasi-experimental
designs in psychological research. 102
(b) Explain how divergent thinking is different from convergent
thinking. Discuss the methods to foster divergent thinking in
children. 103
(c) What is achievement motivation? Discuss the projective
technique as a method for assessing achievement motivation. 103
(4) 104

(a) Discuss the effects of stimulus deprivation on human behaviour
with empirical evidence. 104
(b) How is NEO Five Factor Theory different from 16 Personality
Factors theory? 105
(c) Illustrate that values can best be fostered during childhood.
Discuss different methods for fostering moral and ethical values
among school-going children. 106

(5) 107
(a) Evaluate the ‘critical period’ hypothesis in language acquisition. 107

Contents xxix


(b) ‘Discrimination and Generalization are two complementary
processes in skill learning.’ Discuss with reference to operant
conditioning. 108
(c) “Stereotypes can lead to the development of prejudice and
discrimination.” Explain citing examples from Indian context. 110
(d) How did structuralism contribute to the development of
psychology as a discipline? Evaluate. 110
(e) Why do most people experience geometrical illusions? Explain
from the psychological perspective. 111
(6) 112
(a) How is Gardner’s theory of Intelligence distinct from
Spearman’s theory? Illustrate. 112
(b) Citing examples from real life situations, explain the
phenomenon of perceptual organisation. 113
(c) What is vicarious learning? Discuss its applications in
acquisition of emotional responses. 114
(7) 116

(a) Define ‘concept’. Illustrate different types of concepts and
processes involved in the formation of the same. 116
(b) How can language be analysed for its similarities across
cultures? Explain with scientific evidences. 117
(c) Two-way ANOVA is not merely an addition of two one-way
ANOVAs. Describe and evaluate with examples. 118
(8) 118
(a) Citing research evidence, bring out the role of cultural factors in
socialisation. 118

(b) Is amnesia merely a phenomenon of retrieval failure? Discuss
in the light of empirical evidences. 119
(c) Critically evaluate the paper-pencil test for personality
assessment. 120
●————●

xxx Contents

Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)
How to Write Scoring Answers in Psychology Optional?


How to Write Scoring Answers in

Psychology Optional?









Decoding the question using ‘Command Terms’

Questions are not as simple as they tend to appear. Every question in the exam
has been ‘designed’ to evaluate or assess certain skills of the candidate. Most of
the candidates feel that the only skill for which they are being tested is
‘Knowledge and Content’. They feel that if they present everything which there
is to know about a particular topic, they will get sufficient marks. Unfortunately,
that is not the case.
In more simplistic terms, ‘Knowledge and Content’ is just a tip of the iceberg.
There are various other aspects towards writing an effective answer, first of
which happens to be the candidate’s ability to understand exactly what the
question is assessing. Again, not only in terms of content. The candidate must
have the ability to communicate with the question and with the examiner. His
answer must reflect certain aspects which must supersede the basic idea of
‘Content Analysis’. There are various kinds of questions. Some focus at
assessing the candidate’s ‘application skills’, while others aim at assessing the
candidate’s ability to analyse a concept, i.e., ‘Analysis skills’, etc.

Effective Answer Writing is about Effective Communication. Most of us tend
to forget this when we are writing our Answers in the Exam Hall.
Communication is a two-way process. It is not a one-way deliberation. It is not a
speech. It is not a monologue. Effective communication is about making sensible,
engaging interactions. It could be when one person asks a question and the other
gives the exact answer the first person was looking for, and then they engage
further. But most of the candidates faulter, because they tend to either over-fill
their answers with content, which due to some reason overwhelms the examiner
or otherwise end up answering something which wasn’t even asked at first place!
This is a legitimate mistake which more than 90% of the students commit. Not to
mention, that is why, only the top tier of 10% are deemed sufficient to be
promoted to the interview round.

6 Previous Years’ Solved Papers – Psychology Paper-1 (2016-2019)


then there would have been no word limit to a question. But surprisingly, for
Psychology Optional, there is a word limit of no more that 150-250 words. So
how do you make your answer stand out in those 150 words? Are your required
to come up with your own unique cutting- edge research? Are you required to
write in the best most poetic form of English which exists out there? Or
otherwise, are you even required to have a Ph. D in Psychology? Nope.
Sometimes things are way simpler than they look like.

If you can just meet the demand of the question, present your answer in an
organised and structured way, your answers will stand out. They will stand out
because no one else is doing so. Our Indian Education system hasn’t exactly
focussed on these skills. But UPSC does. So, now would be a suitable time to learn.

Let us look at the Bloom’s Taxonomy and see how these command terms
function:



















Based on the Bloom’s Taxonomy there are 6 types of Assessment goals and
the various questions come under either one of these assessment goals.
Remember: At the most basic level, there are ‘Remember’ questions.
Questions which are simply trying to assess if you remember something
or not. Questions like ‘Define’, ‘State’, ‘List’ are trying to assess your
remembering skills. For example: ‘State the 8 stages of development
given by Erikson’.

Civil Services Main Examination 2016 -

Paper 1







(1)

(a) Explain how the fundamental understanding of psychology is helpful in
the resolution of societal problems
(10) Level: Medium

(Command Term: Explain, i.e., show your understanding of the concept, by
describing it in a more relevant fashion). The candidate is being tested for his
‘Understanding’ skills.

The subject of Psychology concerns itself with the scientific study of human
mind and behaviour. When human beings interact, form groups and societies,
their behaviour dynamics can become complex. Yet, there are patterns which can
be inferred.
From a social standpoint, most of the societal issues occur either due to
negligence or because there is a resistance towards accepting change. Violence in
societies occur when people fail to acknowledge another community or group as
a part of the larger human race (which leads to the in-group vs out-group clash as
demonstrated by Henry Tajfel).
Through the following scenario, I wish to demonstrate, how concepts from
Psychology can be implemented to resolve a social problem:
In 2017, I was volunteering with UNICEF at a remote village of Sitamarhi
which is located near the Indo-Nepal border for an Open Defecation Free Project
(launched under Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan). The ODF program of UNICEF aims
at sensitising rural population towards the use of bathrooms/ washrooms instead
of defecating in the open.
A big challenge we faced during our awareness programs was the people’s
resistance towards adopting change. A more precise problem we faced was, that
even after the households were provided with washrooms, the women weren’t
allowed to use these pertaining to a stringent factor that it was considered as a sign
of disrespect if the woman and her father-in-law are accessing the same washroom

Previous Years' Solved Papers- Psychology Paper 1 is meant for the aspirants of
Civil Services Main examination. It would also help the aspirants of various State
Services Main examinations.
The book starts with insights on answer writing techniques for Psychology optional.
It apprises about the tricks of decoding the questions using 'command terms'.
It illustrates the use of Bloom's Taxonomy in assessing the questions. The book
provides answers for the papers of Psychology Paper I of the Civil Services Main
examination from the year 2016 to 2019. It comes with an online support, whereby
students can access the discussion class on the papers of Psychology optional of
Civil Services Main examination 2020. The book is also embedded with 'Smart
codes' to integrate video lectures of the authors on the various topics mentioned in
the book.
The book is written in a lucid and simple language. Diagrams and flowcharts have
been incorporated in answers for better understanding.
Key Features
Provides solved papers of Psychology Paper I of Civil Services Main examination
from the year 2016 to 2019
Embedded with Smart codes providing access to author's lectures on key topics
Provides video analysis of Psychology optional papers of CSE Main examination 2020
Provides the use of Bloom's Taxonomy in assessing the questions
Presents smart tips for effective answer writing by using command terms and
keywords
Also useful for various state services examinations
Arun Kumar had an illustrious career as a civil servant while working in various
departments and ministries. He has published number of government reports while
discharging his duty as an administrator. He was known in the ministries for his
academic pursuits and acumen. He had delivered lectures in LBSNA, IIMs, XLRI and
conducted numerous workshops and seminars for the civil servants on diverse
topics related to administration.
Madhusoodan Sunnambala is a post-graduate in Psychology with a specialisation in
Clinical Psychology and Counselling. He also holds a Diploma in Human Resources
Development and Neuro Economics from Moscow University. He has 7 years of
teaching experience in International Baccalaureate (I B). He has been the Head of the
Department, Psychology for undergraduate and post graduate students in India and
abroad. He is an examiner for IB Psychology and a member of the board of
examiners for three universities.
ISBN: 978-93-89176-74-2
www.oakbridge.in 9 11~li~II~~IIIJIJ~IJIJIJII
~249/-