CBSE CLASS 11 PSYCHOLOGY CH 5 LEARNING

NCERT SOLUTIONS CBSE CLASS 11 PSYCHOLOGY 

CBSE CLASS 11 PSYCHOLOGY CH 5 LEARNING NCERT SOLUTIONS 

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We offer Different Solutions which students from Class 11 & 12 face during their CBSE boards exam preparations and also during their CUET UG preparations. Please check them out:

1. What is learning? What are its distinguishing features?

Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or study. It involves several key features:

• Experience or Practice: Learning always requires some kind of experience or practice.
• Not Maturation: Changes due to natural growth or maturation (like getting taller) are not considered learning.
  • Example: A child learns that when the bell rings after sunset, dinner is ready.
• Single Experience: Sometimes, one experience can lead to learning.
  • Example: A child who gets burned by a matchstick will learn to handle it more carefully next time.
• Relatively Permanent: Learning must lead to a change that lasts for a reasonably long time.
• Distinguishing from Temporary Changes: Not all changes in behavior are due to learning. For instance, temporary changes from fatigue, drug effects, or habituation are not considered learning.
• Behavior Change: Learning results in a change in behavior, whether positive or negative.
• Sequential Nature: Learning typically follows a particular sequence.

2. How does classical conditioning demonstrate learning by association?

Classical conditioning is a form of learning where an organism learns to associate one stimulus with another, resulting in a learned response. It was first demonstrated by Pavlov’s experiments with dogs.

• Pavlov’s Experiment: Pavlov rang a bell before feeding dogs. Eventually, the dogs started salivating at the sound of the bell alone, even without food.
• Key Terms:
  • Unconditioned Stimulus (US): A stimulus that naturally evokes a response (e.g., food causing salivation).
  • Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A neutral stimulus that becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus (e.g., the bell, which initially does not cause salivation but comes to do so after being paired with food).
  • Unconditioned Response (UR): A natural response to an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation in response to food).
  • Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to the conditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation at the sound of the bell).
• Determinants of Classical Conditioning:
  • Time Relations between Stimuli: How and when the CS and US are presented affects the learning process.
    • Simultaneous Conditioning: CS and US presented together.
    • Delayed Conditioning: CS starts before the US but ends after it. This is the most effective method.
    • Trace Conditioning: CS ends just before the US begins, with a small gap in between.
    • Backward Conditioning: The US comes before the CS, which is least effective.
  • Type of US: Some unconditioned stimuli (like food) lead to slower conditioning, while others (like an unpleasant noise) are learned faster.

3. What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning is a form of learning where behavior is shaped by consequences, such as rewards or punishments.

• Reinforcers: Any event or stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
  • Positive Reinforcement: Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior (e.g., giving a child a treat for doing homework).
  • Negative Reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior (e.g., turning off a loud alarm when a task is completed).
• Factors Influencing Operant Conditioning:
  • Frequency of Reinforcement: The more frequently a behavior is reinforced, the faster it is learned.
  • Amount of Reinforcement: Larger or more desirable rewards can enhance learning.
  • Quality of Reinforcement: Different reinforcers have different values (e.g., some food rewards may be more effective than others).
  • Schedule of Reinforcement: Continuous reinforcement (rewarding every time a behavior occurs) is effective for initial learning, while partial reinforcement (rewarding intermittently) results in stronger behavior resistance to extinction.
  • Delayed Reinforcement: A delay between behavior and reward can hinder learning, as immediate rewards are most effective.

4. Why is a good role model important for children?

Observational learning is the process through which individuals acquire new behaviors by watching others, particularly role models.

• Observational Learning: This type of learning occurs by observing the behaviors of others and the consequences they face. It is especially relevant for social learning and can shape a child’s behavior in many areas of life.
• Modeling: Children learn through the actions of role models, and they tend to imitate those who are considered to be of high status or who are rewarded for their actions.
• Influence of Role Models:
  • Children of confident adults tend to develop confidence.
  • Children of fearful or critical parents may become fearful or critical themselves.
• Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment: Bandura demonstrated that children who saw an adult rewarded for aggressive behavior were more likely to imitate that behavior, while those who saw punishment were less likely to act aggressively.

5. What are the procedures for studying verbal learning?

Verbal learning involves the process of acquiring verbal responses to verbal stimuli, like words or symbols.

• Paired-Associate Learning: Involves learning pairs of words, where one word is presented as a stimulus and the other as a response.
  • Example: "Gen" (stimulus) = "Loot" (response).
• Serial Learning: Participants are given a list of items and must recall them in the exact order they were presented.
• Free Recall: Participants recall words from a list in any order, often showing how information is stored and organized in memory.

6. What is a skill, and how does skill learning develop?

A skill is the ability to perform a complex task efficiently and accurately.

• Stages of Skill Learning (Fitts’ Model):
  • Cognitive Phase: The learner understands the task and memorizes instructions. External cues are vital at this stage.
  • Associative Phase: The learner connects sensory inputs with correct responses, making fewer errors and improving speed.
  • Autonomous Phase: The task becomes automatic, requiring minimal conscious effort.

7. What is the difference between generalization and discrimination?

• Generalization: The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus.
  • Example: A dog conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell may salivate to similar sounds (e.g., a buzzer).
• Discrimination: The ability to differentiate between different stimuli and respond only to the specific one associated with the original conditioning.
  • Example: A dog learns to salivate only when it hears a specific bell, not any other sounds.

8. How does transfer of learning take place?

Transfer of learning refers to applying skills or knowledge from one situation to another.

• Positive Transfer: Previous learning helps new learning (e.g., learning tennis may help with squash).
• Negative Transfer: Previous learning hinders new learning (e.g., a tennis player struggling with squash due to different rules).
• Zero Transfer: There is no effect of previous learning on new learning.

9. Why is motivation important for learning?

Motivation is a key factor that drives individuals to learn and persist through challenges.

• Intrinsic Motivation: Learning for the joy of the activity itself.
• Extrinsic Motivation: Learning for external rewards, such as job opportunities or academic success.
• Motivation energizes and sustains the learning process, pushing individuals to keep working toward their goals.

10. What does preparedness for learning mean?

Preparedness refers to the inherent ability of an organism to associate certain stimuli and responses more easily than others due to genetic factors.

• Biological Preparedness: Some organisms are naturally more inclined to learn certain types of associations, like humans being more adept at learning language.
• Psychological Preparedness: The learner’s readiness to acquire certain types of information or skills.

11. What are different forms of cognitive learning?

• Insight Learning: Sudden realization of the solution to a problem without trial and error.
• Latent Learning: Learning that occurs without reinforcement, but is demonstrated later when conditions are right.
  • Example: Rats learning a maze without rewards but performing better when rewards are introduced.

12. How can we identify students with learning disabilities?

Learning disabilities are disorders that affect the ability to acquire certain skills.

• Signs include:
  • Difficulty with reading, writing, and speaking.
  • Trouble focusing, often leading to hyperactivity.
  • Poor motor coordination and balance.
  • Misunderstanding directions or body language.
  • Difficulty with spatial orientation and time management.

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