The UPPSC Assistant Professor (Psychology) syllabus for Government Degree Colleges (GDC) is designed to test a candidate’s understanding of psychology as a scientific discipline, its theoretical foundations, research methods, and applications in clinical, organizational, and community settings.
UPPSC Psychology Assistant Professor Examination 2025:
Unit 1: Theoretical Approaches to Psychology
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Approaches: S-R, Cognitive Information Processing, Humanistic.
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Cognitive Neuropsychology: Assumptions, methods, organization of brain, techniques of measuring brain activities.
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Perception, Attention, Learning, Memory, Forgetting:
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Perception: Perceptual organization, constancy, depth perception, illusions, top-down and bottom-up processes.
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Attention: Selective, divided, sustained – concepts & theories.
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Learning: Classical & instrumental conditioning, reinforcement schedules, observational learning, behavior modification.
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Memory: Encoding, storage, retrieval; sensory, short-term, long-term memory; Atkinson-Shiffrin model, levels of processing, Tulving’s model, eyewitness memory, flashbulb memory, theories of forgetting, retrograde amnesia.
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Unit 2: Reasoning, Decision Making, Problem Solving & Language
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Reasoning: Types & factors of reasoning.
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Decision Making: Heuristics, algorithms, models of decision making.
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Problem Solving: Types, strategies, creative thinking stages.
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Language: Components, acquisition, development.
Unit 3: Personality, Intelligence, Motivation & Emotion
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Personality: Approaches (trait, psychoanalytic, behavioral, humanistic, existential, positive psychology), determinants, objective & projective assessment.
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Intelligence: General mental ability, theoretical approaches (Spearman, Sternberg, Gardner), emotional & artificial intelligence.
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Motivation: Conceptual issues, theoretical frameworks, types.
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Emotion: Physiological basis of emotions, James-Lange theory, Cannon-Bard theory.
Unit 4: Research Methods, Experimental Design & Psychological Assessment
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Research Methods: Sampling, hypothesis, variables, control techniques.
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Experimental Design: Between-group, single-factor, randomized, matched group, within-subject, factorial designs, repeated measures, quasi-experimental design.
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Statistics: Hypothesis testing, ANOVA (one-way, two-way, repeated measures), post-hoc comparisons, non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon, Kruskal Wallis, Friedman), correlation, factor analysis, multiple regression, multivariate analysis.
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Psychological Assessment: Nature, purpose, educational/clinical/organizational applications, ethical considerations.
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Test Construction: Item writing, validity, reliability, norms.
Unit 5: Life Span Development
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Developmental stages & determinants – cognitive, social, moral development, adulthood & aging.
Unit 6: Social Psychology & Organizational Psychology
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Social Psychology: Bases of social influence, conformity, compliance, obedience, persuasion, leadership, crowd behavior, cultural & cross-cultural influences.
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Organizational Psychology: HR management, planning, assessment, job analysis, training, recruitment, appraisal, organizational development, communication models, barriers, conflict resolution, grievance handling, union management relations.
Unit 7: Clinical Psychology & Mental Health
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Clinical Psychology: Diagnosis, case study, interviews, neuropsychological testing.
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Major Approaches: Psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic-existential.
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Health Psychology: Stress, coping, behavior modification, biofeedback, yoga, nutrition.
Unit 8: Psychopathology
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Classification of Disorders: ICD-10 & DSM-5.
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Types of Disorders: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Mood Disorders, Learning Disabilities.
Unit 9: Counselling Psychology & Community Psychology
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Counselling: Process, goals, directive/non-directive counseling, career counseling.
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Community Psychology: Community mental health, prevention programs (primary, secondary, tertiary).
General Studies (Common for All Subjects)
Apart from the subject syllabus, candidates must prepare for General Studies, which is common for every subject in the UPPSC GDC Assistant Professor Examination.
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General Science
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Current Events of National and International Importance
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History of India (Including Indian National Movement)
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Indian Polity & Economy
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Geography – Indian & World
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Mental Ability & Statistical Analysis
(Special reference to Uttar Pradesh is expected)
UPPSC Psychology Assistant Professor Eligibility 2025
Option A: Master’s Degree + NET/SET/SLET
A Master’s degree with 55% marks (or equivalent grade) in Psychology or a relevant/allied subject from an Indian University,
OR an equivalent degree from an accredited foreign university.
Additionally, candidates must have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by UGC/CSIR or an equivalent accredited test like SLET/SET.
Candidates with a Ph.D. Degree as per UGC Regulations (2009/2016 & amendments) are exempt from NET/SLET/SET, provided they fulfill the following conditions (for Ph.D. registered before July 11, 2009):
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Ph.D. awarded in regular mode.
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Thesis evaluated by at least two external examiners.
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Open Ph.D. viva voce conducted.
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At least two research papers published from Ph.D. work (one in a refereed journal).
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At least two papers presented in UGC/ICSSR/CSIR-sponsored seminars/conferences.
Certification must be provided by the Registrar/Dean (Academic Affairs) of the awarding University.
Note: NET/SLET/SET exemption applies to subjects where these tests are not conducted.
Option B: Ph.D. from Top 500 Foreign Universities
A Ph.D. degree from a foreign university/institution ranked among the top 500 in global rankings by:
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QS (Quacquarelli Symonds)
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Times Higher Education (THE)
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Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
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Conclusion
The UPPSC Psychology Assistant Professor syllabus comprehensively covers theoretical foundations, research methodology, applied psychology, mental health, and interventions. Candidates should focus on conceptual clarity, latest research trends, and practice previous years’ question papers for better preparation.