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 feature of attitude is reflected in the driver’s attitude towards community upliftment ?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Centrality
Option (1) Valence — Incorrect. Valence tells us only whether an attitude is positive or negative towards the attitude object, as a rating of 4 or 5 on a five-point scale shows a positive attitude. It gives the direction of the driver’s attitude, not the place it came to hold among his other attitudes.
Option (2) Extremeness — Incorrect. Extremeness indicates how positive or negative an attitude is; a rating of 1 is as extreme as a rating of 5. It measures only the strength of the attitude, not how far the attitude governs the person’s other attitudes and choices.
Option (3) Simplicity — Incorrect. Simplicity or complexity (multiplexity) refers to how many attitudes there are within a broader attitude; a system with only one or a few attitudes is simple. The passage says nothing about the number of attitudes inside his attitude towards community upliftment.
Option (4) Centrality — Correct. Centrality refers to the role of a particular attitude in the attitude system; a central attitude influences the other attitudes much more than peripheral ones do. After his escape, community upliftment became the core attitude of the driver’s life: it made him leave the army, return to his village and work as a community leader.
NCERT (2025-26): “Nature and Components of Attitudes … In addition to the affective, cognitive and behavioural components, attitudes also have other properties. Four significant features of attitudes are : Valence (positivity or negativity), Extremeness, Simplicity or Complexity (multiplexity), and Centrality.…” “Valence (positivity or negativity) : … The valence of an attitude tells us whether an attitude is positive or negative towards the attitude object.…” “Extremeness : … The extremeness of an attitude indicates how positive or negative an attitude is.…” “Simplicity or Complexity (multiplexity) : … This feature refers to how many attitudes there are within a broader attitude.…” “Centrality : … This refers to the role of a particular attitude in the attitude system. An attitude with greater centrality would influence the other attitudes in the system much more than non-central (or peripheral) attitudes would. For example, in the attitude towards world peace, a negative attitude towards high military expenditure may be present as a core or central attitude that influences all other attitudes in the multiple attitude system.” “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.…” |