CUET PG Psychology: GP1 Overview

Overview of the Video

• The video highlights key topics for the CUET PG 2025 psychology exam, essential for last-minute preparation.
• A crash course and test series for CUET PG preparation are offered, with details available on sacopro.in.
• The syllabus is structured into three sections: GP1 (General Psychology 1), GP2, and Statistics

GP1: General Psychology 1

• Covers Introduction to Psychology, Sensation, Perception, Attention, Learning, Problem Solving, and Psychological Disorders.

Introduction to Psychology

• Key topics are the Goals and Branches of Psychology.
• René Descartes and John Locke are important figures, often featured in past questions.
• Includes Schools of Psychology, Psychology as a Social Science, and the History of Psychology
• Dates in Indian Psychology are important for exam questions.

Sensation

• It is important to differentiate between Sensation, Perception, and Transduction and their processes.
• Key concepts include Threshold, Sensory Adaptation, Habituation, and Psychophysics.

Perception

• Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processing are frequently tested.
• Figure-ground segregation and Gestalt Laws of Perception are important.
• Perceptual Constancy (shape, size, color) and Depth Perception involving monocular and binocular cues are major topics.
• Focus on Perceptual Illusions, including the Müller-Lyer illusion.

Attention

• Theories and Types of Attention are the most important topics.
• Three main theories of attention are covered in classes.

Learning

• Classical and Operant Conditioning are major areas of confusion for students.
• Key concepts include UCS (Unconditioned Stimulus), UCR (Unconditioned Response), NS (Neutral Stimulus), CS (Conditioned Stimulus), and CR (Conditioned Response)
• Schedules of Reinforcement: Understanding which schedule is most effective.
• Generalization, Discrimination, Extinction, and Spontaneous Recovery are components of classical conditioning.
• Operant Conditioning involves Reinforcements, Punishments, and Schedules of Punishment.
• Trial and Error Learning and Insight Learning are observed in animals.
• Observational Learning includes the Bobo doll experiment.
• Learned Helplessness should be studied.

Problem Solving

• The Problem-Solving Cycle is important.
• Heuristics are a very important topic for testing.
• Study Concepts and Obstacles in problem-solving.

Psychological Disorders

• Know the Differences between DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and ICD (International Classification of Diseases).
• PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder): Understand the signs and symptoms.
• Eating Disorders to study: Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder.
• Somatic Symptom Disorders, OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), Mood Disorders, Dissociative Disorders, and Anxiety Disorders are important.
• It is important to understand the differences between various anxiety disorders.

GP2: Biopsychology

• Includes Biopsychology, Memory, Developmental Psychology, Intelligence, Personality, and Therapies.

Biopsychology

• Focus on understanding Nerve Impulse and its process.
• Neurotransmitters and their functions, e.g., GABA as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
• Basic knowledge of Brain Parts (Hypothalamus, Thalamus, Hindbrain, Midbrain) and their scientific names (Telencephalon, Diencephalon, Mesencephalon).
• Understand all Hormones associated with the Pituitary Gland (the master gland).
• Study Stress and its impact, including General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

Memory

• Memory needs to be studied.

Developmental Psychology

• Developmental Psychology theories to study: Urie Bronfenbrenner, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, and Jean Piaget.

Intelligence

• Common Intelligence theories: TPM (Theory of Primary Mental Abilities), Multiple Intelligences, Hierarchical Model of Intelligence, and contributions by Arthur Jensen, Robert Sternberg, and Charles Spearman should be understood.
• Focus on IQ (Intelligence Quotient).

Personality

• Personality theories to study: Type vs. Trait theories.

Therapies

• Understanding of Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Cognitive, and Existential Therapy approaches is needed.
• Third Wave of Psychotherapy: a recent topic to study.

Statistics

• Requires focused effort due to its difficulty for psychology students.
• Aims for a 270+ score to secure admissions in good universities, ideally aiming for 275.
• Includes Research and Its Types, Sampling, Types of Data, Data Collection Tools, Central Tendency, Measures of Position, Measures of Dispersion, and the Normal Probability Curve (NPC).

Key Statistical Concepts

• Skewness and Kurtosis (related to NPC).
• Degree of Freedom, Parametric and Non-Parametric Tests (with matching type questions possible).
• T-test and ANOVA: Important statistical tests; theoretical knowledge is more important than calculation-based knowledge.
• Reliability, Validity, and Norms: Understanding different types.