Ayesha hated studying Maths because her Maths teacher is strict and s…

Ayesha hated studying Maths because her Maths teacher is strict and she finds her methods boring. On the other hand, she just started studying Spanish and her Spanish teacher is very approachable according to her. She seems to like the subject because of her, this refers to __________ process of attitude formation.

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → Association

Option (1) Cultural — Incorrect. In learning attitudes through group or cultural norms, we take on the unwritten rules of our group or culture, which over time become our attitudes. Ayesha’s liking comes from one teacher, not from a norm of her group.

Option (2) Association — Correct. Students often develop a liking for a subject because of the teacher: the teacher’s positive qualities get linked to the subject and show up as liking for it. Ayesha likes Spanish because her Spanish teacher is approachable, and dislikes Maths because her Maths teacher is strict, so both attitudes are learned by association.

Option (3) Modelling — Incorrect. In modelling we learn an attitude by observing others being rewarded or punished for it, as children learn respect for elders by watching their parents. Ayesha is not copying anyone’s attitude.

Option (4) Being rewarded — Incorrect. Here an attitude grows because the person is praised or rewarded for showing it, like the girl named ‘Miss Good Health’ who comes to like yoga. Nobody rewards Ayesha for liking Spanish.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 23-06-2023 (Slot 3).

NCERT (2025-26): “Process of Attitude Formation … The processes and conditions of learning may be different, resulting in varying attitudes among people.

Learning attitudes by association : You might have seen that students often develop a liking for a particular subject because of the teacher. This is because they see many positive qualities in that teacher; these positive qualities get linked to the subject that s/he teaches, and ultimately get expressed in the form of liking for the subject. In other words, a positive attitude towards the subject is learned through the positive association between a teacher and a student.
Learning attitudes by being rewarded or punished : If an individual is praised for showing a particular attitude, chances are high that s/he will develop that attitude further. For example, if a teenager does yogasanas regularly, and gets the honour of being ‘Miss Good Health’ in her school, she may develop a positive attitude towards yoga and health in general. Similarly, if a child constantly falls ill because s/he eats junk food instead of proper meals, then the child is likely to develop a negative attitude towards junk food, and also a positive attitude towards eating healthy food.
Learning attitudes through modelling (observing others) : Often it is not through association, or through reward and punishment, that we learn attitudes. Instead, we learn them by observing others being rewarded or punished for expressing thoughts, or showing behaviour of a particular kind towards the attitude object. For example, children may form a respectful attitude towards elders, by observing that their parents show respect for elders, and are appreciated for it.
Learning attitudes through group or cultural norms : Very often, we learn attitudes through the norms of our group or culture. Norms are unwritten rules about behaviour that everyone is supposed to show under specific circumstances. Over time, these norms may become part of our social cognition, in the form of attitudes.…”

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → Association

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 23-06-2023 (Slot 3).

NCERT (2025-26): “Process of Attitude Formation … The processes and conditions of learning may be different, resulting in varying attitudes among people.

Learning attitudes by association : You might have seen that students often develop a liking for a particular subject because of the teacher. This is because they see many positive qualities in that teacher; these positive qualities get linked to the subject that s/he teaches, and ultimately get expressed in the form of liking for the subject. In other words, a positive attitude towards the subject is learned through the positive association between a teacher and a student.
Learning attitudes by being rewarded or punished : If an individual is praised for showing a particular attitude, chances are high that s/he will develop that attitude further. For example, if a teenager does yogasanas regularly, and gets the honour of being ‘Miss Good Health’ in her school, she may develop a positive attitude towards yoga and health in general. Similarly, if a child constantly falls ill because s/he eats junk food instead of proper meals, then the child is likely to develop a negative attitude towards junk food, and also a positive attitude towards eating healthy food.
Learning attitudes through modelling (observing others) : Often it is not through association, or through reward and punishment, that we learn attitudes. Instead, we learn them by observing others being rewarded or punished for expressing thoughts, or showing behaviour of a particular kind towards the attitude object. For example, children may form a respectful attitude towards elders, by observing that their parents show respect for elders, and are appreciated for it.
Learning attitudes through group or cultural norms : Very often, we learn attitudes through the norms of our group or culture. Norms are unwritten rules about behaviour that everyone is supposed to show under specific circumstances. Over time, these norms may become part of our social cognition, in the form of attitudes.…”