IAS Mains Psychology Papers 1985

IAS Mains Psychology 1985

Paper I

Section A


    1. Discuss the advantages and limitations of quantification and measurement of human behaviour. Illustrate your answer with examples.

    2. Examine the implications of ‘experiment or effect’ in laboratory experiments. Explain whether you can control such effects.

    3. How is endocrine system related to emotional syndrome? Can it explain the whole process of emotional arousal and control?

    4. Two children of same parents happen to be different in mental equipment and behaviour patterns. Can you explain this phenomenon on the basis of polygenic model of inheritance?

  2. Discuss the principal functional properties of drive both innate and acquired. Analyse the motivational components underlying acquired drives with illustrations. Do acquired drives have any relevance in social planning?

  3. How does classical psychophysics differ from modern psychophysics? Differentiating between the two, discuss Steven's power law.

  4. Examine the physiological and physical mechanism of colour vision. Critically evaluate the various theories of colour perception.

Section B


    1. What is the factorial theory of intelligence? Do measuring techniques also vary depending on the implications of this theory?

    2. Discuss the issues of racial and cultural differences in the intelligence.

    3. What is the role of modelling in learning? Is any imitation a part of modelling mechanism?

    4. What is information processing analysis of thinking? Cite recent experimental evidences in this context.

  2. How does Pavlovian conditioning differ from the Skinnerian type? What is the nature and role of reinforcement in both the types of conditioning?

  3. Explain the processes and principles of reconstruction in remembering with experimental evidence. Can you understand better by some of your day-to-day intriguing experiences in the light of this theory? Illustrate your answer.

  4. Discuss the measurement techniques of abilities, aptitudes and achievement. How do you assure reliability and validity of these tests?

Paper II

Section A

  1. Attempt any three of the following (each answer should not exceed 200 words):

    1. Freudians and the neo-Freudians are similar in approach but differ in points of emphasis. Discuss.

    2. Field theory has given to Psychology certain concepts that are very valuable in analysing human behaviour. Comment

    3. Explain the essential differences between traditional behaviourism and non-behaviourism.

    4. Psychology in India has become more problem oriented and gradually finding its own identity. Discuss.

  2. Explain the culture personality approach and discuss the role of child rearing practices in personality formation.

  3. Unbalanced cognitive systems tend to shift towards a state of balance. Discuss in the context of attitude or cognition.

  4. Bring out the essential features of projective tests of personality and discuss their relative merits and shortcomings over psychometric tests.

Section B


    1. Is there a motivational syndrome associated with agro-economic development? Discuss.

    2. Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not two poles of the same continuum but constitute separate dimensions. Discuss.

    3. Deeply rooted in learning theories, behaviour therapy uses principles of reinforcement in changing maladaptive behaviour. Discuss.

    4. Discuss the educational problems of socio culturally disadvantaged children.

  2. Discuss whether mental health is to be considered only as an absence of mental disease. In this context, explain with suitable examples what is meant by psychosomatic diseases.

  3. Giving suitable illustrations, discuss different bases of social power.

  4. Discuss school as a social system. In this context, indicate how interactions within the classroom affect children's performance.