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Class 11 Education Chapter-4 (a) Psychology and Education
Selected Questions & Answers
A. Very Short Answer Type Questions: (Marks for each – 1)
1. Determine whether the following are True or False:
(a) Psychology is a positive science.
Ans: True.
(b) Psychology determines the aims of education.
Ans: False.
(c) The aims of education and psychology are the same.
Ans: False.
(d) The English word “Psychology” means the science of the soul.
Ans: True.
(e) The aim of studying psychology is to know about human behaviour.
Ans: True.
(f) The method of studying psychology is analytical.
Ans: True.
2. Find out the correct part of the following sentences:
(a) Psychology is perceptual/normative/speculative science.
Ans: Perceptual.
(b) The word ‘Psychology’ originated from the Greek / Latin / Englishlanguage.
Ans: Greek.
(c) Psychology can solve all the problems of education / cannot solve / tries to solve them.
Ans: Tries to solve them.
(d) Psychology is called the science of mind/science of consciousness/science of behaviour.
Ans: Science of behaviour.
(e) The study of psychology is idealistic/truthful/objective.
Ans: Objective.
(f) Psychology studies the behaviour of individuals/groups/society.
Ans: Behaviour of individuals.
(g) The method of studying psychology is synthetic/analytical / directive.
Ans: Analytical.
B. Short Questions and Answers: (Marks for each – 2/3)
1. Write the etymological meaning of psychology.
Ans: The word ‘Psychology’ is derived from two Greek words: ‘Psyche’, meaning ‘soul’, and ‘logos’, meaning ‘science’ or ‘study’. Therefore, the etymological meaning of Psychology is ‘the science of the soul’. Initially, it was limited to the study of the soul, but later its scope expanded and it came to be known as the science of behaviour.
C. Medium Answer Type Questions: (Marks for each – 4)
1. Why is psychology called the science of behaviour?
Ans: Psychology was initially called the science of mind or soul. Later, psychologists such as John B. Watson and William McDougall established it as the science of behaviour. According to McDougall, behaviour expresses the purpose of the mind and behaviour is the characteristic of living beings. Behaviour is the external expression of the mind. Thoughts, feelings and will of the mind are expressed physically through behaviour. Such behaviour can be directly observed and studied.
Therefore, psychology is called the “science of behaviour.”
2. Explain the statement “Psychology is an objective science.”
Ans: Psychology is not a normative science; rather, it is called an objective science. That means it describes events exactly as they occur without making value judgments. For example, psychology describes the nature of a child exactly as it appears, without giving any personal opinion about it. Psychologists do not comment on whether behaviour is good or bad. They study human behaviour from an objective point of view. Psychology does not judge how behaviour should be; instead, it studies behaviour as it actually exists. In the field of education, psychologists believe that during the process of teaching it is possible to observe and objectively analyze all the physical and mental abilities, capacities and behaviours of learners.
Therefore, educational psychology is considered an objective science rather than a normative science.
3. Distinguish between psychology and educational psychology.
Ans: The differences between psychology and educational psychology areas follows:
(a) Psychology studies human behaviour in general. Educational psychologists study the psychological aspects of the learning process of human beings.
(b) Psychology originated from speculative thinking about the mind or soul. Educational psychology developed from the practical need to study the nature of the child’s mind.
(c) Psychology studies the behaviour of people of all ages, from childhood to old age. Educational psychology mainly studies the behaviour of learners.
(d) Psychology is concerned with discovering principles and laws about human mind and behaviour. Educational psychology applies those principles in classroom teaching situations.
4. Explain the relationship between education and psychology.
Ans: The relationship between education and psychology is very close. Without the concepts and principles of psychology, modern education cannot progress in a systematic way. Although there are differences between the two in terms of subject matter, they are closely related. Their relationship can be explained as follows:
(a) Psychology presents education in a scientific and objective manner and provides useful knowledge about life and the world.
(b) Psychology provides proper perspectives in education and helps improve its standards.
(c) Psychology helps teachers increase their knowledge and understand students better.
(d) Psychology provides guidance for maintaining proper discipline in education.
(e) By studying psychology, teachers can determine appropriate methods of teaching in education.
5. Mention the objectives of educational psychology.
Ans: Educational psychology is a branch of psychology that is related to the methods, conditions, results and evaluation of teaching in schools. The main objectives of educational psychology are:
(a) It helps in determining standards of behaviour by establishing a connection between definitions and the aims of education.
(b) It encourages the study of students’ behaviour, attitudes and nature.
(c) Another objective is to provide knowledge about the nature and importance of social relationships.
(d) It helps teachers measure the results and effectiveness of teaching and learning.
D. Essay Type Questions and Answers: (Marks for each –5/ 6)
1. Discuss the scope of educational psychology.
Ans: The scope of educational psychology is very wide. It is related to human behaviour, educational matters, problems, teaching methods, etc. Itsscope can be briefly stated as follows:
(a) Study of learners’ behaviour: In order to make teaching effective, it is very important to study the behaviour of learners. Educational psychologists study these behaviours in a scientific manner.
(b) Study of individual differences: There are differences in behaviour from person to person. Teaching becomes more effective when the differences among learners are understood. Educational psychology discusses these individual differences.
(c) Stages of child development: Educational psychology studies how a child passes through different stages of development and what the characteristics of these stages are.
(d) Methods of teaching: Educational psychology studies the methods, principles and theories of learning.
(e) Heredity and environment: Educational psychology studies how the development of a child is influenced by heredity and environment.
(f) Educational guidance: Educational psychology helps in understanding the individual abilities of students and in providing proper educational guidance.
(g) Study of behavioural problems: Educational psychology studies different aspects of discipline and helps in solving the behavioural problems of students.
2. Discuss the different branches of educational psychology.
Ans: Educational psychology can broadly be divided into two parts: (1) General psychology and (2) Applied or practical psychology.
The branch of psychology that studies the general behaviour of human beings is called general psychology. General psychology has several branches, such as:
(a) Physiological psychology: Physiological psychology discusses the structure of the human body and its relation with the mind. It also studies human senses, nervous processes and the role of glands.
(b) Comparative psychology: The branch of psychology that compares human behaviour with the behaviour of animals and discusses the stages of the evolution of the human mind is called comparative psychology.
(c) Child psychology: Child psychology discusses the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of childhood, boyhood and adolescence.
(d) Social psychology: The branch of psychology that studies the relationship between the individual and society is called social psychology.
(e) Differential psychology: This branch determines the differences among individuals and discusses the need for teaching based on individual interests and abilities. The second broad branch of psychology is applied psychology. Applied psychology deals with the application of psychological findings in practical human life. It has several branches such as:
(a) Clinical psychology: The branch of psychology that discusses the methods and procedures required to diagnose mental illnesses is called clinical psychology.
(b) Industrial psychology: The branch of applied psychology that studies the expansion of business and the improvement of relationships among people involved in business is called industrial psychology.
(c) Criminal psychology: The branch of applied psychology that studies the behaviour of criminals and methods of detecting criminals in society is called criminal psychology.
(d) Military psychology: The branch of psychology that studies matters related to the recruitment and selection of people in the military department is called military psychology.
