Kavya, 10, lives in a joint family in Jaipur. Every morning her father touches the feet of her grandparents, and relatives speak warmly of him for it. Within a few months Kavya starts greeting elders in the same way, though nobody has asked her to or thanked her for it. Her cousin Meera practises yogasanas daily and is named 'Fit Student of the Year' at the school assembly. After that, her liking for yoga grows stronger. Kavya's elder brother Arjun spends his evenings reading the life stories of great scientists on a website. Slowly he comes to value hard work as the way to succeed in life.
Kavya's respectful attitude towards elders is best described as learning attitudes through:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Modelling (observing others)
Option (1) Association — Incorrect. In learning by association, an attitude forms because the object gets linked with something we already like or dislike. Kavya's respect does not grow out of such a link; it grows after she sees her father.
Option (2) Reward and punishment — Incorrect. Here a person is praised or punished for her own attitude. Nobody praised or thanked Kavya herself, so this does not fit.
Option (3) Exposure to information — Incorrect. This is learning from media or reading, without others being present, as Arjun does. Kavya learnt from a person in front of her at home.
Option (4) Modelling (observing others) — Correct. Kavya saw her father show respect to elders and be appreciated for it, and then took up the same behaviour. Learning an attitude by observing others being rewarded for it is modelling.
Note: Reward and punishment acts on the person's own behaviour; modelling works through seeing someone else rewarded or punished.
NCERT (2026-27): “Process of Attitude Formation … |