UGC NET Psychology Syllabus 2026
Your complete guide to all 15 units of Paper 2 — from the emergence of psychology and research methodology to social psychology, psychological disorders, therapy and real-world applications, with exam pattern, marking scheme and the best books.
Psychology is one of the most popular and rewarding UGC NET subjects, blending theory, research methods and applied practice. The Paper 2 syllabus is unusually broad — it is organised into 15 units that span the history of the discipline, biological bases of behaviour, cognition, personality, development, social behaviour, mental disorders, therapy and the many fields where psychology is applied. This guide breaks each unit into clear, scannable points and follows with the exam pattern, high-yield areas, recommended books and a practical preparation strategy.
UGC NET Psychology Exam Pattern 2026
The exam has two objective papers held in one 3-hour sitting. There is no negative marking, so attempting every question is always to your advantage.
Key points: Each correct answer earns +2 marks. There is no negative marking. Paper 1 is common to all subjects, while Paper 2 tests Psychology only. Both are attempted in one 3-hour session.
Paper 2: Psychology Syllabus — All 15 Units
Here is the full unit-wise breakdown of the UGC NET Psychology syllabus. Study the foundations (Units 1–5) first, as later units build on these core concepts.
Unit 1 • Emergence of Psychology
How psychology grew into a science and its major schools of thought.
- History and philosophical foundations of psychology
- Major schools — Structuralism, Functionalism, Behaviorism and Gestalt
- Psychoanalysis, Humanism and the Cognitive perspective
- Indian psychology and its contributions
- The shift from philosophy to scientific method
Unit 2 • Research Methodology and Statistics
The tools that make psychology an evidence-based discipline.
- Types of research and experimental designs
- Hypothesis testing and sampling methods
- Statistical techniques — ANOVA, correlation and regression
- Descriptive and inferential statistics
- APA guidelines for research and reporting
Unit 3 • Psychological Testing
Constructing and evaluating psychological tests.
- Principles of test construction
- Reliability and validity of tests
- Intelligence, aptitude and personality tests
- Attitude and interest inventories
- Fundamentals of psychometrics
Unit 4 • Biological Basis of Behaviour
How the brain and body shape our behaviour.
- Neurons, the central and peripheral nervous systems
- The endocrine system and neurotransmitters
- Structure and functions of the brain
- Genetics and behaviour
- Sleep and biofeedback
Unit 5 • Attention, Perception, Learning, Memory & Forgetting
The core cognitive processes of the mind.
- Theories of attention and Gestalt principles of perception
- Classical and operant conditioning
- Insight learning and observational learning
- Short-term and long-term memory
- Theories of forgetting
Unit 6 • Thinking, Intelligence and Creativity
Higher mental processes and how we measure them.
- Reasoning, problem solving and decision making
- Theories of intelligence — Spearman, Gardner and Sternberg
- Nature and measurement of creativity
- The creative process and its stages
- Cognitive approaches to thought
Unit 7 • Personality and Motivation
What makes each person unique and what drives behaviour.
- Personality theories — Freud, Jung, Maslow, Rogers and the Big Five
- Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
- Arousal theories of motivation
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- Trait, type and humanistic approaches
Unit 8 • Emotion and Stress
How feelings and pressure affect health and behaviour.
- Theories of emotion — James-Lange, Cannon-Bard and Schachter-Singer
- Models of stress and the general adaptation syndrome
- Coping strategies and resilience
- Introduction to health psychology
- The mind-body connection
Unit 9 • Development Across the Lifespan
How humans grow and change from birth to old age.
- Physical and cognitive development
- Emotional and social development
- Piaget's theory of cognitive development
- Erikson's psychosocial stages
- Vygotsky's sociocultural theory
Unit 10 • Social Psychology
How individuals think, feel and act in social settings.
- Social cognition and the formation of attitudes
- Group dynamics and conformity
- Aggression and pro-social behaviour
- Prejudice and stereotypes
- Social influence and persuasion
Unit 11 • Psychology of Individual Differences
Understanding how and why people differ.
- Intelligence and aptitude differences
- Personality traits and their measurement
- Creativity and emotional intelligence
- The nature vs. nurture debate
- Sources and assessment of individual differences
Unit 12 • Psychological Disorders
Classification and understanding of abnormal behaviour.
- Classification systems, especially the DSM-5
- Anxiety and mood disorders
- Personality and psychotic disorders
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Somatoform and dissociative disorders
Unit 13 • Therapeutic Approaches
The main methods used to treat psychological problems.
- Psychotherapy types — CBT, REBT, Psychoanalysis and Humanistic therapy
- Group therapy and its applications
- Behaviour modification techniques
- Eclectic and integrative approaches
- Choosing an appropriate therapy
Unit 14 • Work Psychology & Organizational Behaviour
Psychology applied to the workplace.
- Leadership styles and effectiveness
- Motivation and job satisfaction at work
- Organizational culture and climate
- Team dynamics and group performance
- Workplace stress management
Unit 15 • Applications of Psychology
Where psychology makes a real-world difference.
- Educational and clinical psychology
- Counselling and forensic psychology
- Environmental and health psychology
- Community psychology
- Emerging applied fields
High-Yield Topics for Psychology
These recurring areas tend to carry good weight in previous papers — prioritise them in revision:
Best Books for UGC NET Psychology
- Introduction to Psychology by Morgan, King, Weisz & Schopler for core concepts
- Psychology by Robert A. Baron for broad coverage
- Theories of Personality by Hall & Lindzey / Feist & Feist
- Statistical Methods in Psychology and research-methodology texts by Mangal / Broota
- Abnormal Psychology by Carson, Butcher & Mineka with the DSM-5 framework
- Standard UGC NET Paper 2 Psychology guides and previous-year question papers for practice
Smart Preparation Strategy
- Because there are 15 units, build a clear timetable and cover 2–3 units per week, then revise in cycles.
- Give top priority to research methodology, statistics and testing — these are scoring and appear every year.
- Prepare theory-heavy areas (personality, intelligence, emotion) with comparison charts of theorists and their key ideas.
- Memorise the DSM-5 classification of disorders and match disorders with their features.
- Solve at least 8–10 years of previous papers and take regular mock tests to fix weak units.
- Do not ignore Paper 1 — it contributes a full 100 marks to your total score.
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