ISC Class 12 Psychology revised syllabus for 2024 examination: Understanding the human brain is complicated, like human emotions. We react differently to different situations and different people depending on our mood, relations, place, and interests. Psychologists are the experts in this field. Not precisely, but they can tell about human reactions and emotions behind them. They are called psychologists because they are experts in Psychology. It is the field of science that deals with the study of human behaviour and mind. This subject is also available for students to understand themselves and their surroundings.
The CISCE board has recently modified the pre-existing syllabus of ISC Class 12 Psychology syllabus on 02 June 2023. The implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 is the main reason behind this revision, which keeps the holistic development of students in focus. The aim is to reduce the academic burden on students by eliminating redundant topics and giving them more time to engage in other extracurricular activities.
ISC Revised Syllabus 2023-24 For Classes 11 and 12 (All Subjects)
This article is about the newly revised ISC Class 12 Psychology syllabus, which will now be followed for the 2024 ISC board examinations. Students can check the revised syllabus here and download its PDF for further use.
ISC Class 12 Psychology Revised Syllabus 2023-24
There will be two papers in the subject:
Paper I - Theory: 3 hours …70 marks
Paper II- Practical Work: …30 marks
| PAPER - I (THEORY) – 70 Marks |
| 1. Intelligence and Ability |
| (i) Intelligence: what is meant by intelligence - theories regarding the nature of intelligence; how intelligence is measured - the concept of IQ, intelligence tests – Individual Tests, Group Tests. Levels of intelligence and associated characteristics. Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Quotient (EQ). Creativity. Intelligence: definition of intelligence (David Wechsler); what is meant by intelligence - theories regarding the nature of intelligence; Theories of Intelligence: Two Factor Theory – Charles Spearman; Primary Mental Abilities – L.L.Thurstone (seven factors); Raymond Cattell – Fluid and Crystallised Intelligence; Guilford’s Structure of Intellect Model. Information Processing; Triarchic Theory – Sternberg; Theory of Multiple Intelligence – Howard Gardner(eight intelligences). How intelligence is measured - the concept of IQ; Intelligence Tests – Individual Tests – only definitions of mental age, chronological age, intelligence quotient and formula of IQ. Wechsler-III, Group Test – Raven’s Progressive Matrices. Test details (Aim, history, description and scoring) should be included; Levels of intelligence and associated characteristics (from gifted to below average). Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Quotient (EQ) - Characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent Persons (in brief). Creativity and Intelligence. (ii) Aptitude, Achievement and Interest: meaning of these terms. Reason for their assessment and means of assessment (different tools/ tests) used. What is meant by Aptitude - when aptitude needs to be assessed - the GATB (General Aptitude Test Battery); meaning and usefulness of Achievement tests; Why Interest is measured. |
| 2. Personality |
| (i) What is meant by Personality. Definition of personality – Allport. Personality related terms: Temperament, Trait, Disposition, Character, Habit, Values, Concept of self (definitions only). (ii) Theories of Personality: Type Theories, Psychoanalytic Theory - Freud’s structure of personality; psycho-sexual stages of development; Post Freudians (in brief); Humanistic - Rogers and Maslow; Traits - Allport, Cattell; Social/Behavioural Learning - Bandura . Type Theory: Sheldon, Hippocrates, Friedman, Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality: Freud's levels of consciousness, structure of personality - Id, Ego and Superego; principles on which they function; Psychosexual stages of development and fixation; Post Freudians: Erik Erikson, Horney; Humanistic theories of Rogers (concept of fully functioning persons) and Maslow (self actualization). Traits: Allport (central, secondary and cardinal traits), Cattell (source and surface traits). The fivefactor model of Costa and McCrae. Social Cognitive Theory of A.Bandura (Identification and explanation of concepts in each theoretical framework). (iii)How personality is assessed: reports, inventories (MMPI), projective techniques - Rorschach Inkblot Test and Thematic Apperception Test, Behavioural Analysis. The use of Self Reports - inventories/ questionnaires in assessing Personality - an understanding of the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory); what is meant by Projective Techniques - how the Rorschach Inkblot and TAT (Thematic Apperception Test) are used (Test details should include procedure, scoring and results). Behavioural Analysis: Interview, Observation, Nomination, Behavioural ratings, Situational tests (in brief). |
| 3. Lifespan Development |
| (i) Meaning of Development, growth and maturation. Why is the study of lifespan development important? Determinants – interaction of heredity and environment, context of development – Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory. (ii) Infancy- motor, cognitive development, socioemotional development. Motor development- definition of Motor milestone; reflexes- rooting, moro, grasping, babinski (only definitions). Cognitive development – Piaget’s Sensory Motor Stage; socio-emotional development – emergence of attachment: definition; Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation test- four patterns of attachment. (iii) Childhood - motor, cognitive development, socio-emotional development. Motor development- Gross motor and fine motor skills (definitions only); cognitive development – Piaget’s Theory (Preoperational and Concrete). Emergence of self – gender awareness, gender identity, stability, consistency, stereotype role, sex-category, constancy; Emergence of peer relationship. Moral development – Kohlberg’s perspective Experiment on Moral Dilemma – preconventional, conventional and post conventional morality. (iv) Adolescence - physical changes, cognitive development, socio-emotional development; some major concerns. Physical changes at puberty (in brief); Cognitive development – Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage; Socio-emotional development - forming an identity, dealing with sexuality and gender identity; some major concerns – delinquency, substance abuse (drugs and alcohol) – meaning of substance abuse, symptoms and treatment; eating disorders - bulimia, anorexia- (meaning and symptoms). |
| 4. Stress and Stress Management |
| (i) Meaning of stress - its basic nature. Strain and Eustress; Types of stresspsychological, physical and environmental; Stress as a process - stressors (negative and positive events); results of overload; the stages of GAS or the General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye's model). Cognitive appraisal of stress – primary and secondary. (ii) Common causes of stress. External/situational: major life events, minor hassles of everyday life, work-related causes, the physical environment. Internal/dispositional: Personality variablestraits and types. (iii) Effects of stress on health and performance. Upsets the internal mechanism and balance - immune system affected, hypertension, heart problems, ulcers, diabetes, asthma (each effect to be briefly explained). Relation between stress and performance - burnout. (iv) Stress management - ineffective and effective strategies of handling stress. Coping with stress: Ineffective strategies - defence mechanisms - rationalization, projection, reaction formation, regression, repression displacement, sublimation (each to be briefly explained); Effective strategies - relaxation training and yoga. Promoting positive health and well-being: Exercise, Diet, Self-Care, Life Skills, Assertiveness, Rational thinking, improving relationships, overcoming unhelpful habits, Social support, Stress Resistant Personality, Positive thinking and positive attitude. |
| 5. Psychological Disorders and Psychotherapy |
| (i) Meaning of “Abnormal behaviour” - biological, psychological and socio - cultural perspectives. Principles of classification of psychological disorders with reference to DSM IV. Common features of abnormal behaviour deviance, distress, dysfunction, danger. Different views of "abnormal" behaviour - the statistical stand - the biological/medical approach - the psychodynamic perspective - the sociocultural dimension; why classification of disorders is necessary - an understanding of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – IV (brief explanation of each Axis). (ii) Characteristics of some psychological, behavioural and developmental disorders: Anxiety - generalised, phobic, obsessivecompulsive; Mood - bi-polar, depression; Personality - anti-social, histrionic, avoidant, dependent, passive-aggressive (causes and symptoms of all). What is meant by anxiety - different forms of anxiety disorders: generalised (GAD), phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders; Mood disorders- characteristics of severe depression, manic-depressive or bipolar disorder; personality disorders - anti-social, histrionic, avoidant, dependent, passive aggressive (causes and symptoms). Behavioural and Developmental Disorders Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder, Autism, Separation Anxiety Disorder (definitions and symptoms only). (iii)Schizophrenia - meaning; main types; characteristics. Basic nature of Schizophrenia: symptoms positive and negative. Main types - characteristics of Disorganized, Catatonic and Paranoid Schizophrenia (symptoms). (iv) Psychotherapy - Psychoanalysis; Clientcentred; Behavioural, Social Rehabilitation. What is meant by Psychotherapy - central features of psychodynamic therapies - free association, dream analysis, resistance, transference and counter transference (explain briefly). The principles on which client centred therapy has been developed. Behavioural therapies based on classical conditioning (flooding and systematic desensitization) and operant conditioning (shaping and token economy) and modelling (explain briefly), Psychosocial rehabilitation. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, A.Ellis’ Rational Emotive Therapy (explain briefly). |
| 6. Social Thought and Social Behaviour |
| (i) Social Perception - attribution or the process through which people try to understand the reasons for others’ behaviour. How people determine whether others' behaviour is a result of internal causes or external factors - H. Kelley’s Attribution Theory (attribution); biases in forming judgments. Explain with examples each of the following biases - self-serving bias, the false consensus effect, automatic vigilance, motivated scepticism, counterfactual thinking. (ii) Social Influence- how people try to change others’ behaviour; social norms; conformity and obedience - factors affecting them. Social Influence- Meaning and characteristics of a group; types of groups formal and informal, primary and secondary and in-group and out-group, formation of a group, influence of group on individuals; Meaning of social norms - why people conform to social norms and why they digress; factors affecting Conformity and Obedience. Asch's study on conformity; why and when people obey others - Milgram's experiment. |
| 7. Attitudes |
| (i) Meaning of “Attitude” - the relationship between attitude, perception, belief and behaviour; how attitudes are formed and changed. What are attitudes - the components of attitude; how far attitudes determine behaviours: the process of forming attitudes - how attitudes change: persuasion and cognitive dissonance. (ii) Prejudice – meaning of “prejudice” and discrimination; the origins of prejudice; how to combat prejudice. An understanding of the meaning of prejudice and how it works in the form of discrimination - causes of prejudice: social learning, realistic competition, social categorization and stereotyping; ways in which prejudice can be resisted. |
| 8. Psychology in relation to the Environment and Social concerns |
| Meaning and nature of counselling; characteristics of a good counsellor, communication skills; Environmental effect on human behaviour; Promoting Pro-environmental behaviour; Adverse effects of poverty and deprivation. Measures to reduce poverty. (i) Meaning and nature of counselling elements of counselling, characteristics of a good counsellor- authenticity, positive regard, empathy, communication skills paraphrasing, attention, listening, speaking, body language, role of culture in listening; counsellor’s psychological testing skills. (ii) Environmental effect on human behaviour influences on perception, emotion, occupation, living style and attitude. Human influence on the environment influences of noise, pollution, crowding and natural disasters. (iii) Promoting Pro-environmental behaviour reduction of -pollution, noise, nonbiodegradable consumer goods, plastics; garbage management, laws relating to construction that violates environmental design, planting trees. (iv) Adverse effects of poverty and deprivation on personality, motivation, social behaviour, cognitive processes, and mental health. Major causes of poverty. Measures to reduce poverty. |
PAPER II (PRACTICAL WORK) – 30 Marks
Candidates will be expected to have completed two studies from those given below. Assessment will be based on a written report which should cover –
(I) Aim
(II) Basic concept: Definition of concepts used and related theory. Identification of variables – independent and dependent.
(III) Method - (i) Sample of the Study
(ii) Procedure followed (data collection, nature of raw data)
(iii) Statistical Treatment of Data
(iv) Results & Discussion
(v) Conclusion
The practical work will be assessed by the teacher and a Visiting Examiner appointed locally and approved by the Council.
Mark allocation per study [15 marks]:
| Basic Concept | 3 Marks |
| Method (correctness of procedure) | 4 Marks |
| Results and discussion | 4 Marks |
| Viva | 4 Marks |
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