Bihar BSEB Intermediate Psychology study plan
Bihar BSEB Intermediate Psychology · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
What is Psychology? (nature, scope, schools of thought, methods of enquiry)
Define psychology in your own words and distinguish it from pseudo-science and common-sense explanations of behaviour
List and compare the five major schools (psychoanalysis, behaviourism, cognitive, humanistic, Gestalt/structuralist roots) with one key figure and one core claim each
Outline the scope of psychology across biological, cognitive, developmental, social and applied branches
Describe and contrast the main methods of enquiry: observation, experiment, correlation, case study and survey, with one strength and one limitation each
Your checkpoint
A one-page comparison table of schools and methods (school, key figure, core assumption, typical method, one criticism) written from memory and checked against notes
Self and Personality (self-concept, personality types and traits, assessment approaches)
Explain the components of self-concept (self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-regulation) and how they develop
Classify personality approaches: type, trait, psychodynamic, humanistic and behavioural
Compare the trait models of Allport, Eysenck and the Big Five, naming the five factors
Describe assessment approaches: interview, observation, rating scales, projective tests and self-report inventories, with one limitation of each
Apply one trait framework to describe a person you know well without using labels as explanations
Your checkpoint
A 300-word written personality profile of a fictional character using the Big Five, plus a short note on which assessment method would be most and least suitable for that case
Meeting Life Challenges (stress, coping, adaptation, life skills)
Define stress and distinguish eustress from distress, and stressors from stress reactions
Explain the general adaptation syndrome and the transactional model of stress and coping
Identify adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies with examples of each
List life skills (self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, decision making, problem solving, interpersonal relations, coping with stress and emotion) and match each to a stressful situation
Design a personal stress-management routine that names the technique and the mechanism behind it
Your checkpoint
A stress-diary exercise: record three real stressors from the past week, label the appraisal, the coping style used and one alternative life skill that could have been applied
Psychological Disorders (concepts, classification, major disorder categories)
Define psychological disorder and explain the criteria of deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger
Outline the major classification groupings and what a diagnostic manual is used for
Describe the defining features, typical onset and course of anxiety, mood, schizophrenia-spectrum and personality disorders
Correct at least three common myths about mental illness using evidence-based statements
Distinguish organic from functional and neurotic from psychotic in classification terms
Your checkpoint
A disorder fact sheet covering five disorder categories (key symptoms, one distinguishing feature, one common misconception) produced without looking at notes
Therapeutic Approaches (psychodynamic, behaviour, cognitive, humanistic, biomedical)
Summarise the core assumptions and techniques of the psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive, humanistic and biomedical approaches
Match each therapeutic technique (free association, systematic desensitisation, cognitive restructuring, unconditional positive regard, pharmacotherapy) to its school
Explain what evidence of effectiveness looks like for a therapy and why placebo and relapse matter
Compare at least two approaches on the same presenting problem and justify a choice
Your checkpoint
A 400-word comparative write-up: one case description treated from two different therapeutic orientations, with the techniques and expected outcomes for each
Attitude and Social Cognition (attitude formation and change, social thinking, prejudice, prosocial behaviour) & Social Influence and Group Processes (conformity, obedience, group dynamics, conflict and cooperation)
Explain how attitudes form and the routes of attitude change, including cognitive dissonance
Describe components of social cognition: schemas, heuristics, attribution and bias in attribution
Explain the roots of prejudice and at least two strategies for reducing it
Define prosocial behaviour and summarise situational and personal determinants of helping
Distinguish conformity, compliance and obedience, citing the classic study designs and their ethical criticisms
Describe group dynamics: norms, roles, cohesion, social loafing, group polarisation and conflict versus cooperation
Your checkpoint
A two-column comparison sheet covering attitude change versus social influence, with one real-world Indian example per concept (at least ten concepts total)
Psychology and Life (environmental psychology, health, work and leisure, human-environment interaction) & Developing Psychological Skills (communication, observation, interviewing, counselling and guidance skills)
Explain human-environment interaction, environmental stress, crowding and pro-environmental behaviour
Outline the biopsychosocial model of health and the role of lifestyle and health-compromising behaviours
Describe the psychology of work and leisure, including work stress, burnout and work-life balance
Identify the components of effective communication: listening, empathy, paraphrasing and non-verbal cues
Distinguish observation, interview and counselling skills, and list the stages of a counselling interview
Apply ethical safeguards: confidentiality, informed consent and boundaries in a helping relationship
Your checkpoint
A 10-minute role-play script of a counselling interview (opening, exploration, closing) with a short commentary noting each skill demonstrated
Practical / Applied Psychology Component (experiments, testing, case study and project work)
Design a simple experiment with a clear independent and dependent variable and a stated control
Describe how to administer and score one psychological test, and state its reliability and validity concerns
Outline the structure of a case study and a project report, including introduction, method, results and discussion
Practise writing a practical record entry with aim, procedure, observation table and conclusion
Revise the full syllabus through timed self-testing on weak areas identified in earlier weeks
Your checkpoint
A complete practical record for one experiment or test: aim, hypothesis, method, observation table, results and a two-paragraph discussion with limitations
Milestones
Week 2: Can define psychology, name all major schools with one figure each, and explain the components of self-concept and the Big Five without notes
Week 4: Can state the criteria of abnormality, name five disorder categories with key symptoms, and explain GAS and the transactional stress model in under ten minutes
Week 6: Can compare all five therapeutic approaches on assumptions, techniques and one limitation each, and distinguish conformity, compliance and obedience with study examples
Week 8: Can produce a full practical record from memory and score at least 70 percent on a timed mixed-domain self-test covering all ten domains