NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Psychology Chapter 1: What is Psychology? (NCERT 2026–27)
These Class 11 Psychology Chapter 1 solutions cover What is Psychology?, the opening chapter of the NCERT Class 11 Psychology textbook for the 2026–27 session. The chapter introduces psychology as the science that studies mental processes, experiences and behaviour in different contexts, traces the evolution of psychology from a study of the soul to a modern scientific discipline, surveys its branches and links with other disciplines, and shows its value in everyday life. Below you get exam-ready answers to all the Review Questions, clear notes on key terms, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason and FAQs.
Class: 11Subject: PsychologyChapter: 1Chapter Name: What is Psychology?Exercise: Review QuestionsSession: 2026–27
Chapter 1, What is Psychology?, defines psychology formally as a science which studies mental processes, experiences and behaviour in different contexts, using methods drawn from both the biological and the social sciences. It explains the three terms in this definition — mental processes (internal states such as thinking, remembering and perceiving), experiences (subjective states embedded in consciousness) and behaviour (overt and covert responses linked to a stimulus). The chapter shows that psychology has two parallel streams, as a natural science (using the hypothetico-deductive model and seeking cause–effect prediction) and as a social science (studying human beings in their socio-cultural context). It traces the evolution of psychology through structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviourism, psychoanalysis, the humanistic and the cognitive perspectives, and outlines the development of psychology in India. Finally, it surveys the major branches of psychology, its links with other disciplines, and its usefulness in everyday life.
Key Concepts & Terms
Psychology (formal definition): a science which studies mental processes, experiences and behaviour in different contexts, using methods of the biological and social sciences to obtain data systematically.
Mental processes: internal states of consciousness or awareness used when we think, solve problems, remember, perceive or feel; reflected in (but not identical to) brain activity.
Mind vs brain: the mind cannot exist without the brain, yet it is a separate entity — unlike the brain it has no physical structure or location; it emerges as our experiences are dynamically organised into a system.
Experience: a subjective state embedded in our awareness or consciousness; it can be directly known only by the experiencing person and is shaped by internal and external conditions.
Behaviour: responses, reactions or activities we engage in. Overt behaviour can be seen by an observer; covert behaviour is internal. All behaviour is associated with or triggered by a stimulus (the S–R link).
Psychology as a natural science: applies the scientific method and a hypothetico-deductive model (theory → hypothesis → testing with data), aiming at objectivity, prediction and control of behaviour.
Psychology as a social science: studies human beings as social beings whose behaviour is explained by interaction between the person and the socio-cultural context, with each behaviour having multiple causes.
Schools of thought:structuralism (Wundt — analysing the structure of the mind through introspection), functionalism (William James — what the mind does), Gestalt psychology (experience is holistic, more than the sum of parts), behaviourism (Watson, Skinner — study of observable behaviour), psychoanalysis (Freud — unconscious desires and conflicts), the humanistic approach (Rogers, Maslow — free will and growth), and the cognitive perspective (the process of knowing; mind as an information-processing system; constructivism).
Branches of psychology: cognitive, biological, developmental, social, cross-cultural/cultural, environmental, health, clinical and counselling, industrial/organisational, educational and school, and sports psychology, among emerging fields.
Psychology in everyday life: psychology helps us understand ourselves and others, develop good study habits, improve learning and memory, make better decisions, manage examination stress, and solve personal, family and social problems.
“Review Questions” — Full Solutions
All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Review Questions section. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.
1. What is behaviour? Give examples of overt and covert behaviour.
ANSWERBehaviour refers to the responses, reactions or activities that an organism engages in. It may be simple or complex, short-lived or enduring, and is always associated with or triggered by some stimulus in the environment or some internal change. Psychologists often study behaviour as an association between a stimulus (S) and a response (R), where both the stimulus and the response can be internal or external.Overt behaviour is behaviour that can be outwardly seen or sensed by an observer. Examples: your eyes blinking in a reflex when something is hurled at you, running away on seeing a tiger, or going to watch a movie with a friend.Covert behaviour is internal behaviour that is not directly visible to an observer. Examples: the slight twitching of your hand muscles as you mentally rehearse a move in a game of chess, your heart pounding during an examination, or thinking that a tiger is present and deciding to flee. Both overt and covert behaviour are genuine behaviour because both are responses linked to a stimulus.
2. How can you distinguish scientific psychology from the popular notions about the discipline of psychology?
ANSWERIn everyday life almost everyone acts like a “psychologist”, offering ready, common-sense explanations of why people behave as they do. Scientific psychology differs from such popular notions in several important ways:(i) Based on evidence, not hindsight: common-sense explanations are usually given after the behaviour has occurred and explain very little. For instance, the contradictory sayings “Out of sight, out of mind” and “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” are both used only after we see what happens. Scientific psychology, in contrast, looks for patterns of behaviour that can be predicted, not merely explained in hindsight.(ii) Systematic and verifiable: psychologists examine propositions systematically, collect data under controlled conditions, and seek explanations that other observers can verify, whereas common sense relies on personal opinion and bias.(iii) Often contradicts common sense: scientific findings frequently run against common belief. Dweck’s (1975) study showed that children who experienced both success and failure (and were taught to attribute failure to lack of effort) persisted longer than children given only easy problems — the opposite of what common sense suggests. Empirical studies have also disproved beliefs such as “men are more intelligent than women”.(iv) Different from pseudo-sciences: psychologists are unlike astrologers, tantriks and palm readers because they develop principles about behaviour by systematically testing propositions against data, rather than relying on superstition. Thus scientific psychology is objective, predictive and verifiable, while popular notions are subjective and based on hindsight.
3. Give a brief account of the evolution of psychology.
ANSWERPsychology grew out of ancient philosophy, but as a modern discipline it has a short history. Its formal beginning is traced to 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt set up the first experimental psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. Wundt and his followers analysed the structure of the mind through introspection and were therefore called structuralists. Because introspective reports could not be verified by outside observers, new perspectives soon developed.Functionalism: the American psychologist William James argued that psychology should study what the mind does — how behaviour helps people adapt to their environment — rather than its structure. John Dewey extended this functionalist view to education.Gestalt psychology: emerging in Germany in the early 20th century, it held that perceptual experience is holistic — the whole is more than the sum of its parts (for example, we perceive movement from a series of flashing lights).Behaviourism: around 1910 John Watson, influenced by Pavlov’s work on classical conditioning, rejected mind and consciousness and defined psychology as the study of observable, measurable behaviour. Skinner later developed and popularised behaviourism.Psychoanalysis:Sigmund Freud viewed behaviour as a dynamic manifestation of unconscious desires and conflicts and founded psychoanalysis to understand and treat psychological disorders.Humanistic and cognitive perspectives: humanists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow stressed free will and the natural striving to grow. Later, aspects of Gestalt and structuralist thought combined into the cognitive perspective, which studies the process of knowing and views the mind as an information-processing system (constructivism, as in the work of Piaget and Vygotsky). Thus psychology evolved from the study of the soul/mind into a multivocal modern science with many approaches.
4. What are the problems for which collaboration of psychologists with other disciplines can be fruitful? Take any two problems to explain.
ANSWERBecause psychology lies at the intersection of many fields of knowledge about human functioning, its collaboration with other disciplines (an interdisciplinary approach) is fruitful for many real-world problems — for example, problems of health, crime and the legal system, consumer and economic behaviour, the impact of mass media, education, and environmental degradation. Two such problems are explained below.(i) Health and illness (psychology and medicine): a healthy body requires a healthy mind. Psychologists collaborate with doctors to prevent people from engaging in health-hazardous behaviours and to help patients follow prescribed treatment. While treating patients with cancer, AIDS, those in intensive care or in post-operative care, doctors increasingly rely on psychological counselling, and many hospitals now employ psychologists. Such collaboration improves both the physical and the psychological well-being of patients.(ii) Crime and the legal system (psychology and law/criminology): lawyers and criminologists need psychological knowledge to answer questions such as how accurately a witness remembers and reports an accident or a crime, what factors influence a jury’s decision, what the dependable signs of guilt and falsehood are, and what punishment is just. Many psychologists research these issues, helping make the legal system fairer and more effective. In both examples, combining psychological insight with another discipline produces better solutions than either could alone.
5. Differentiate between (a) a psychologist and a psychiatrist (b) a counsellor and a clinical psychologist.
ANSWER(a) Psychologist vs psychiatrist: a clinical psychologist holds a degree in psychology with intensive training in treating people with psychological disorders, using psychological methods of assessment and therapy. A psychiatrist holds a medical degree with specialised training in the treatment of psychological disorders. The key difference is that a psychiatrist can prescribe medication and give electroshock treatment, whereas a clinical psychologist cannot. More broadly, “psychologist” covers professionals in many fields (clinical, counselling, educational, organisational, etc.), while a psychiatrist is specifically a medical doctor.(b) Counsellor vs clinical psychologist: both help people, and their work overlaps a great deal. A clinical psychologist deals mainly with the causes, treatment and prevention of serious psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and chronic substance abuse. A counsellor (counselling psychologist) generally works with people who have less serious problems, aiming to improve everyday functioning — for example helping students cope with personal problems and plan their careers, and helping people deal more effectively with challenging life situations.
6. Describe some of the areas of everyday life where understanding of psychology can be put to practice.
ANSWERPsychology is not only a subject that satisfies our curiosity about human nature; it also offers practical solutions to problems ranging from the personal to the national. Some everyday areas where psychological understanding can be applied are:(i) Understanding oneself and others: psychological principles help us form a positive and balanced understanding of ourselves, avoiding both defensive behaviour (rejecting feedback) and the habit of running ourselves down, and help us understand and relate better to others.(ii) Study and learning: applying psychology, we can develop good study habits, improve our learning and memory, and reduce or alleviate examination stress.(iii) Personal and interpersonal problems: psychology helps in solving personal and interpersonal problems through appropriate decision-making strategies — for example coping with family conflict or lack of communication at home.(iv) Social and community problems: psychologists help tackle issues such as health, education, social justice, women’s development, intergroup relations, poverty, violence and environmental degradation, and design intervention programmes for a better quality of life. They work in schools, hospitals, industries, prisons, the military and private practice. Thus, knowledge of psychology is rewarding from both personal and social points of view.
7. How can knowledge of the field of environmental psychology be used to promote environment friendly behaviour?
ANSWEREnvironmental psychology studies the interaction of physical factors — such as temperature, humidity, pollution and natural disasters — with human behaviour, and how the physical arrangement of a setting affects health, emotional states and interpersonal relations. Importantly, it also studies how human behaviour is linked to issues like the disposal of waste, the population explosion, the conservation of energy and the efficient use of community resources.Promoting environment-friendly behaviour: because environmental problems are partly the result of human behaviour, knowledge of environmental psychology can be used to change that behaviour. Psychologists can identify the attitudes and habits that cause waste, over-consumption and pollution, and then design programmes and campaigns that encourage people to conserve energy, reduce and properly dispose of waste, use community resources efficiently, and adopt sustainable habits. By understanding what motivates people, environmental psychologists help develop interventions and awareness strategies that build pro-environment attitudes and lasting, environment-friendly behaviour.
8. In terms of helping solve an important social problem such as crime, which branch of psychology do you think is most suitable. Identify the field and discuss the concerns of the psychologists working in this field.
ANSWERField identified: to help solve a social problem such as crime, the most suitable area is the application of psychology to law and criminology (often called forensic / criminal psychology), supported by clinical and counselling psychology and social psychology, since crime involves both individual behaviour and its socio-cultural context.Concerns of psychologists in this field: they investigate questions that are central to the justice system — how accurately a witness remembers and reports an accident, a street fight or a murder; how reliably such facts can be recalled when giving evidence in court; what factors influence the decision taken by a jury; what the dependable signs of guilt and falsehood are; and what factors decide whether a culprit is held responsible and what degree of punishment is just.Wider concerns: drawing on social psychology, they also study the causes of aggression, prejudice and antisocial behaviour and the social conditions that lead people to commit crimes; drawing on clinical and counselling psychology, they study the treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of offending behaviour. The answers psychologists provide help make the legal system fairer and more effective and contribute to preventing crime.
Extra Practice Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Give the formal definition of psychology.
ANSWERPsychology is formally defined as a science which studies mental processes, experiences and behaviour in different contexts. In doing so it uses the methods of the biological and social sciences to obtain data systematically and makes sense of these data so they can be organised as knowledge.
Q2. What does the word ‘psychology’ literally mean?
ANSWERThe term psychology is derived from two Greek words — psyche, meaning soul, and logos, meaning science or study of a subject. So psychology originally meant the study of the soul or mind, though it has since become a scientific discipline dealing with experience and behaviour.
Q3. Distinguish between mind and brain.
ANSWERThe brain is a physical organ with a definite structure and location whose activity can be observed using brain-imaging techniques. The mind cannot exist without the brain, but it is a separate entity with no physical structure or location; it emerges as our experiences and interactions are dynamically organised into a system. Mental and neural activities overlap but are not identical.
Q4. What is introspection? Why was it criticised?
ANSWERIntrospection was a procedure used by the structuralists in which subjects described in detail their own mental processes or experiences. It was criticised as less scientific because introspective reports were subjective and could not be verified by outside observers, which led to the rise of newer perspectives such as behaviourism.
Q5. Trace, in brief, the development of psychology in India.
ANSWERModern Indian psychology began at the Department of Philosophy, Calcutta University, where the first experimental psychology syllabus and laboratory were set up in 1915 and the first Department of Psychology in 1916. It was shaped by N.N. Sengupta (trained in Wundt’s tradition) and G. Bose (Freudian psychoanalysis). Durganand Sinha described its growth in four phases — pre-independence, expansion till the 1960s, problem-oriented research, and indigenisation — with today’s emphasis on culturally rooted, indigenous psychology.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Explain how psychology is both a natural science and a social science.
ANSWERPsychology has developed two parallel streams. As a natural science, modern psychology grew through the application of the scientific method, placing great emphasis on objectivity, consensus on definitions and measurement. It follows the hypothetico-deductive model: from a theory, scientists deduce a hypothesis, then test it against empirical data and revise the theory if needed. This stream focuses on biological principles, assumes that behavioural phenomena have discoverable causes, and aims to establish cause–effect relationships so that behaviour can be predicted and, if necessary, controlled (as in theories of learning, memory, perception, motivation and emotion). As a social science, psychology studies the behaviour of human beings in their socio-cultural contexts, treating humans as social beings who are both influenced by and create their social environments. Here each behavioural phenomenon is assumed to have multiple causes that arise from the interaction between the person and the socio-cultural context, as illustrated by the story of Ranjita and Shabnam. Thus psychology bridges both kinds of science, which is why it is studied in both the science and the social-science faculties.
Q2. Describe any five major branches of psychology and their concerns.
ANSWER(i) Cognitive psychology investigates the mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, manipulating and transforming information — attention, perception, memory, reasoning, problem solving, decision-making and language — often through laboratory experiments. (ii) Biological psychology studies the relationship between behaviour and the physical system, including the brain, the nervous system, the immune system and genetics, often working with neuroscientists; neuropsychology is a related field. (iii) Developmental psychology studies the physical, social and psychological changes that occur across the life-span, from conception to old age, and how we become what we are. (iv) Social psychology explores how people are affected by their social environments and how they think about and influence others — studying attitudes, conformity, obedience, attraction, prejudice and aggression. (v) Clinical and counselling psychology deals with the causes, treatment and prevention of psychological disorders, and with helping people solve everyday problems and cope with challenging situations. Other branches include health, environmental, industrial/organisational, educational, school and sports psychology.
Q3. ‘Psychology is located at the intersection of many fields of knowledge.’ Discuss psychology’s relationship with other disciplines.
ANSWERAny discipline dealing with people recognises the relevance of psychology, and psychologists in turn draw on other disciplines, giving rise to an interdisciplinary approach. With philosophy, psychology shares its historical roots and its concern with methods of knowing and the nature of mind. With medicine, it works on preventing health-hazardous behaviour, counselling patients and helping them follow treatment. With economics, political science and sociology, psychology has enriched the study of consumer and savings behaviour, decision-making, power and authority, voting behaviour, socialisation and group and intergroup behaviour. With computer science, it contributes to artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and cognitive science by modelling how the mind processes information. With law and criminology, it helps assess witness memory, jury decisions and signs of guilt. With mass communication, it studies media’s impact on attitudes and effective communication; and with music and fine arts and with architecture and engineering, it links to music therapy, emotion, and the design of safe, comfortable spaces and devices. In short, psychology sits at the crossroads of the sciences, social sciences and humanities, all of which study human functioning.
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
1. Psychology is formally defined as the science that studies:
(a) only the soul (b) mental processes, experiences and behaviour (c) only observable behaviour (d) only the brain
2. The word ‘psychology’ is derived from the Greek words psyche and logos, meaning:
(a) mind and body (b) soul and the study of a subject (c) brain and behaviour (d) thought and reason
3. The first psychology laboratory was established in 1879 at Leipzig by:
(a) William James (b) Sigmund Freud (c) Wilhelm Wundt (d) John Watson
4. Analysing the structure of the mind through introspection is associated with:
For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.
A-R 1. Assertion: Psychology is considered both a natural science and a social science.
Reason: It uses methods of the biological as well as the social sciences to study mental processes, experiences and behaviour.
A-R 2. Assertion: Introspection was abandoned as a satisfactory scientific method.
Reason: Introspective reports were subjective and could not be verified by outside observers.
A-R 3. Assertion: Common-sense explanations of behaviour are highly scientific.
Reason: Common sense is based on hindsight and is given only after the behaviour has occurred.
A-R 4. Assertion: The mind and the brain are exactly the same thing.
Reason: Mental activities and neural activities are mutually overlapping but not identical processes.
A-R 5. Assertion: A clinical psychologist cannot prescribe medication.
Reason: A clinical psychologist holds a degree in psychology, not a medical degree.
Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(A), 3-(D), 4-(D), 5-(A).
Exam Tips & Common Mistakes
How to score full marks in this chapter
Memorise the formal definition of psychology word-for-word (“mental processes, experiences and behaviour in different contexts”) and be ready to explain its three key terms. For the evolution question, keep the schools in order with one name and one idea each: Wundt–structuralism, James–functionalism, Gestalt–holism, Watson/Skinner–behaviourism, Freud–psychoanalysis, Rogers/Maslow–humanism, cognitive–knowing. Use the textbook’s own examples (the tiger reflex, chess move, Dweck’s study, Ranjita and Shabnam) to earn full marks for application. For “differentiate” questions, answer in two clear columns or sides.
Common mistakes to avoid
Saying mind and brain are the same — they overlap but are not identical; the mind has no physical location.
Treating covert behaviour as “not behaviour” — both overt and covert responses are behaviour.
Confusing the psychiatrist (medical degree, can prescribe medication) with the clinical psychologist (psychology degree, cannot prescribe).
Mixing up structuralism (structure of the mind) with functionalism (what the mind does).
Calling common-sense explanations “scientific” — they are based on hindsight and cannot predict behaviour.
Forgetting to give examples in answers that ask for them (e.g. overt/covert behaviour).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 1 of Class 11 Psychology about?
Chapter 1, What is Psychology?, defines psychology as the science that studies mental processes, experiences and behaviour in different contexts. It explains psychology as both a natural and a social science, traces its evolution through structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt, behaviourism, psychoanalysis, humanistic and cognitive perspectives, outlines its development in India, and surveys its branches and uses in everyday life.
How is psychology defined in the NCERT Class 11 textbook?
Psychology is formally defined as a science which studies mental processes, experiences and behaviour in different contexts, using the methods of the biological and social sciences to obtain data systematically and organise them as knowledge.
What is the exercise heading for Chapter 1 of Class 11 Psychology?
The end-of-chapter exercise in Class 11 Psychology Chapter 1 is headed Review Questions and contains 8 numbered questions, all answered step by step on this page.
