Category: Maharashtra State Board Notes

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Psychology Notes Chapter 7 Nervous System students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Psychology Notes Chapter 7 Nervous System

Nervous system:

• Nervous system is the complex network of neurons that carry signals from brain to body and body to brain.
• Our nervous system consists of two major parts, viz, Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
• CNS consists of brain and spinal cord.
• PNS consists of somatic and autonomic nervous system.
• Somatic nervous system is further divided into sensory and motor system.
• Autonomic nervous system is further divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
• Neurons are the building blocks of nervous system.
• A neuron consists of dendrites, axon, cell body and terminal button or telodendria.
• Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers.
• Some important neurotransmitters are acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, glutamate and GABA (Gama Amino Butyric Acid).

Brain:

• The study of Psychology can’t be complete without studying the brain.
• Our brain helps to adapt to the environment and plays a crucial role in every aspect of life.
• The brain consists of three major parts, viz, hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain.
• Hindbrain consists of cerebellum, brain stem and reticular activation system.
• Midbrain consists of two parts, viz, superior and inferior colliculus,
• Forebrain consists of cerebrum. The outside cover of cerebrum is called as cerebral cortex.
• The surface of cerebral cortex is divided into two halves: right and left hemisphere.
• Each hemisphere is divided into four lobes, viz, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe.
• The limbic system is also an important part of the brain.
• The limbic system consists of hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus and hypothalamus.
• The various pillars of better brain functioning are physical and mental exercise, nutrition, tackling medical problems, sleep and relaxation, mental fitness as well as social interaction.

Spinal cord:

• The spinal cord extends from neck to waist.
• Its main function is to send information from brain to body and from to body to brain.
• It controls reflex actions like salivation, sneezing, knee jerk, blinking of eyes.
• It is connected to the periphery through 31 pairs of spinal nerves.
• Each spinal nerve is joined to spinal cord through two routes: dorsal and ventral route.

Glands:

• Glands are specialised groups of cells or organs that secrete chemical substances.
• There are many glands. All glands fall into two categories, viz, endocrine and exocrine.
• Exocrine glands are also called as duct glands. e.g. sweat gland, tear gland etc.
• Endocrine glands are called as ductless glands. e.g. pituitary gland, thyroid gland etc.
• Endocrine glands secrete vital chemical substances called hormones.
• Hormones have strong impact on human behaviour.
• Over (hyper) or under (hypo) secretion of hormones may lead to a variety of problems.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Psychology Notes Chapter 6 Stress students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Psychology Notes Chapter 6 Stress

Being well adjusted: A dynamic balance:

• Richard Lazarus: Stress ¡s a feeling experienced when an individual feels that the demands exceed the personal and social resources an individual is able to mobilize.
• Indian philosophy: Our desires and involvement in the material world are the cause of our stress which leads to Kiesha. There are five types of Kleshas.
• All of us experience stress at different points and everyone deals with it ¡n their own way.
• Moderate stress helps one to achieve optimum performance.

Types of stress and Gas:

• Hypo stress: It is caused when one has nothing to do at all. Due to hypo stress, an individual feels bored, demotivated, unenthusiastic, and restless.
• Hyper stress: It is caused due to extremely pressurizing conditions. Due to hyper stress, a person may panic and engage in exaggerated reactions, leading to frustration and agitation.
• Eustress: It is a positive form of stress. Eustress has a beneficial effect on health, motivation, performance and emotional well-being.
• Distress: It is a negative type of stress and is experienced when the normal routine of an individual is constantly altered and adjusted. Two types of distress are: Acute and Chronic distress.
• Acute distress is an intense, short-term negative stress while chronic distress is a long-lasting, recurrent negative distress.
• Hans Selye introduced the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model in 1936.
• GAS showed the effects of stress on the human body.
• GAS model consists of three stages: Alarm stage, Resistance stage, and Exhaustion stage.

Stressors and conflict of motives:

• Stressors are environmental conditions, external stimuli, or events that cause stress.
• There are two types of stressors, viz, internal stressors and external stressors.
• Interna I stressors are stressors within us.
• External stressors are stressors resulting from the outside environment.
• Conflict of motives refers to the clash between two or more equally strong and incompatible motives occurring at the same time that compels an individual to make a choice.
• The types of conflict are Approach-Approach conflict, Avoidance-Avoidance conflict, Approach-Avoidance conflict, and Double Approach-Avoidance conflict.

Coping with stress: strategies:

• Everyone tries to deal with internal and external stressors and resolve conflicts.
• If one does not resolve the conflicts, it leads to stress.
• There are two broad strategies of coping with stress: Problem and emotions-focused coping.
• Problem-focused coping is known as a direct way of reducing stressors or resolving conflict.
• Problem-focused coping involves three strategies: Attack, Compromise, and Withdrawal.
• Emotion-focused coping involves reducing negative emotional responses associated with stress.
• According to Freud’s theory, our personality is controlled by ID, Ego, and Superego.
• Our reaction in a particular situation will depend upon the interaction of ID, Ego, and Superego.
• Defence mechanism is an indirect way to combat stress.
• Some popular defence mechanisms are repression, displacement, projection, sublimation, identification, daydreaming and rationalisation.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 3 Partition Values students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 1 Basic Concepts in Economics

→ Types Of Averages:

(1) Arithmetic Mean ( \(\bar{x}\) ):

• Individual Data
  \(\bar{x}=\frac{\sum x}{n}\)
• Discrete Series / Data
  \(\bar{x}=\frac{\sum f_{i} x_{i}}{n}\)
• Continuous Series / Data Direct Method
  \(\bar{x}=\frac{\sum f_{i} x_{i}}{n}\)

(2) Mode (Z):

• Individual Data
  Maximum Repeated value
• Discrete Series/ Data
  Maximum Frequency Value
• Continuous Series / Data
  \(\mathrm{Z}=l+\left[\frac{f_{1}-f_{0}}{2 f_{1}-f_{0}-f_{2}}\right] \times h\)

(3) Median (M) :

• Individual Data
  M = Size of \(\left(\frac{n+1}{2}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)
• Discrete Series I Data
  M = Size of \(\left(\frac{n+1}{2}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)
• Continuous Series I Data
  M = \(l\left(\frac{\frac{n}{2}-c . f .}{f}\right) \times h\)

→ 29th June is celebrated as “Statistics Day” in India to recognise the contributions of noted Indian
Statistician. Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.

→ Partition Values : Values which divide the data into required number of equal parts are called partition value or fractiles.

→ Partition Values:

• Percentiles
• Quartiles
• Median
• Deciles

→ Application Of Partition Value:

1. Quartiles
2. Deciles
3. Percentiles

Quartiles:

• Used in study of Financial Information
• E.g.
  • Economic Data
  • Income Data
  • Stock Data
  • Sales
  • Survey Data, etc

Deciles:
Used in Finance and Economics
Used to Study:

• Level of economic
• Inequality
• Measurement of poverty line
• Drought cohdition, etc.

Percentiles:
Used in Measurement of test scores, health indication, household income, household wealth, etc.

→ Quartiles : Quartiles are the values (data) which divide the series (distribution) into four equal parts. They are the 3 values that divide the distribution into 4 parts, each representing one quarters of the score. These 3 values are called as first quartile (Q₁), second quartile (Q₂) and third quartile (Q₃). Second quartile is nothing but the median.

→ Quartiles

Q₁ Individual Data:
Q₁ = size of \(\left(\frac{n+1}{4}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)

Discrete Data:
Q₁ = size of \(\left(\frac{n+1}{4}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)

Continuous Data (Grouped Data):

Step:

1. Q₁ = size of \(\left(\frac{n}{4}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)
2. Q₁ = l + \(\left(\frac{\frac{n}{4}-c f}{f}\right)\) x h

Q₂ Median Individual Data:
Q₂ = size of \(\left(\frac{n+1}{4}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)
= size of \(\left(\frac{n+1}{2}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)

Discrete Data :
Q₂ = size of \(\left(\frac{n+1}{2}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)

Continuous Data (Grouped Data):
Step:

1. Q₂ = size of \(\left(\frac{2n}{4}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)
2. Q₂ = l + \(\left(\frac{\frac{2 n}{4}-c f}{f}\right)\) x h
   [Note : Q₂ = D₅ = P₅₀ Median]

Q₃ Individual Data:
Q₃ = size of 3\(\left(\frac{n+1}{4}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)

Discrete Data:
Q₃ = size of 3\(\left(\frac{n+1}{4}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\)

Continuous Data (Grouped Data):
Step:

1. Q₃ = size of \(\left(\frac{3 n}{4}\right)^{\text {th } \text { Observation }}\)
2. Q₃ = l + \(\left(\frac{\frac{3 n}{4}-c f}{f}\right)\) x h

→ Deciles : They are the values of data which divide the whole set of observations into 10 equal parts. There are 9 points i.e. , D₁, D₂ to D₉ which divide the data into 10 equal parts. While calculating Deciles, data has to be arranged in ascending or descending order.

• Individual Data : \(\mathrm{D}_{j}=j\left(\frac{n+1}{10}\right)^{\text {th } \text { Observation }}\) [where j = 1,2, ……..9]
• Continuous Data : \(\mathrm{D}_{j}=l+\left(\frac{\frac{j n}{10}-c f}{f}\right) \times h\) [where j = 1,2, ………….9]

→ Percentiles : It divides the whole set of observations into 100 equal parts. There are 99 percentile.
They are denoted by P₁, P₂ to P₃ ………….. P₉₉ The 50th percentile is called as Median.

(i) Individual Data and Discrete Data : P_k = size of k \(\left(\frac{n+1}{100}\right)^{\text {th observation }}\) [Where k = 1, 2, ……………99]
(ii) Continuous Data : P_k = l + \(\left(\frac{\frac{k n}{100}-c f}{f}\right)\) x h [Where k = 1, 2, ……………99]

Word Meaning:

procedure – steps; arithmetic – study of numbers; mean – average; median – middle; quartiles – divided into four equal groups; deciles – divided into 10 equal groups; percentiles – divided into 100 equal groups; descriptive – to describe; poverty – poor; acquainted – to get to known; statistical – use of statistics; magnitude – in great extent; misinterprets – misunderstand; survey – observe; fluctuations – changes; inflation – increase in price; povertyline – minimum required income to get basic needs of life; drought – no rainfall in an area; portfolio investments – range of investments; bench marking – measuring the performance; baseline – minimum way tci compare; observations – the data in numbers; frequency distribution – mathematical function; symbolically – representating in terms; cumulative – increased in quantity by adding one after other continuously.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 7 Unemployment in India students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 7 Unemployment in India

→ Unemployment: It is a situation in which people in the age group of 15 to 59 years though able and willing to work at the available wage rate but unable to get a job.

→ As per N.S.S.O:
As Per National Sample Survey Organisation (N.S.S.O.)

1. Unemployed
2. Underemployed
3. Employed

Unemployed:
One who work for less than 14 hours per week

Underemployed:
One who work for 15-28 hours a week

Employed:
One who work for 8 hours per day or 273 days in a year

→ Concept of Unemployment:

Involuntary Unemployment:
Situation where people willing to work – but no work is available.

Voluntary Unemployment:
Situation where a person is fit and able to work but not willing to work.

Underemployment:
Situation where a person’s capacity to work is under utilised.

Full Employment:
Situation where all available resources used fully in most efficient manner.

→ Causes of Unemployment

1. Jobless growth
2. Increase in labour force
3. Migration of rural population
4. Excessive use of machinery
5. Lack of skill development programmes
6. Slow rate of economic development
7. Seasonal nature of agriculture
8. Expectations towards employment

→ Types of Unemployment:

→ Effects of Unemployment:

Economic Effects:

• Waste of human resources
• Difficult to implement welfare schemes
• Poverty and income inequality
• Growth of informal sector
• High dependency ratio

Social Effects:

• Social tension and unrest
• Loss of human dignity
• Helplessness

→ Measures to Reduce Unemployment:
General Measures:

• Development of agricultural sector
• Provision for alternative occupation
• Development of infrastructure
• Reforms in the educational system
• Development of Tourism
• Use of labour-intensive techniques
•  Development of Information technology and communication
• Provision for vocational training and skill development facilities
• Rural industrialization
• Motivation for self employment

Specific Measures:

• Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS)
• Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)
• Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)
• Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana (PMRY)
• ‘Training Rural Youth for Self-employment (TRYSEM)
• ‘Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY)
• ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
• ‘Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana 2014
• ‘National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship -2015
• Start up India Initiative
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana-(2016-20)

Word Meaning:

unemployment – state of being not working; mass- large number; gambling – playing games with intention to earn money; anti-social – against law and custom of the society; prevailing – at a particular time; hypothetical – unreal; slack season – lack of work; disguised – invisible; surplus – excess; over crowding – presence of more people in a given space; white collar jobs – administrative jobs; adaptability – adjust to new condition; capital intensive – large amount of money to run business; computerisation – doing activities/work through computer; depression- decline/slowdown; drastic – major; mismatch – differences; unprecedented – not known; abundant – available in large quantity; vocational – education relating to an occupation; compatible – suitable; aspire – aim for; dependency – seeking support / depend on; mission – target/aim, viable – achievable, advocacy – policy, aspiration – goal, cyclical – occuring in cycle.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 History Notes Chapter 11 Kingdoms in South India students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 History Notes Chapter 11 Kingdoms in South India

Important Kingdoms in South India Chola, Pandya and Chera dynasties:
Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras were the ancient ruling powers in South India. The kingdoms in the South are mentioned in Megasthenes’ ‘Indica’, Panini’s grammar and inscriptions of Ashoka. Ancient Tamil literature, known as ‘Sangham’ literature, is believed to be one of the main sources of history of South Indian rulers.

Chola Dynasty: The Chola Kingdom was established in first-century C.E. Chola dynasty originated in Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) This province was known as ‘Cholamandala’ (Coromandel is an anglicised form of ‘Cholamandala’). To the south of Cholas, the Pandyas had established their rule from Pudukkottai to Kanyakumari.

Vakataka Dynasty: The power of Satavahanas started growing weaker from the 3rd century C.E. Vakatakas took. advantage of this situation and established independent rule. Vindhyashakti was the founder of Vakataka kingdom. After Vindhyashakti, King Pravarasena I ascended the throne. He expanded the Vakataka Empire to Malwa in the North and from Gujarat to South upto Kolhapur, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh). Kolhapur was known as ‘Kuntala’ at that time. Pravarasena I performed four Ashwamedha sacrifices and took up the title ‘Samrat’.

Chalukyas: During the rule of Harshavardhan in North India, the Chalukya dynasty ruled in the south for. approximately 200 years. Jaising was the founder of this dynasty. In the beginning of 6th century C.E. he established his capital at Vatapi (Badami). His grandson Pulakeshi I was the first important king of the Chalukyas.

He built the fort of Badami. He performed the Ashwamedha sacrifice and took up the title of ‘Maharaja’. He also took titles like ‘Prithvivallabha’ and ‘Satyashraya’.

Pallavas: Around 6th century C.E. to 9th century C.E., the Pallavas were known as the most powerful rulers in South India. Historians vary in their views regarding the origin of the Pallavas. Some copperplates of the Pallavas are found. There is a mention of Sinhavarman and Shivaskandavarman Pallava who ruled over the regions of eastern coast. Kanchi was the capital of the Pallavas.

We get a detailed information of the Pallava dynasty beginning from the reign of Simhavishnu. He conquered the province of Cholas and extended his rule from Krishna to Kaveri. After Simhavishnu, his son Mahendravarman ascended the throne. He was a great scholar. He wrote the Sanskrit play ‘Mattavilasa’. He wrote books on subjects like music, dance, sculpture, painting etc.

Rashtrakutas: Dantidurga was the first powerful king of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. The rule of Rashtrakutas was spread from Vindhyan ranges to Kanyakumari in the south. After Dantidurga, his uncle Krishna I became the king. He uprooted Chalukyas rule. The famous Kailas temple at Ellora is ascribed to Krishna I. The succeeding Rashtrakuta rulers became influential in North India as well.

Shilaharas: There were three branches of this dynasty – Shilaharas of south Konkan, north Konkan and Kolhapur. They called themselves as ‘Tagarapuradhishwar’ (Tagar-Ter, Osmanabad district). Jimutvahan is considered as the founder of all the three branches. They ruled for almost three hundred years as the feudatories of Rashtrakutas and later the Chalukyas.

Shilaharas of South Konkan:
‘Sanafulla’ established the south Kokan branch of Shilaharas. His son, Dhammiyar set up the village of Vallipattana and built a fort there. Later King Adityavarma expanded his kingdom from Thane to Goa. Rattaraj was the last ruler of this dynasty. The history of this dynasty is known with the help of one of the copper plates found at Kharepatan.

Shilaharas of North Konkan:
Kapardi established the north Kokan branch of Shilaharas. Rulers of this branch were initially the feudatories of the Rashtrakutas. Their capital was at Sthanak (Thane).

Aparajita was another important king of this branch. He ruled for around thirty-five years. Chittaranjan followed Aparajita asking. His brothers fought for their claim to the throne.

Shilaharas of Kolhapur:
The modern districts of Satara, Sangli, Ratnagiri, and Belgaum were included in this kingdom. Jatiga established the Kolhapur branch of Shilaharas. Bhoj II was the important king of this dynasty. The cities of Kolhapur, Valivade and Panhala were the capitals of this kingdom. The Shilaharas of Kolhapur are credited with the creation of the magnificent ‘Koppeshwar Mahadev’ temple at Khidrapur.

Gonds: The Gond dynasty was established at Chanda (Chandrapur) during the Yadava period. Kol Bheel was the founder of this dynasty. He brought the people of Gond tribe together and encouraged them to rebel against the Naga dynasty. He established the capital at Sirpur.

In the later period, Khandkya Ballal Singh built a fort at Ballarpur and shifted the capital from Sirpur to Ballarpur. The temple at Achaleshwar was constructed during his period.

Yadavas: Yadava dynasty is one of the important dynasties of medieval Maharashtra. Bhillam V (1185-93 C.E.) is the important king of the Yadava dynasty. He expanded the kingdom by defeating the v Kalachuris. He established his capital at Devgiri and got himself coronated.

In the later period, Singhan was an important ruler of this dynasty. He defeated the Hoysalas, Shilaharas and expanded the rule of Yadavas.

Administrative system, trade, social life:
In the administrative systems of South Indian dynasties, there were officials such as ‘Mahadandanayaka’, ‘Rashtrika’, ‘Deshadhikruta’, ‘Amatya’, ‘Ayukta’, etc. The council of officers in the Chola kingdom was called ‘Udankuttam’. The kingdom was divided into many provinces.

These provinces were known as ‘Mandalam’. A member of the royal family was the chief of the Mandalam. There were many officers under him such as ‘Vishayapati’, ‘Deshadhipati’, ‘Deshadhikrut’, ‘Rashtrika’, etc. The administration of the Southern kingdoms was very efficient.

Literature, art, architecture:
The ‘Sangham literature’ is supposed to be most ancient in the Tamil tradition. This literature is one of the main sources of political history of South India. It is believed that three ‘Sanghams’ (Council) were held. This period was important from the point of view of Sanskrit literature.

Kalidasa composed the ‘Meghdoot’ at Ramtek in Vidarbha. During the Vakataka rule, compositions in Prakrit language were created. Pravarsena II, the Vakataka king, wrote the well-known composition named ‘Setubandha’. ‘Harivijaya’ was composed by Sarvasena, the founder of Vatsagulm branch of Vakatakas.

Two styles of architecture are seen in South India, one is the ‘Dravida’ style and other is the ‘Vesara’ style of architecture. The Dravida style of architecture emerged and developed in the regions from Krishna river to Kanyakumari. The important feature of Dravida architecture identified by construction of Shikhara. In this type the storeys reduce in size as the Shikhara rises. Kailasnath and Vaikuntha Perumal temples at Kanchi, Brihadeshwara temple at Tanjore are some of the excellent examples of Dravida style of architecture.

Glossary:

→ Reign – To rule a country.

→ Expedition – A journey undertaken for a specific purpose.

→ Province – An administrative division or unit of a country.

→ Feudatories – Persons who hold lands by feudal tenure.

→ Prevalent – Common.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 History Notes Chapter 10 Changing Times students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 History Notes Chapter 10 Changing Times

Nomadic tribes of Central Asia:
After the death of Alexander, the Satrapas appointed by him declared their independent status and they came to be known as Indo-Greek kings. During the declining period of Indo-Greek kings, nomadic tribes in Central Asia attacked Bactria. The tribes of Central Asia migrated to India in this period. These migrations proved to be important in the political scene in North India.

In the latter half of 2nd century B.C.E., the Pahalavas (Parthians) and Shakas (Scythians) attacked northwestern regions. The Yuezi tribes from China pushed the Shakas out from Central Asia. Yuezis were pastoralists. With the strength of their war skills, they vanquished the local kings and there they established their own kingdoms.

Indo-Greeks, Shakas, Kushanas:
Indo-Greeks : The Greek Satrapas of North-west are known as ‘Indo-Greeks’. In Indian tradition, they are mentioned as Yavana. Their objectives were to establish their dominance in the region of Mediterranean Sea and to strengthen the hold over trade in west and central Asia.

Seleucus Nicator was Indo-Greek king from the province of Bactria in the North-west. In the conflicts between the Indo-Greek kings, the kingdom of Bactria proved to be powerful. Bactrian king, Demetrius attacked India in 180 B.C.E. He won over Takshashila. His capital was at Sakai (Siyalkot).

Shakas: Shakas came from Central Asia. They established their kingdom by driving out the Greeks of Bactria. Their colony acquired the name ‘Shakasthan’ (Shistan). ‘Maues’ alias ‘Moga’ was the first Shaka king in India. He established the kingdom by conquering the provinces of Gandhara and Punjab. Due to the weakness of the succeeding Shaka kings, Pahalava King, Gondophernes defeated them and established his rule in India.

Kushanas: After coming to Bactria from Central Asia, the Kushanas captured the Indo-Greek kingdoms. As an effect of their contact with the Greek is reflected in some traits of Kushana culture. After pushing the Shakas out to the South, under the leadership of Kujula Kadphises, the Yuezi groups came together and Kujula Kadphises brought them to northwest India from the Hindukush mountains. He declared himself as the King of Bactria.

Kushana Empire: After winning over the small kingdoms, Kushanas followed the system of Shakas and established their Satrapis there. A military officer called ‘Satrapa (Kshatrapa) was appointed on the satrapies. The King was the chief of all the Satrapas and adopted the titles like ‘Rajadhiraj’, ‘Maharaj’ etc. The concept of divinity of the King is seen for the first time in the inscriptions on the Kushana coins. They called themselves as ‘Devputra’(Son of God).

Gupta Empire: The history of Gupta empire indicates the process of transformation of a small state into a mighty empire. Srigupta was the founder of Gupta dynasty. His title ‘Maharaj’ indicates that he was a feudatory. His son Ghatotkach also uses the same title which means during his period also the Gupta kings were feudatories.

Chandragupta I is given the credit of expanding the Gupta rule and transforming it into an empire. The title added to his name, titled ‘Maharajadhiraj’, gives an idea of the increasing status of the Gupta kings. He married Kumaradevi who belonged to the Lichchhavi clan. This matrimonial alliance proved to be politically beneficial for the Gupta dynasty.

State administration and social life: The Gupta period is considered as the Classical Age of Indian history. During the Gupta period, king was the centre of administration. The Prince, Amatya (ministers) and advisors helped him. Many times, the Prince was appointed as Viceroy who looked after the provincial administration. Every province was subdivided. These subdivisions were called ‘Vishaya’.

There was an independent administrator appointed on these Vishayas. They were known as ‘Vishayapati’. ‘Kumaramatya’ were the provincial officers and Ayuktak’ were the officials who looked after the affairs of the districts. Gupta administration was decentralized. Many decisions were taken at the local level.

Vardhan Empire: During the declining period of the Guptas, in Northern India, there was rise of dynasties such as Vardhans at Sthaneshwar (Thanesar), Maukharis in Ganga Yamuna Doab, Maitrakas in Saurashtra etc. Pushyabhuti was the founder of the Vardhan dynasty. After the accession of Prabhakarvardhan, the Vardhan dynasty became powerful. He took up the sovereign title of ‘Parambhattarak Maharajadhiraj’. The most prominent ruler of this dynasty was Harshavardhan.

His empire extended from Nepal to Narmada and Saurashtra to Bengal. After Harshavardhan, there was no heir to the throne under the situation. The empire disintegrated and many feudatories declared independent status in North India.

Karkotaka Empire: Among the dynasties that ruled in Kashmir, the Karkotaka dynasty (7-9th century C.E.) is mentioned by Yuan Chwang. He had been to Kashmir when he had visited India. Detailed information regarding this dynasty is found in Kalhan’s Rajatarangini. Durlabhavardhan was the founder of Karkotaka dynasty. His empire extended from Narmada to Tibet.

The reign of Lalitaditya (Muktapeed, 724-760 C.E.), the grandson of Durlabhavardhan, is noteworthy. He is credited with two victorious expeditions (Digvijaya). He drove away many foreign tribes on the northern borders of Kashmir, especially the region in the Amudarya basin.

Trade, coinage, art, iconography: In Indian history, the period of six centuries from 2nd century B.C.E. to 4th century C.E. was the period of arrival of the Central Asian tribes and the kingdoms that they established. These people adopted various cultural traits as they came to India.

The introduction of these traits brought about a transformation in the cultural life of India as well. In contemporary India, agriculture and animal husbandry were the main sources of livelihood. Along with it, various industries and trade developed during this period. India’s contact with the foreigners proved to be beneficial for this.

Indo-Roman trade (Trade centres in Maharashtra): The Periplus of Erythrean Sea written in Greek language in the mid 1st century C.E., mentions about the Red Sea and the sea routes connecting coastal line, ports, provinces, goods exchanged in trade.

Red Sea was important for trade relations between India and Rome. The flourishing Indo-Roman trade gave rise to several markets and cities. There was rise of important ports in western India as well. The merchandise transported to Maharashtra were stored at Ter, Nevasa, Bhokardan, Kondapur, and Sannati.

Glossary:

→ Tilling – Prepare and cultivate(land) for crops.

→ Merchandise – Goods that are for sale.

→ Garom – Pickled fish.

→ Migration – Movement of people from one place to another.

→ Dominance – The action of taking control.

→ Suzerainty – The right of a region to partly control another.

→ Autonomy – A right to governor control.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 5 Rural Development in India students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 5 Rural Development in India

→ Meaning Of Rural Development:

• Leads to economic growth of a country.
• It is a ‘subset’ of term “development”.
• Relates to overall development and improvement in quality of life
• It should be sustainable, in order to remove poverty from any country.

→ Definition of Rural Development:

World Bank defines :
“Rural development is a strategy designed to improve the economic and social life of a specific group of people – the rural poor. Rural development involves extending the benefits of development to the poorest among those, who seek livelihood in the rural areas. The group includes small scale farmers, tenants and the landless’’.

→ Features of Rural Development:

(A) Agriculture:

• Mecha nisation
• High Yielding Seeds
• Credit and Transport
• Marketing

(B) Village Industries:

• Modernization
• Technica’ training
• Marketing

(C) Education

• Technical
• Skill
• Agricultural

(D) Services

• Health
• Family Welfare
• Banking
• Communication

→ Rural Occupational Structure:

(A) Agricultural Sector
(B) Indrustrial Sector
(C) Services Sector (Tertiary Sector)

(A) Agricultural Sector

1. Agriculture
2. Allied Activities

1. Agriculture

• Small farmers
• Marginal farmers
• Large farmers

Allied Activities:
Plantation, forestry, fisheries, dairy, horticulture

(B) Indrustrial Sector:

• Small scale Industries
• Cottage Industries
• Rural Industries

(C) Services Sector (Tertiary Sector):

1. Traders
2. Transport
3. Proffessional and Technicians

Traders:

• Wholesaler
• Retailer

→ Classification or Types of Agricultural Credit:

→ Sources of Agricultural Credit:

(A) Non-Institutional Sources
(B) Institutional Sources

(A) NON-INSTITUTIONAL Sources

1. Money-Lenders
2. Other Private Sources
   • Other Private Sources:
   • Traders, landlords, commission agents, etc.
   • Loan from relatives, friends, etc.

(B) Institutional Sources:

1. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
2. Rural Co-operative Credit Institutions
3. Commercial Banks (CB’s)
4. Regional Rural Banks (RRB’s)
5. Micro Finance Institutions (MFI’s)

Rural Co-operative Credit Institutions

• Short-term Credit Co-operatives
• Long-term Credit Co-operatives

Short-term Credit Co-operatives:

• Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)
• District Central Co-operative Banks (ÐCCB)
• State Co-operative Banks (SCB)

Long-term Credit Co-operatives:

• Primary Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks.
• State Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks.

→ Significance or Importance of Rural Development in India :

• Public health and sanitation
• Literacy rate
• Empowerment of women
• Enforcement of law and order
• Land reforms
• Infrastructure development
• Availability of credit
• Eradication of poverty

Word Meaning:

predominantly – mainly, rural – village area, subset – part of a larger group, connotes – suggest, consensus – general opinion, alleviate – to reduce, strategy – planning, tenants – a person who occupies land or property on rental basis, marginal – very small, cottage – industry carried out in people’s home, witnessed – to see, affordable – reasonable price, instrument – a tool, gender disparity – not having equal rights for male and female, safeguard – protect, enforcement – carrying out, ceiling – limitation, connectivity – to link, eradication – to remove, pre-requisite – requirement, inadequate – not sufficient, tenure – time period, unproductive – not able to use in productive activity, collateral security – asset kept against loan, prevalent – spread, mortgage – to keep asset against the loan, promotion – to support, consequent – as follows, inflexibility – not able to change, legitimate – allowed by law.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 11 History Notes Chapter 4 Vedic Period students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 11 History Notes Chapter 4 Vedic Period

Vedic Culture:
Vedic literature, Linguistics and Archaeology:
Most of the information about their culture is derived from the Vedic literature. This literature is fundamentally in the form of the faith systems of the Vedic tribes and eulogies of their deities. There are various opinions about the chronology of the Vedic culture. However, there is a general agreement that the Vedic people composed Rigveda in India around 1500 B.C.E. However, Lokmanya Tilak calculated this date as 6000 B.C.E. on the basis of astronomical events.

This debate began in the 16th century. Till then the concept of the ‘Aryans’ was not known. In the 16th century, the European academics became aware of the similarities between Sanskrit and Latin- Greek languages. It resulted into the notion of the ‘Indo-European’ language family.

Vedic Literature and Social organisation of Vedic Times:
The Vedic literature is supposed to be the earliest literature of India. They were written in Sanskrit. The four Vedas form the core of the Vedic literature.

Rigveda: The Rigveda contains Suktas (hymns) composed to eulogise the deities. The verses in Rigveda are known as ‘Rucha’. A number of Ruchas strung together makes a Sukta (hymn). Many Suktas make one Mandala.

Yajurveda: The Yajurveda offers explanation of the sacrificial rituals. It explains when and how the mantras should be used. A Rigvedic richa, when recited in sacrificial rituals, is regarded as Mantra. The Yajurveda is a combined composition of the Rigvedic richa in verse and the explanation of its use v as a mantra in prose.

Samaveda: The Samaveda is a text that gives the rules of reciting mantras in a musical form. The Samaveda is regarded as the text that is fundamental in the development of Indian music.

Atharvaveda: The Atharvaveda is about the day-to-day life. It contains information about charms and medicines for various problems and diseases. It also talks about the norms of statesmanship.

Varna System:
The Vedic society was organized into four classes known as ‘Varna’, namely, Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. The varna system is first mentioned in the tenth mandala (chapter) of the Rigveda. In the later Vedic period, the varna system lost its flexibility. Also, the caste system got rooted firmly by this period.

In the beginning, the varna or the caste was decided by one’s occupation. Later it came to be determined on the basis of birth. Hence it became impossible to change one’s varna and caste, in which he/she was born.

Ashrama System:
The Ashrama System of the Vedic culture lays down the norms of living an ideal life by dividing the span of human life into four successive stages, namely Brahmacharyashram, Grihasthashram, Vanaprasthashram and Sanyasashram.

• In the first stage one was expected to spend an austere life and earn knowledge and necessary occupational skills.
• In the second stage one was expected to fulfil one’s prescribed duties with one’s wife by his side.
• In the third stage one was expected to retire from the active life of the householder and if the need be, to give advice to the younger people. It was also desirable that one should stay away from human settlement.
• In the fourth and the last stage one was expected to renounce all the family bonds, accept a wandering life and to go away. A Sanyasi was not permitted to settle at one place for a longer time.

The Early Vedic Culture as unfolded through Vedic Literature:
The Rigvedic culture is the culture of the Early Vedic period. The tribes of the Early Vedic period staying in the Saptasindhu region have been mentioned in the Rigveda. Among them occur the names like Puru, Anu, Yadu, Druhyu, Turvash, etc. They were the tribes who subsisted on agriculture.

The Rigveda mentions a battle known as ‘Dashradnya Yuddha’ that was fought among ten tribal chiefs. In the Early Vedic period along with the Rigvedic tribes, other local tribes also stayed in the Saptasindhu region, who did not belong to the Rigvedic people. They were called ‘Das’, ‘Dasyu’ and ‘Pani’. Panis were looked upon as enemies by the Vedic people. Panis used to steal the cattle of the Vedic people.

Later Vedic Period:
Later Vedic Period is dated to around 1000-600 B.C.E. The information about this period is gathered from the treatises written in that period. The material culture as reflected in the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata was studied with the help of archaeological evidence.

A picture of the migration in the Later Vedic period can be gathered from the Saptasindhu region toward the east and its geographic markers from the literature of that period. The Later Vedic period saw a gradual formation of confederacies of the Vedic villages. They were known as ‘Janapada’. Generally, the seniors and the elites in a Janapada collectively took social decisions.

Glossary:

→ Philology – A discipline that traces the etymological history and meanings of words.

→ Etymology – The study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.

→ Dasyu – It is derived from the Sanskrit word “Dasa”. Usually means enemy or servant.

→ Suktas – Hymns.

→ Eulogise – Praise highly in speech or writing.

→ Oligarchy – A small group of people having control of a country or organization.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 12 Psychology Notes Chapter 4 Cognitive Processes students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 12 Psychology Notes Chapter 4 Cognitive Processes

Introduction:
Cognitive processes are those processes by which we become aware of and understand the world around us. It includes processes like sensation, attention, perception, learning, memory, thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, etc.

Attention:
Attention is the selective process by which we focus on only a few stimuli from among the various stimuli that are present in our environment.

According to Norman Munn, “Attention is the mental process of bringing few stimuli into the centre of awareness out of the many stimuli present”.

Attention is influenced by objective factors such as intensity, size, movement, etc., of stimuli as well as subjective factors like interest, mindset, etc.

Aspects Of Attention:
Span of attention – It is the total number of stimuli that we can become clearly aware of in a single glance. Span of attention is limited, i.e., 7 to 8 items only. Factors like age, intelligence, motivation, practice, etc., affect the span of attention.

Distraction of attention – The drifting of attention from a specific stimulus to another stimulus is called distraction of attention. This is due to external factors such as intensity, novelty, movement, etc., of stimuli or internal factors like physical state, lack of interest, mental set, etc.

Division of attention – It is not possible to divide attention to two tasks simultaneously. We can perform two tasks at the same time only if both tasks are too simple or mechanical. If we try to pay attention to two tasks at the same time it may result in decreased efficiency and more confusion.

Fluctuation of attention – It is difficult to attend to a single stimulus for a long period of time. Our attention may shift from the original stimulus to another stimulus for a fraction of time and then comes back to the original stimulus. This may be due to factors like fatigue, decreased interest, etc.

Perception:
Perception = the sensation + assigning meaning to the sensation. In understanding our world, sensation occurs first, followed by attention and finally perception of stimuli based on past experience. Perception is defined as “the process of assigning meaning to information received about the environment based on the past experiences.”

Phenomena associated with Perception:
Top-down processing and Bottom-up processing – When we utilize top-down processing, our ability to understand information is influenced by the context in which it appears. Bottom-up processing is a process that starts with an incoming stimulus and works upwards until a representation of the object is formed in our brain.

Laws of perceptual organization – Our brain has the tendency to organize our sensations as a meaningful whole. Max Wertheimer first explained this tendency in the form of laws of perceptual organization.

Some laws of perceptual organization are as follows:
Law of proximity – Stimuli that are near to each other are perceived as together, rather
than stimuli that are far away from each other.

In the above figure, we perceive pairs of dots in each line because the dots which are near to each other are perceived together. So instead of perceiving a line of 8 dots, generally a line of four pairs of dots is perceived.

Law of similarity – Stimuli that are similar to each other are perceived together than stimuli that are distinct from each other.

In the above figure, we perceive 4 alternate vertical lines each of circles and crosses as similar stimuli are perceived together. Generally, we do not perceive 4 horizontal lines each having circles and crosses in alternate sequence.

Law of continuity – There is a tendency to perceive a stimulus in continuation according to its established direction.

In this figure, a straight vertical line and a straight horizontal line are perceived together as a letter ‘L’ and a cutting line is perceived separately as a line following the smoothest path. Generally, we do not perceive here four different lines going in different directions.

Law of closure – There is a tendency to fill in the gaps in an incomplete stimulus so as to perceive it as a meaningful figure.

In the above figure, we fill in the gaps and perceive it as a triangle and square. Generally, we do not perceive here the three or four separate lines going in different directions.

Thinking:
Thinking is the mental activity that uses various cognitive elements and processes that involves the manipulation of information.

The core elements of thinking are –

• Mental representation – It is a coded internal sensation that is acquired by direct experiences through the sense organs or by indirect experiences such as narrations, pictures, etc.
• Concepts – They form the basis for all cognitive processes, acting as building blocks by connecting with each other to form more complex concepts.
• Schema – It is an internal representation that organizes knowledge about related concepts and relationships among them.
• Language – Mental representations, concept and schema are represented by language, for e.g., the word ‘cat’ is a symbol for a ‘cat’.

Types Of Thinking:

Problem Solving:
Problem-solving is a type of thinking, i.e., the process of finding solutions to problems encountered
in life.

It includes the following steps.

• Defining the problem – We need to identify and define the problem correctly.
• Generating alternative solutions – The person searches for possible solutions to the problem.
• Selecting a solution – The person selects what he considers to be the most effective solution.
• Implementing the solution and follow up on the solution – The person tries out the selected solution and evaluates the outcome i.e. whether it has helped to solve the problem.

Creative Thinking:
Creative thinking is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden
patterns, etc.

The four stages in creative thinking are –

1. Preparation – It involves formulating the problem and gathering information about it.
2. Incubation – If the person does not get the required results, he/she may focus on things unrelated to that problem. The period helps to work out the problem without consciously thinking about it.
3. Illumination – After incubation, suddenly the correct solution appears to the person, due to which he/she experiences excitement.
4. Verification – The new solution may sometimes need to be evaluated again and again.

Learning:
Learning is defined as “a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs due to experience
or practice”.

The characteristics of learning are :

• It involves some relatively permanent change in behaviour.
• The change in behaviour is due to experience or practice.
• Change in behaviour may be in knowledge, e.g. a new concept, or in skills, e.g. learning to ride a cycle, or in muscular movements.
• Learning is an inferred process.

Processes of Learning:
Learning by Classical Conditioning:
Classical conditioning was first explained by Ivan Pavlov. It is learning by forming associations and by stimulus substitution. In daily life, we learn many things this way, for e.g., a child is given an injection by the doctor and begins to cry in pain. He soon makes the connection between ‘doctor’, ‘injection’ and ‘pain’ and begins crying as soon as he is taken to a doctor.

Learning by Operant Conditioning:
Learning by operant conditioning was first explained by B. F. Skinner. He said that learning takes place to gain positive consequences or to avoid negative consequences.

Learning by Cognitive Processes:
Edward Tolman explained that learning may take place using cognitive processes like problem-solving, reasoning, etc., and not only due to forming of connections (as explained by classical conditioning) or due to the consequences of behaviour (as explained by classical conditioning).

Learning by assimilation and accommodation:
Jean Piaget explains that we learn by forming and refining our concepts on the basis of ‘ similarities and differences between new and existing information.

Learning by observation:
According to Albert Bandura, we learn by observation, imitation of the behaviour of others, etc. This occurs in respect to skills, for e.g., eating with a fork/spoon as well as in our thinking, decision making, etc.

Glossary:

→  Attention – Sustained concentration on specific stimulus.

→  Concept – A mental representation or idea that represents a category.

→ Learning – The ability to acquire knowledge or skills, or any relatively permanent changes in one’s behaviour as a result of experience or practice.

→ Mental Representation – An internal representation of information.

→ Perception – The process by which we recognise, organise and interpret of sensory information.

→ Schema – An organised framework of knowledge based on past experiences and memory and helps in perception and interpretation of new information in terms of existing knowledge.

→ Thinking – It is a cognitive process which involves mental representation and manipulation of information.

By going through these Maharashtra State Board Class 12 Psychology Notes Chapter 3 Personality students can recall all the concepts quickly.

Maharashtra State Board Class 12 Psychology Notes Chapter 3 Personality

Meaning Of Personality:
The word personality is derived from the Latin word ‘persona’ which was used to refer to masks worn by actors during a stage performance, Thus, the meaning of personality was interpreted as ‘projected behaviour’ of an individual.

According to Gordon Allport, “Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determines his unique adjustments to the environment.”

Factors Affecting Personality:
Personality is shaped by biological factors like heredity and endocrine glands and by psychosocial factors like family, peer groups, school and culture.

Heredity – It implies the genetic inheritance of an individual. Heredity affects the physical characteristics, such as height, physique, etc. It also influences the self-concept which in turn influences personality.

Endocrine glands – Personality is shaped by endocrine glands like pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, gonads, etc. Over secretion or under secretion of hormones produced by these glands can adversely affect our personality.

Family – As the first agency of socialization, the family exerts a strong influence on personality. Aspects of family such as family structure, atmosphere, and relationships, family interactions and ‘ childrearing practices influence personality, for e.g., if parents show rejection or overprotection, etc., towards the child, it may leads to low self-esteem and adverse effects on the personality.

Peer group – It refers to individuals of the same age group, e.g., classmates or sharing the same interests, e.g., members of a sports club. Influence of the peer group is most noticed in adolescence since it serves as a reference group.

The influence of peer group on the person may be positive such as developing healthy gender attitudes, skills of communication, etc., or it may be negative e.g., developing aggressive tendencies, prejudices, etc.

School – Various aspects of school such as teaching-learning process, academic and co-curricular facilities, role of the teachers, school location, management and discipline, etc., influence the child’s personality, for e.g., teachers who are well qualified, creative, build a rapport with the students, tend to motivate students and help to develop a good personality.

Mass media – It includes print media such as newspapers, audio-visual media such as T.V., and new media such as Internet, etc. Media is a source of information, education, entertainment and even socialization. It has a considerable effect on our value system, behaviour patterns and personality. However, excessive dependence on media may lead to egocentrism, poor academic performance, sleep disturbance, etc.

Cultural factors – Culture refers to the customs, values and social behaviour of a particular society. Every culture has its own set of beliefs, norms, expectations, etc., which influence the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of its members.

Perspectives Of Studying Personality:

Perspective	Assumption	Main Psychologists
(1) Psychoanalytic	Early childhood experiences and the unconscious mind play a role in personality development.	Sigmund Freud
(2) Humanistic	Free will and psychological growth are important in personality development.	Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow
(3) Trait	Every individual possesses an unique set of traits that determine personality.	Gordon Allport, Raymond Cattell
(4) Type	Every individual has an unique personality type based on his/her physique, temperament and mental characteristics.	William Sheldon
(5) Social	Cognitive Observational learning and cognitive processes play a role in personality development.	Albert Bandura

Carl Jung’s Theory of Personality:
Carl Jung classified individuals into introverts and extroverts, based on the characteristics exhibited by them.

Characteristics of introverts are :

• they tend to look within themselves for stimulation
• they are shy, reserved, avoid social interactions
• they choose careers and hobbies that do not involve much social contact
• they may be sensitive to criticism.

Characteristics of extroverts are:

• they depend on external stimulation and evaluate themselves based on impressions of others
• they tend to be outgoing, cheerful, optimistic
• they choose careers and hobbies that bring them in contact with others
• they tend to be enthusiastic, and full of energy.

NOTE: In real life, most individuals tend to exhibit a blend of traits of introverts and extroverts, i.e., ambiverts.

Allport’s Theory of Personality:
A trait is a relatively enduring and consistent way of thinking, feeling and acting. It is some distinctive characteristic of the person that leads him/her to behave in more or less consistent ways across situations and over a period of time.
Allport categorised traits as :

Cardinal Traits – It is a single trait that dominates the individual’s personality. Every action of the person can be traced to the influence of this trait, for e.g., in case of Gandhiji honesty was the cardinal trait, in case of Napoleon it was ambition.

Central Traits – These traits are ‘core’ or ‘basic’ characteristics that form the building blocks of personality. There are about 5-10 traits such as sensitivity, sociability, diligence, etc., that can best describe an individual’s personality.

Secondary Traits – These traits play a minor role in personality as they appear only in specific situations or under specific circumstances. They are sometimes related to preferences or attitudes.

Five-factor Model of Personality (OCEAN):
The Big Five Theory, based on the trait perspective was proposed by Robert McCrae and Paul Costa.
The five broad trait factors are –

Openness to Experience – People who are open to experience are intellectually curious, imaginative, appreciative of art, sensitive to beauty. They sometimes tend to think and act in nonconforming, adventurous ways.

Conscientiousness – It concerns the way in which people control, regulate and direct their impulses. People high in conscientiousness are hardworking, disciplined, responsible, dependable, etc., while those low on conscientiousness tend to be careless, unorganised, spontaneous, undisciplined, etc.

Extroversion – People high on this trait are assertive, talkative, sociable, enthusiastic, etc., while those low on extroversion tend to be shy, reserved, avoid social interactions, etc.

Agreeableness – It refers to the ability of a person to get along with others and show a concern for social harmony. People high on this trait tend to be friendly, cooperative, generous and believe that people are basically decent and trustworthy.

Neuroticism – It refers to a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety or depression more intensely and for longer periods than most people. Those who score high on neuroticism tend to be irritable, fearful, emotionally unstable and interpret ordinary situations as threatening and hopeless.

Measurement Of Personality:
Personality can be assessed using techniques such as Self Report Measures (Inventories), Behavioural Analysis Techniques and Projective Techniques.

Behavioural Analysis Techniques:
Behavioural analysis (techniques) such as Interview and Observation can provide information about an individual’s personality in a variety of situations.

Interview – It is a process in which the interviewer collects information about the personality of an interviewee by asking him/her specific questions. The main types of interview depending on the purpose of assessment are Structured interview and unstructured interview

Structured interview – The number, type and sequence of questions to be asked in the interview are pre-determined. The answers expected are also specific. This type of interview is used where exact quantification is required, for e.g., industrial psychologists use structured interviews to select employees for a job.

Unstructured interview – The type and sequence of questions to be asked by the interviewer are not pre-determined. Detailed answers can be given and scoring is often subjective. It is employed by clinical psychologists, counsellors, etc.

Observation – The types of observation include Naturalistic observation, Laboratory observation, Participant observation, Non-participant observation, etc. This method is useful only when there is a trained observer, clear objectives and adequate guidelines to carry out the observations.

Self-Report Measures (Inventories):
The individual provides information about his/her personality by responding to statements questions on the inventory, for e.g., Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PFQ), etc. Responses are scored in quantitative terms and interpreted on the basis of norms that are developed for the test.

Projective Techniques:
Projective techniques emerged from the psychoanalytic perspective. The individual responds freely to relatively unstructured or ambiguous stimuli/material. It is assumed that individuals project their own personality onto these stimuli, often revealing personal conflicts, coping styles, etc. Projective techniques cannot be scored in an objective manner.

They use various materials like ink-blots, ambiguous pictures, incomplete sentences, word associations, etc. Main projective techniques include Rorschach’s Ink-Blot Tests, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Sentence Completion Test, etc.

Glossary:

→  Cardinal traits – In Allport’s theory of personality it refers to a trait that is so powerful and pervasive that almost every act of the individual is influenced by and can be traced back to it.

→ Central traits – In Allport’s theory of personality it refers to relatively general characteristics of an individual that apply to most circumstances.

→ Extrovert – An individual who is social, outgoing and openly expressive prefers social interactions.

→ Introvert – An individual who is reserved, quiet and prefers working independently.

→ Neuroticism – One of the personality factors in the Big Five Factor Model characterised by the tendency to experience negative emotions such as nervousness, tension and worry.

→ Interview – An assessment tool for data collection involving face to face communication that can be used for diagnosis and in research.

→ Trait approach – According to this perspective every individual possess specific characteristics and patterns of behaviour that shape personality.

→ Type approach – According to this perspective individuals are classified into groups based on certain characteristics which shape personality.

→ Rating Scale – An instrument in which a respondent gives a numeric value (i.e.rates) to an object or stimulus.

→ Questionnaire – An instrument typically used in a research study that consists of a series of questions that is used to collect information from the participants.
→ Projective methods – They are techniques which use vague or ambiguous stimuli which allow the individual to reveal their personality through their unique responses.