FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR RECRUITMENT
TO POSTS IN B.P.S. – 17 UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 1994
Psychology, Paper I
Time Allowed: 3 Hours Max. Marks: 100
NOTE: Attempt FIVE questions in all, including Question No. 8, which is Compulsory. All questions carry EQUAL marks.
1 Describe the nature and scope of Psychology as a Science of behaviour and its importance in modern society.
2 Critically evaluate various Schedules of Reinforcement used in Conditioning experiments.
3 Elucidate basic tenets of Associationism with special reference to Thorndike’s contribution to Associationism.
4 What is Socialization? Describe how and what factors take up the leading role in bringing about a social change.
5 Define personality and describe the role of Socio-Cultural factors in the routine grooming of personality.
6 Elaborate upon the Kort’s Laws of perceived movement in the absence of physical.movement.
7 What is Group Dynamics? Give a comparative account of core parameters which determine the In-group and Out-group feelings.
8 Select and write the best correct answer out of given four possible choices for each of the following items:
(i) The degree of concentration of dilution ofa colour is known as its: (a) brightness (b) hue (c) volume (d) saturation
(ii) A chicken is repeatedly rewarded for pecking at a medium grey card and not rewarded for pecking at a light grey card. When presented for the first time with the medium grey card and a dark grey card, the chicken will: (a) peck at the dark grey card; (b) peck at the medium grey card; c) avoid pecking at either card; (d) peck indiscriminately at both cards.
(iii) The area of the brain where all the fibers from the skin senses make their last connection before ending in the Cerebral cortex is the: (a) cerebellum; (b) spinal cord (c) reticular formation; (d) thalamus
(iv) The somesthetic sensory area lies: a) adjacent to the occipital cortex; (b) directly behind the central fissure; (c) directly in front of the central fissure; (d) directly below the auditory area.
(v) In general, the consequences of the emotional state can be said to be: (a) most disruptive for rational processes (b) almost always facilitative; (c) almost always disruptive (d) least facilitative when anger is involved.
(vi) The concept of homeostasis is most closely associated with the name: (a) Richter (b) Cannon; (c) Lewin (d) Warden
(vii) The main types of instigators of motives: (a) tend to interact, (b) tend to function independently of one another (c) have little to do with the thoughts of the person (d) are solely concerned with external stimuli.
(viii) Of the basic types of conflict situations the most highly agitating is the: (a) approach-approach (b) approach-avoidance (c) avoidance-avoidance; (d) conflict among means to a goal
(ix) With increased number of reinforcements: (a) the amplitude of CR to the original CS tends to increase at first: (b) the amplitude of CR to stimuli similar to the original CS tends to increase at first; (c) both a and b are true but the rate of increase differs for the two (d) none of the above.
(x) Nonsense syllables, as material for studying verbal learning, were first used by: (a) Thorndike (b) Hall (c) Ebbinghaus (d) Tolman.