Read the passage below and answer the questions as instructed:-
A driver in the army went through an experience that transformed his life. On one mission, he narrowly escaped death although all his companions got killed. Wondering about the purpose of his life he gave up his job in the army, returned to the native village in Maharashtra and worked actively as a community leader. His commitment to community upliftment and his efforts completely changed the face of his village for which he was awarded by the State government.
Which factor of attitude formation brought about a change in the driver’s attitude towards life?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Personal experience
Option (1) Family and School Environment — Incorrect. Parents, family and school shape attitudes in the early years of life. The driver’s attitude changed when he was a grown man serving in the army.
Option (2) Reference group — Incorrect. Reference groups teach attitudes through the norms of the group a person wants to belong to, mostly in early adolescence. No group led the driver to his new attitude; an event in his own life did.
Option (3) Media related information — Incorrect. Media-related influences come from audio-visual media, the Internet and school books. The driver did not learn his attitude from any such source.
Option (4) Personal experience — Correct. Many attitudes are formed not in the family or through reference groups but through direct personal experiences which bring about a drastic change in our attitude towards people and our own life. Narrowly escaping death while all his companions were killed was such an experience, and through it he evolved a lasting attitude of commitment to community upliftment.
NCERT (2025-26): “3. Personal Experiences : … Many attitudes are formed, not in the family environment or through reference groups, but through direct personal experiences which bring about a drastic change in our attitude towards people and our own life. Here is a real-life example. A driver in the army went through a personal experience that transformed his life. On one mission, he narrowly escaped death although all his companions got killed. Wondering about the purpose of his own life, he gave up his job in the army, returned to his native village in Maharashtra, and worked actively as a community leader. Through a purely personal experience this individual evolved a strong positive attitude towards community upliftment. His efforts completely changed the face of his village.…” |