CBSE Class 11 Psychology Syllabus - Free PDF Download
CBSE Syllabus 2026-27 Class 11: The CBSE Class 11 Psychology Syllabus for the examination year 2026-27 has been released by the Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE. The board will hold the final examination at the end of the year following the annual assessment scheme, which has led to the release of the syllabus. The 2026-27 CBSE Class 11 Psychology Board Exam will entirely be based on the most recent syllabus. Therefore, students must thoroughly understand the new CBSE syllabus to prepare for their annual exam properly.
The detailed CBSE Class 11 Psychology Syllabus for 2026-27 is below.
Academic year:
CBSE Class 11 Psychology Revised Syllabus
CBSE Class 11 Psychology Course Structure 2026-27 With Marking Scheme
| # | Unit/Topic | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is Psychology | |
| 2 | Methods of Enquiry in Psychology | |
| 3 | The Bases of Human Behaviour | |
| 4 | Human Development | |
| 5 | Sensory, Attentional, and Perceptual Processes | |
| 6 | Learning | |
| 7 | Human Memory | |
| 8 | Thinking | |
| 9 | Motivation and Emotion | |
| Total | - |
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Syllabus
1 What is Psychology
- What is Psychology?
Psychology as a Discipline
Psychology as a Natural Science
Psychology as a Social Science - Understanding Mind and Behaviour
- Popular Notions About the Discipline of Psychology
- Evolution of Psychology
- Development of Psychology in India
- Branches of Psychology
- Themes of Research and Applications
- Psychology and Other Disciplines
- Philosophy
- Medicine
- Economics, Political Science and Sociology
- Computer Science
- Law and Criminology
- Mass Communication
- Psychologists at Work
- Clinical psychologists
- Counselling psychologists
- Community psychologists
- School psychologists
- Organisational psychologists
- Psychology in Everyday Life
2 Methods of Enquiry in Psychology
- Methods of Enquiry in Psychology
- Goals of Psychological Enquiry
a) Steps in Conducting Scientific Research
b) Alternative Paradigms of Research - Nature of Psychological Data
- Some Important Methods in Psychology
a) Observational Method
b) Experimental Method
c) Correlational Research
d) Survey Research
e) Psychological Testing
f) Case Study - Analysis of Data
a. Quantitative Method
b. Qualitative Method - Limitations of Psychological Enquiry
3 The Bases of Human Behaviour
- The Bases of Human Behaviour
- Evolutionary Perspective
- Biological and Cultural Roots
- Biological Basis of Behaviour
- Neurons
- Nerve Impulse
- Synapse
- Structure and Functions of Nervous System and Endocrine System and Their Relationship Wtth Behaviour and Experience
- The Nervous System
- The Peripheral Nervous System
- The Central Nervous System
- The Brain and Behaviour
- The Endocrine System
- Heredity: Genes and Behaviour
Chromosomes
- Cultural Basis: Socio-cultural Shaping of Behaviour
- Enculturation
- Socialisation
- Acculturation
4 Human Development
- Meaning of Development
- Life-Span Perspective on Development
- Growth, Development, Maturation, and Evolution
- Factors Influencing Development
- Introduction
- Biological or Internal Factors
- Environmental or External Factors
- Social and Emotional Factors
- Real-Life Application
- Key Points: Factors Influencing Development
- Context of Development
- Developmental Stages
- Infancy
- Stages of Development> Childhood
- Introduction
- Key Growth Areas
- Real-Life Application
- Key Points: Childhood
- Challenges of Adolescence
- Physical changes at puberty
- 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.
- Adulthood and Old Age
5 Sensory, Attentional, and Perceptual Processes
- Sensory, Attentional, and Perceptual Processes
- Knowing the World
- Nature and Varieties of Stimulus
- Sense Modalities
- Visual Sensation
- Other Human Senses
- Auditory Sensation
- Attentional Processes
- Selective Attention
- Divided Attention
- Sustained Attention
- Span of Attention
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Perceptual Processes
Processing Approaches in Perception
- The Perceiver
- Principles of Perceptual Organisation
- The Principle of Proximity
- The Principle of Similarity
- The Principle of Continuity
- The Principle of Smallness
- The Principle of Symmetry
- The Principle of Surroundedness
- The Principle of Closure
- Perception of Space, Depth, and Distance
- Monocular Cues (Psychological Cues)
- Binocular Cues (Physiological Cues)
- Perceptual Constancies
- Size Constancy
- Shape Constancy
- Brightness Constancy
- Illusions
- Socio-cultural Influences on Perception
6 Learning
- Nature of Learning
- Paradigms of Learning
- Classical Conditioning
Determinants of Classical Conditioning
- Operant/Instrumental Conditioning
- Determinants of Operant Conditioning
- Key Learning Processes
- Classical and Operant Conditioning : Differences
- Learned Helplessness
- Observational Learning
- Cognitive Learning
- Insight Learning
- Latent Learning
- Verbal Leaming
- Methods used in Studying Verbal Learning
- Determinants of Verbal Learning
- Concept of Learning
- Introduction
- Definition: Learning
- Activity: Types and Causes of Behaviour Change
- Characteristics of Learning
- Skill Learning
- Nature of Skills
- Phases of Skill Acquisition
- Transfer of Learning
- General (Generic) Transfer
- Specific Transfer
- Factors Facilitating Learning
- Continuous vs Partial Reinforcement
- Motivation
- Preparedness for Learning
- The Leamer : Leaming Styles
- Learning Disabilities
- Symptoms of Learning Disabilities
- Applications of Learning Principles
7 Human Memory
- Human Memory
- Nature of Memory
- Information Processing Approach : the Stage Model
- Memory Systems : Sensory, Short-term and Long-term Memories
- Sensory Memory
- Short-term Memory
- Long-term Memory
- Levels of Processing
- Types of Long-term Memory
- Declarative and Procedural; Episodic and Semantic
- Long-term Memory Classification
- Methods of Memory Measurement
- Knowledge Representation and Organisation in Memory
Memory Making: Eyewitness and False Memories
- Memory as a Constructive Process
- Nature and Causes of Forgetting
- Forgetting due to Trace Decay
- Forgetting due to Interference
- Forgetting due to Retrieval Failure
- Repressed Memories
- Enhancing Memory
- Mnemonics using Images
- Mnemonics using Organisation
8 Thinking
- Concept of Thinking
- Introduction
- Definition: Thinking
- Elements of Thinking
- Activity: Understanding Thinking Process
- Nature of Thinking
- Building Blocks of Thought
- Culture and Thinking
- The Processes of Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Obstacles to Solving Problems
- Reasoning
- Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
- Decision-making
- Nature and Process of Creative Thinking
- Nature of Creative Thinking
- Lateral Thinking
- Process of Creative Thinking
- Developing Creative Thinking
- Barriers to Creative Thinking
- Strategies for Creative Thinking
- Thought and Language
- Language as Determinant of Thought
- Thought as Determinant of Language
- Different Origins of Language and Thought
- Development of Language and Language Use
- Meaning and Nature of Language
- Meaning and Nature of Language
- Bilingualism and Multilingualism
- Language Use
9 Motivation and Emotion
- Motivation and Emotion
- Nature of Motivation
- The Motivational Cycle
- Types of Motives
- Biological Motives
- Psychosocial Motives
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- Pyramid
- Assumption
- Criticism
- Nature of Emotions
- Physiological Bases of Emotions
- Physiology of Emotion
- Lie Detection
- Cognitive Bases of Emotions
- Cultural Bases of Emotions
- Expression of Emotions
- Culture and Emotional Expression
- Culture and Emotional Labeling
- Managing Negative Emotions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Management of Examination Anxiety
- Enhancing Positive Emotions
- Emotional Intelligence
