NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 11 Thinking And Problem Solving

NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 11 Thinking And Problem Solving Solutions English Medium As Per New Syllabus to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapters NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 11 Thinking And Problem Solving Notes and select need one. NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 11 Thinking And Problem Solving Solutions English Medium Download PDF. NIOS Study Material of Class 12 Psychology Notes Paper Code: 328.

NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 11 Thinking And Problem Solving

Also, you can read the NIOS book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of NIOS All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NIOS Class 12 Psychology Notes, NIOS Senior Secondary Course Psychology Solutions in English for All Chapter, You can practice these here.

Thinking And Problem Solving

Chapter: 11

PART – I

Module – 2: Basic Psychological Processes

INTEXT QUESTIONS 11.1

Fill in the Blanks:

1. _________________ thinking is highly private and may use symbols having personal meaning.

Ans: Autistic.

2. Sentences that relate one concept to another are called _________________.

Ans: Preposition.

3. _________________ concept does not have specified set of defining features.

Ans: Natural.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 11.2

1. Match the following

Column A	Column B
(i) Algorithm.	(a) Based on specific facts and observation.
(ii) Heuristic.	(b) Solving a problem in one particular way.
(iii) Inductive Reasoning.	(c) General rule of thumb.
(iv) Mental Set.	(d) Precise sequences of procedure that automatically generate solution if followed in a particular manner.

Ans:

Column A	Column B
(i) Algorithm.	(d) Precise sequences of procedure that automatically generate solution if followed in a particular manner.
(ii) Heuristic.	(c) General rule of thumb.
(iii) Inductive Reasoning.	(a) Based on specific facts and observation.
(iv) Mental Set.	(b) Solving a problem in one particular way.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 11.3

State which of the following statements are ‘true’ and which are ‘false’?

1. Representativeness and Availability are types of Heuristics.

Ans: True.

2. Cultural and social issues do not affect the decision-making ability of a person.

Ans: False.

3. Anchoring and Adjustment are one of the stages of decision-making.

Ans: False.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 11.4

1. Barriers to creative thinking:

(a) Perceptual.

(b) Cultural.

(d) All of the Above.

Ans: (d) All of the Above.

2. The first stage of creative thinking is:

(a) Incubation.

(b) Preparation.

(d) None of the Above.

Ans: (b) Preparation.

TERMINAL EXERCISES

1. Discuss the nature of Thinking.

Ans: Continuous Mental Manipulation: Thinking is an ongoing cognitive process that involves processing, organising, and managing information. It represents all mental activities that fall between the reception of a stimulus and the production of a response.

Cognitive Rearrangement: It requires the manipulation and cognitive rearrangement of symbols, concepts, images, and representations stored in our memory or retrieved from the environment.

Types of Thinking:

(i) Autistic Thinking: Highly private and subjective thinking that uses symbols with personal meaning, such as daydreaming.

(ii) Directed Thinking: Goal-directed thinking aimed at solving specific problems or creating something novel, such as finding a route to a destination.

2. What do you understand by concept? Discuss propositions.

Ans: A concept is a symbolic representation of the common and general features of different objects or events, helping us categorise the complex external world.

Logical/Artificial Concepts are defined by precise rules (e.g., a square has four equal sides).

Natural Concepts lack sharp boundaries and specified features. They are represented in our minds by a Prototype (an ideal representative of a category formed by our experiences; for example, we think of an apple as a prototype of a fruit).

Propositions: Propositions are sentences or statements that relate one concept to another or describe a relationship between a concept and its properties (e.g., “Sita has black hair”).

A cluster of related propositions forms a Mental Model, which acts as a knowledge structure guiding our daily interactions with objects and events.

3. Highlight different stages of problem solving. Discuss barriers in effective problem solving.

Ans: Stages of Problem Solving:

(i) Framing and Understanding the Problem: Recognizing that a problem exists and identifying the specific issue that needs solving.

(ii) Generation of Hypothesis/Solutions: Brainstorming tentative solutions through information gathering and matching.

(iii) Testing the Hypothesis: Evaluating each alternative, assessing its associated costs, and trying out the best possible one.

(iv) Evaluation of Results and Revision: Assessing the outcome; if the desired results are not achieved, revising previous stages.

Barriers to Problem Solving:

Mental Set: Rigidity where a person attempts to solve a problem in one particular tried-and-tested way, restricting cognitive flexibility.

Functional Fixedness: The strong tendency to think of objects only in terms of their typical or usual functions, which prevents seeing alternative uses (e.g., failing to see a clothes hanger as a tool to open a lock).

4. What are the different kinds of reasoning?

Ans: Reasoning is a cognitive process through which we gather, analyse, and transform information to reach conclusions. There are mainly two kinds of reasoning: formal reasoning and everyday reasoning. Formal reasoning follows specific and structured methods to solve problems, whereas everyday reasoning is used in daily life and may be influenced by personal beliefs, experiences, and moods.

Reasoning can also be divided into deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning moves from general ideas or assumptions to specific conclusions. On the other hand, inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to general conclusions. Thus, different types of reasoning help us understand situations, solve problems, and make decisions in everyday life.

5. Discuss types of heuristics with examples.

Ans: Heuristics are cognitive shortcuts or general rules of thumb based on prior experiences that allow us to make choices and judgments quickly, though they do not guarantee accuracy.

Key Heuristics:

(i) Availability Heuristic: The tendency to judge the likelihood or frequency of an event by how easily examples of it come to mind.

Example: In Kahneman’s study (1974), participants presented with a list of equal male and female names reported that there were more female names simply because the female names belonged to famous people and were more easily recalled.

(ii) Representativeness Heuristic: Judging the probability of an event by comparing it to an existing prototype or typical category template in our mind.

(iii) Anchoring and Adjustment: Making an estimate by starting with a subjective initial value (an anchor) and adjusting it up or down.

Example: In Kahneman’s study, when asked to estimate a mathematical product in 5 seconds, people given the descending order starting with 8 (8x7x6…) gave a much higher product estimate than those given the ascending order starting with 1 (1x2x3…), because the starting digit acted as an anchor.

6. What do you understand by creative thinking? Highlight different characteristics of creative thinker.

Ans: Creative Thinking: This type of thinking involves the production of ideas, solutions, or objects that are both new/original and contextually appropriate/functional. J.P. Guilford distinguished between Convergent Thinking (solving problems with one correct answer) and Divergent Thinking (generating multiple open-ended solutions).

Characteristics of Creative Thinkers:

(i) They prefer complex, challenging, and unbalanced tasks.

(ii) They show high independence in making judgments, resisting group conformity.

(iii) They have high awareness, vigilance, and sensitivity to their surroundings.

(iv) They notice contradictions and identify incompleteness in situations.

(v) They ask thoughtful questions, brainstorm systematically, and seek regular feedback.

(vi) They master the “delay of gratification,” coping effectively with frustration and failure.

7. Explain Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis.

Ans: The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis, proposed by linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf, suggests that language influences the way people think and understand the world. According to the strong version, known as linguistic determinism, our thoughts are shaped and limited by the words and linguistic categories available in our language.

However, research shows that although language can make certain thoughts easier to express and process, people can still experience and understand similar thoughts and emotions regardless of the language they speak. Therefore, language influences our thinking but does not completely determine it.

8. Examine the relation between language and thought.

Ans: The relation is highly interdependent and can be analyzed through three perspectives:

(i) Language determines Thought (Whorf’s Hypothesis): We can only think about things we have words for; language structures our reality.

(ii) Thought determines Language (Piaget’s View): Thinking precedes language. Children form internal representations of the world before they acquire speech. Language is simply a vehicle used to express already formulated thoughts.

(iii) Interdependence (General Psychological View): Language and thought are mutually supportive. Depending on the context, stage of development, and circumstances, one guides the other.

9. Discuss the stages of development of language.

Ans: Spontaneous language acquisition in children follows a highly predictable, step-by-step developmental pattern:

(i) Crying: The initial vocal expression at birth.

(ii) Cooing: Production of simple vowel-like sounds (around 2–4 months).

(iii) Babbling: Combining consonants and vowels into repetitive patterns like “da-da-da” (around 6 months).

(iv) Echolalia: Copying and echoing repetitive sound structures heard from adults.

(v) One-Word Stage (Holophrases): Using single words to convey complex meanings or complete phrases (around 1 year).

(vi) Telegraphic Speech: Combining two words to form brief sentences (e.g., “Papa go”).

(vii) Complete Language: Rapidly acquiring syntax (combining words), semantics (understanding meanings), and pragmatics (using speech effectively).

See More Question Answers