Chapter 8: Thinking

2 Marks Questions

1. Define Thinking:

• A higher mental process involving manipulation and analysis of information received from the environment.

• Inferred from overt behavior.

2. What is a Concept?

• A mental representation of a category (class of objects, ideas, or events with shared properties).

• Helps in organizing knowledge for quick and efficient thought processes.

3. What is Problem Solving?

• Goal-directed thinking to solve a specific problem.

• Obstacles: Mental set, functional fixedness, lack of motivation, and persistence.

4. Define Creative Thinking:

• Involves novel and original ideas or solutions.

• Refers to the originality of ideas not previously existing.

5. Types of Thinking (J.P. Guilford):

• Convergent Thinking: Solves problems with a single correct answer (e.g., solving math problems).

• Divergent Thinking: Open-ended thinking with multiple possible answers, encouraging creativity.

6. Define Language:

• A system of symbols organized by rules for communication.

7. Characteristics of Language:

• Symbols

• Set of rules to organize symbols

• Communication

8. Types of Reasoning:

• Deductive Reasoning: General to specific (based on an assumption).

• Inductive Reasoning: Specific to general (based on observation).

3 Marks Questions

1. Reasoning in Problem Solving:

• Process of gathering and analyzing information to draw conclusions.

• Types: Deductive (general to specific) and Inductive (specific to general).

2. Judgment and Decision-Making:

• Judgment: Drawing conclusions based on knowledge and evidence.

• Decision-making: Choosing among alternatives by evaluating the associated costs and benefits.

3. Divergent Thinking in Creativity:

• Encourages novel ideas through fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.

• Fluency: Many ideas for a task.

• Flexibility: Variety in thinking.

• Originality: Rare and unique ideas.

• Elaboration: Detailing and expanding ideas.

4 Marks Questions

1. Stages of Creative Thinking:

• Preparation: Understanding and analyzing the problem.

• Incubation: Subconscious processing after initial effort.

• Illumination: Sudden emergence of ideas.

• Verification: Testing the idea's validity.

2. Does Thinking Occur Without Language?

• Jean Piaget believed thought precedes language.

• Observations and actions reflect thinking even without language.

3. Language Acquisition (Theories):

• B.F. Skinner (Behaviorist): Learned through association, imitation, and reinforcement.

• Noam Chomsky (Innate Proposition): Universal grammar, critical period for language learning.

4. Stages of Language Development:

• Crying (newborns) → Babbling (6 months) → One-word stage (1 year) → Two-word stage (18-20 months) → Telegraphic speech and grammar development (3+ years).