UGC NET Psycology General Paper 1 Syllabus

General Paper 1 syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Paper 1 in UGC NET Psycology, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Teaching

   4 topics

   • Concept
   • Objectives
   • Levels of teaching (Memory, Understanding and Reflective)
   • Characteristics and basic requirements
2. 2

   Research Aptitude

   6 topics

   • Research
     • Meaning
     • Types
     • Characteristics
     • Positivism and Post-positivistic approach to research
   • Methods of Research
     • Experimental
     • Descriptive
     • Historical
     • Qualitative
     • Quantitative
   • Steps of Research
   • Thesis and Article writing
     • Format and styles of referencing
   • Application of ICT in research
   • Research ethics
3. 3

   Comprehension

   1 topic

   • Reading Comprehension
4. 4

   Communication

   4 topics

   • Communication
     • Meaning
     • Types
     • Characteristics of communication
   • Effective communication
     • Verbal and Non-verbal
     • Inter-Cultural and group communications
     • Classroom communication
   • Barriers to effective communication
   • Mass-Media and Society
5. 5

   Mathematical Reasoning and Aptitude

   3 topics

   • Types of reasoning
   • Number series, Letter series, Codes and Relationships
   • Mathematical Aptitude
     • Fraction
     • Time & Distance
     • Ratio
     • Proportion and Percentage
     • Profit and Loss
     • Interest and Discounting
     • Averages etc.
6. 6

   Logical Reasoning

   7 topics

   • Understanding the structure of arguments
     • Argument forms
     • Structure of categorical propositions
     • Mood and Figure
     • Formal and Informal fallacies
     • Uses of language
     • Connotations and denotations of terms
     • Classical square of opposition
   • Evaluating and distinguishing deductive and inductive reasoning
   • Analogies
   • Venn diagram
     • Simple and multiple use for establishing validity of arguments
   • Indian Logic: Means of knowledge
   • Pramanas
     • Pratyaksha (Perception)
     • Anumana (Inference)
     • Upamana (Comparison)
     • Shabda (Verbal testimony)
     • Arthapatti (Implication)
     • Anupalabddhi (Non-apprehension)
   • Structure and kinds of Anumana (inference)
     • Vyapti (invariable relation)
     • Hetvabhasas (fallacies of inference)
7. 7

   Data Interpretation

   4 topics

   • Sources, acquisition and classification of Data
   • Quantitative and Qualitative Data
   • Graphical representation and mapping of Data
     • Bar-chart
     • Histograms
     • Pie-chart
     • Table-chart
     • Line-chart
   • Data and Governance
8. 8

   ICT: General abbreviations and terminology

   3 topics

   • Basics of Internet, Intranet, E-mail, Audio and Video-conferencing
   • Digital initiatives in higher education
   • ICT and Governance
9. 9

   People, Development and Environment

   14 topics

   • Development and environment: Millennium development and Sustainable development goals.
   • Human and environment interaction: Anthropogenic activities and their impacts on environment.
   • Environmental issues
     • Air pollution
     • Water pollution
     • Soil pollution
     • Noise pollution
     • Waste (solid, liquid, biomedical, hazardous, electronic)
     • Climate change and its Socio-Economic and Political dimensions
   • Impacts of pollutants on human health.
   • Natural and energy resources: Solar, Wind, Soil, Hydro, Geothermal, Biomass, Nuclear and Forests.
     • Solar
     • Wind
     • Soil
     • Hydro
     • Geothermal
     • Biomass
     • Nuclear
     • Forests
   • Natural hazards and disasters: Mitigation strategies.
   • Environmental Protection Act (1986)
   • National Action Plan on Climate Change
   • Montreal Protocol
   • Rio Summit
   • Convention on Biodiversity
   • Kyoto Protocol
   • Paris Agreement
   • International Solar Alliance.
10. 10

    Higher Education System

    6 topics

    • Institutions of higher learning and education in ancient India
    • Evolution of higher learning and research in Post Independence India
    • Oriental, Conventional and Non-conventional learning programmes in India
    • Professional, Technical and Skill Based education
    • Value education and environmental education
    • Policies, Governance, and Administration

General Paper 1 flashcards for UGC NET Psycology

24 of 52 cards from the General Paper 1 deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the three levels of teaching in the cognitive hierarchy?

   Memory level (thoughtless, rote recall), Understanding level (insight into relationships and generalizations), and Reflective level (problem-solving, critical and creative thinking). Reflective is the highest level.

2. Who is associated with the Memory level of teaching and what is its key feature?

   Herbart is associated with the Memory level. Its key feature is rote memorization and recall of facts without understanding; the teacher is the central authority.

3. The Understanding level of teaching is associated with which educationist?

   Morrison. It goes beyond memory to develop insight, generalization, and the ability to apply knowledge to new situations.

4. The Reflective level of teaching is associated with which thinker?

   Hunt. It is the highest, most thoughtful level, emphasizing problem-solving, critical thinking, and a highly motivated, open classroom climate.

5. What are the basic requirements/characteristics of effective teaching?

   Clear objectives, mastery of subject, suitable methods, good communication, conducive learner-centered environment, motivation, feedback, and evaluation.

6. Define research.

   Research is a systematic, objective, and logical process of inquiry aimed at discovering new facts, verifying existing knowledge, and establishing relationships between variables to find solutions to problems.

7. Name the major methods/types of research by purpose.

   Fundamental (basic/pure) research, Applied research, and Action research. By approach: descriptive, analytical, experimental, historical, and survey methods.

8. What are the main steps in the research process (in order)?

   1) Identify/formulate the problem, 2) Review of literature, 3) Formulate hypothesis, 4) Research design, 5) Data collection, 6) Data analysis, 7) Interpretation and generalization, 8) Report writing.

9. Distinguish between a thesis and a research article.

   A thesis is a long, detailed document submitted for a degree presenting original research; a research article is a short, focused publication in a journal communicating findings to the scholarly community.

10. List the standard sections of a research article (IMRaD format).

    Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion — plus Title, Abstract, Keywords, and References.

11. Name common applications of ICT in research.

    Literature search (databases like Google Scholar, JSTOR), reference management (Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley), statistical analysis (SPSS, R), plagiarism checking (Turnitin, Urkund), data collection (online surveys), and collaboration tools.

12. What are the core principles of research ethics?

    Honesty, objectivity, integrity, informed consent, confidentiality/anonymity, avoidance of plagiarism, proper acknowledgment, no fabrication or falsification of data, and protection of participants from harm.

13. Differentiate plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification in research ethics.

    Plagiarism is using others' work/ideas without credit; fabrication is making up data or results; falsification is manipulating or altering data, equipment, or processes.

14. In reading comprehension, what is the difference between skimming and scanning?

    Skimming is reading quickly to get the general idea/main theme of a text; scanning is searching quickly to locate specific information or details.

15. Define communication and name its essential elements.

    Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, and feelings. Essential elements: sender, message, encoding, channel/medium, receiver, decoding, and feedback (plus noise as a disruptor).

16. What characterizes effective communication (the 7 Cs)?

    Clarity, Conciseness, Concreteness, Correctness, Coherence, Completeness, and Courtesy.

17. List the main types/barriers of effective communication.

    Physical, physiological, psychological, linguistic/semantic, cultural, and mechanical/technical barriers; also noise, information overload, and emotional barriers.

18. What is the difference between verbal and non-verbal communication?

    Verbal uses words (spoken or written); non-verbal uses body language, gestures, facial expressions, posture, eye contact, tone, and proximity to convey meaning.

19. What is the role of mass media in society?

    Mass media informs, educates, entertains, shapes public opinion, acts as a watchdog, promotes culture, and enables social and political mobilization across large audiences.

20. What are the two main types of reasoning?

    Deductive reasoning (general to specific; conclusion necessarily follows from premises) and Inductive reasoning (specific observations to general conclusion; conclusion is probable).

21. In a number/letter series, how do you find the missing term?

    Identify the pattern/rule (constant difference, ratio, squares, cubes, alternating series, or position in alphabet) governing successive terms, then apply it to find the missing element.

22. In coding-decoding, what is letter-shifting (Caesar-type) coding?

    Each letter is replaced by another a fixed number of positions ahead or behind in the alphabet. Example: +1 shift turns CAT into DBU.

23. In mathematical aptitude, how do you calculate simple percentage change?

    Percentage change = (New value − Old value) / Old value × 100. A positive result is an increase, negative is a decrease.

24. What is the average (arithmetic mean) of a set of numbers?

    Average = Sum of all observations / Number of observations.

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