NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Psychology Chapter 3: Human Development

Chapter at a glance

Exercise Questions

Answer

Development is the pattern of progressive, orderly and predictable changes that begin at conception and continue throughout life. It includes changes in physical, cognitive and socio-emotional aspects, and involves both growth and decline (as in old age).

Growth and maturation are parts of development.

Development is lifelong, orderly change in all aspects (growth and decline); growth is quantitative increase in size, and maturation is change unfolding according to the genetic blueprint — both are parts of development.

Answer

1. Development is lifelong — it occurs across all age groups, from conception to old age.
2. Multidimensional — it involves biological, cognitive and socio-emotional dimensions.
3. Multidirectional — some aspects increase while others decrease (e.g. vocabulary increases, while speed of processing declines in old age).
4. Plasticity — development is modifiable; abilities can be improved through training and experience.
5. Historical conditions influence development (e.g. people growing up during war or the internet age).
6. Studied by many disciplines — psychology, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience, medicine.
7. Contextual — development is shaped by the interaction of the individual with family, school, community, culture.

Development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, historically and contextually influenced, and studied by many disciplines.

Answer

Developmental tasks are the skills, behaviours and achievements expected of an individual at a particular stage of life, according to the norms of society. Successful achievement leads to happiness and success in later tasks; failure leads to difficulty and social disapproval (Havighurst).

Examples

• Infancy and early childhood: learning to walk, talk, eat solid food, control elimination.
• Middle childhood: learning physical skills for games, getting along with peers, learning to read and write, developing conscience.
• Adolescence: accepting one’s physique, achieving emotional independence from parents, preparing for a career, forming mature relationships with peers, developing an identity.
• Early adulthood: selecting a partner, starting a family, getting a job, taking civic responsibility.
• Old age: adjusting to retirement, declining health and loss of spouse.

Developmental tasks are age-appropriate skills and achievements society expects at each stage — e.g. walking and talking in infancy, reading and peer relations in childhood, identity and career preparation in adolescence, job and family in adulthood.

Answer

Development results from the interaction of heredity and environment. While genes provide potential, the environment determines how far it is realised:

1. Nutrition and health: a child with a genetic potential for tallness may remain short if malnourished.
2. Family environment: warm, responsive parents foster secure attachment, confidence and good social skills; neglect or abuse can cause emotional problems.
3. Stimulation and education: children who get books, conversations and good schooling develop better language and cognitive skills.
4. Socio-economic status: poverty limits access to health care and education.
5. Culture: values and practices shape behaviour — e.g. emphasis on cooperation in collectivist cultures.
6. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory: the child is influenced by the microsystem (family, school, peers), mesosystem (links between them), exosystem (parents’ workplace, media), macrosystem (culture) and chronosystem (life transitions and historical events).

Studies of children reared in isolation (e.g. “wild children”) show severe delays in language and social development, highlighting the environment’s role.

Environment shapes how genetic potential is realised: nutrition, family warmth, stimulation and schooling, socio-economic status and culture all influence development, as Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model explains.

Answer

1. Family and parenting practices — child-rearing styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive) vary across cultures and influence personality.
2. Values and beliefs — collectivist cultures (India) emphasise interdependence, obedience and respect for elders; individualistic cultures stress independence.
3. Gender roles — expectations for boys and girls differ, affecting activities, education and self-concept.
4. Socio-economic status — affects nutrition, health care, education and opportunities.
5. Schooling and language — shape cognitive development and skills.
6. Community and peers — norms and peer groups influence behaviour and identity.
7. Media and historical events — technology and social change affect development.

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model and Durganand Sinha’s model of the Indian child’s ecology (home, school, peers, wider community) explain these influences.

Through family and parenting styles, cultural values, gender roles, socio-economic status, schooling and language, community and peers, and media — as described in Bronfenbrenner’s and Durganand Sinha’s ecological models.

Answer

According to Jean Piaget, children actively construct their understanding of the world and pass through four stages:

1. Sensorimotor stage (0–2 years): infants learn through senses and actions (sucking, grasping); they develop object permanence — knowing that objects exist even when out of sight.
2. Pre-operational stage (2–7 years): development of symbolic thought (language, pretend play), but thinking is egocentric (cannot take others’ viewpoint), shows animism (believing lifeless objects have life), centration and lack of conservation; intuitive thought.
3. Concrete operational stage (7–11 years): logical thinking about concrete objects; understanding of conservation, reversibility, classification and seriation; decline of egocentrism.
4. Formal operational stage (11 years onwards): abstract, logical and hypothetical-deductive thinking; ability to think about possibilities and solve problems systematically.

Children also develop memory, attention, language and problem-solving skills with age.

Following Piaget: sensorimotor (object permanence), pre-operational (symbolic thought but egocentrism, animism, no conservation), concrete operational (conservation, reversibility, logic on concrete objects), and formal operational (abstract, hypothetical reasoning).

Answer

Attachment is the close emotional bond between an infant and the caregiver (usually the mother). Harlow’s experiments with monkeys showed that contact comfort (warmth, touch) is more important than feeding in forming attachment.

Long-term effects

• Securely attached children — whose caregivers are warm, responsive and consistent — develop trust, self-confidence and emotional security. Later, they explore the world confidently, form healthy friendships and stable adult relationships, and cope better with stress.
• Insecurely attached children — with neglectful, inconsistent or harsh caregivers — may become anxious, clingy, withdrawn or aggressive, find it hard to trust others, and have difficulties in relationships later.

Daily-life examples

1. A child who is comforted by the mother when hurt learns to seek support from friends when upset as a teenager.
2. A child who often felt ignored may later need constant reassurance from friends or partners.
3. A securely attached child adjusts easily to school, while an insecure child may experience separation anxiety.

Secure attachment (responsive, warm care) builds trust and confidence that carry into good friendships and adult relationships; insecure attachment can lead to anxiety, mistrust and relationship difficulties later, as everyday examples show.

Answer

Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, roughly from 11–12 years to 18–20 years. It begins with puberty — rapid physical growth and sexual maturation — and involves cognitive changes (abstract thinking), emotional changes and the search for identity.

Adolescent egocentrism (David Elkind) is the heightened self-consciousness of adolescents, reflected in two forms:

1. Imaginary audience: the belief that others are as preoccupied with them as they are with themselves — they feel everyone is watching and judging them (e.g. worrying that everyone will notice a pimple).
2. Personal fable: the belief that they are unique and invulnerable — that no one understands their feelings and that harm cannot happen to them, which can lead to risk-taking (e.g. rash driving).

Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood (about 11–20 years) marked by puberty and identity formation; egocentrism is heightened self-consciousness — the imaginary audience (everyone is watching) and the personal fable (being unique and invulnerable).

Answer

Erikson described adolescence as the stage of identity vs role confusion — adolescents try to answer “Who am I?”. Factors influencing identity:

1. Family: close, supportive relationships and freedom to express views help develop a healthy identity (e.g. parents who discuss career choices openly).
2. Peers: friends influence choices of clothing, music, values and behaviour (e.g. joining a sports team because friends do).
3. Culture and society: cultural values, religion, gender expectations shape identity (e.g. societal expectations about careers for girls and boys).
4. School and teachers: achievements and teachers’ encouragement build self-esteem (e.g. excelling in science leading to a scientist identity).
5. Media: role models from films, sports and social media influence self-image.
6. Opportunities for exploration: trying out different roles and activities (volunteering, part-time work).
7. Gender and ethnicity influence how adolescents see themselves.

Family support, peer influence, cultural and gender expectations, school achievement and teachers, media role models and opportunities to explore roles shape identity (Erikson’s identity vs role confusion).

Answer

1. Career and work: finding a job, adjusting to the workplace, financial independence, and possibly unemployment or job insecurity.
2. Marriage and partnership: choosing a partner, adjusting to marriage, managing roles and expectations.
3. Parenthood: responsibilities of raising children, balancing work and family, especially for working women.
4. Independence: leaving the parental home, managing a household and finances.
5. Social roles and responsibilities: taking up civic duties, caring for ageing parents.
6. Dealing with stress, competition and decisions about the future.

Establishing a career and financial independence, adjusting to marriage, handling parenthood and work-family balance, managing an independent household, and taking on social and family responsibilities.

Topic checklist

• Meaning of development; growth and maturation
• Life-span perspective and developmental tasks
• Heredity, environment and socio-cultural context
• Stages: infancy, childhood (Piaget), adolescence, adulthood, old age
• Attachment, egocentrism and identity

Total questions answered: 10 of 10