| Latest Psychology NCERT Notes, Solutions and Extra Q & A (Class 11th & 12th) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Latest Class 11th Psychology NCERT Notes, NCERT Question Solutions and Extra Q & A
1. What Is Psychology?
This introductory chapter defines **Psychology** as the scientific study of mind and behaviour. It explores psychology's roots in philosophy and its development as an independent scientific discipline. Various fields of psychology (e.g., clinical, educational, industrial, social psychology) and their applications are discussed. The chapter highlights the importance of understanding psychological processes to gain insights into human nature, behaviour, and mental functions. It introduces psychology as a diverse field that seeks to understand why people think, feel, and behave the way they do, aiming to improve individual well-being and societal understanding.
2. Methods Of Enquiry In Psychology
This chapter explains the scientific methods used by psychologists to study mind and behaviour objectively. It discusses different **methods of enquiry**, including observational methods (naturalistic, controlled), experimental methods (manipulating variables to determine cause-effect relationships), correlational studies (examining relationships between variables), survey method (collecting data through questionnaires/interviews), psychological testing, and case studies. The chapter highlights the importance of reliability and validity in research. Understanding these methods is crucial for evaluating psychological findings and conducting scientific investigations in psychology, ensuring that conclusions are based on empirical evidence.
3. Human Development
This chapter explores **human development**, the systematic study of changes in individuals throughout their lifespan, from conception to old age. It discusses different domains of development (physical, cognitive, social, emotional) and various stages of development (infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age). Key theories of development (e.g., Piaget's cognitive development, Erikson's psychosocial stages) are introduced. The chapter highlights the factors influencing development, such as heredity and environment, and discusses the challenges and milestones at different life stages, providing insight into the complex process of human growth and change over time.
4. Sensory, Attentional And Perceptual Processes
This chapter delves into how we receive, process, and interpret information from the world around us. It discusses **sensory processes**, involving sensory organs (eyes, ears, skin, tongue, nose) detecting stimuli. **Attentional processes** focus on how we selectively attend to certain stimuli while ignoring others. **Perceptual processes** involve organizing and interpreting sensory information to make sense of the world. Concepts like sensation thresholds, sensory adaptation, principles of perception (e.g., Gestalt laws), and factors influencing attention and perception are explained, highlighting how our brain constructs our experience of reality from sensory input.
5. Learning
This chapter explores **learning**, a relatively permanent change in behaviour or knowledge resulting from experience. It discusses different types of learning. **Classical Conditioning** (learning through association, e.g., Pavlov's dogs) and **Operant Conditioning** (learning through consequences, e.g., rewards and punishments) are explained. Other forms like observational learning (learning by watching others, e.g., Bandura's Bobo doll experiment) and cognitive learning (learning involving mental processes) are also introduced. The chapter highlights factors influencing learning and its importance in acquiring skills, knowledge, and adapting to the environment throughout life.
6. Human Memory
This chapter focuses on **human memory**, the capacity to encode, store, and retrieve information. It discusses different stages of memory: **sensory memory** (brief storage of sensory information), **short-term memory** (limited capacity, temporary storage), and **long-term memory** (large capacity, relatively permanent storage). Different types of long-term memory (episodic, semantic, procedural) are explained. Concepts related to memory processes like encoding strategies, retrieval cues, forgetting (theories like decay, interference), and memory improvement techniques are discussed, highlighting the complexities of how we remember and forget information.
7. Thinking
This chapter explores the complex cognitive process of **thinking**. It discusses different types of thinking, such as **problem-solving** (finding solutions to challenges), **decision-making** (choosing among alternatives), and creative thinking (generating novel ideas). Concepts like reasoning (drawing conclusions from information), concepts formation (categorizing information), and language's role in thinking are also covered. The chapter highlights different approaches to problem-solving (trial and error, algorithms, heuristics) and potential biases in thinking. Understanding thinking processes provides insight into how humans acquire knowledge, make judgments, and interact with their environment using their cognitive abilities.
8. Motivation And Emotion
This chapter delves into two fundamental aspects of human experience: **motivation** (the forces that drive us to act) and **emotion** (subjective feelings accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes). It discusses different theories of motivation (e.g., Maslow's hierarchy of needs, drives, incentives) and types of motives (biological, psychosocial). Various emotions (joy, anger, sadness, fear) and theories explaining their nature and expression (e.g., James-Lange theory, Cannon-Bard theory) are explored. The chapter highlights the interplay between motivation and emotion and their influence on human behaviour, well-being, and adaptation.