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CBSE · Class 11 · Psychology

Thinking

Standard difficulty · 20 questions · 40 marks · Time: 36 minutes

Name: Date: Score: ____ / 40

Show your working for Sections B and C. Answers are on the last page — try every question first!

Section A — Choose the correct answer8 × 1 = 8 marks
1.
Thinking works on mental representations, which are of two kinds:
  1. stimuli and responses
  2. icons and echoes
  3. reflexes and drives
  4. images and concepts
2.
Kabir sets every idea down first and judges none until all are written. Which process or concept does this show?
  1. brainstorming
  2. lateral thinking
  3. decision-making
  4. judgment
3.
Kabir lists forty uses of a paper cup. Which divergent thinking ability is this?
  1. convergence
  2. functional fixedness
  3. fluency
  4. flexibility
4.
What happens in the preparation stage of the creative process?
  1. understanding the problem and gathering facts
  2. testing and judging the idea
  3. the sudden “Aha!” moment of the idea
  4. repeating steps that worked before
5.
Suppose a child is 24 months old. Which stage of language development does the book place near this age?
  1. echolalia
  2. the two-word stage (telegraphic speech)
  3. cooing
  4. babbling
6.
Which idea is Edward de Bono known for?
  1. divergent thinking
  2. language determines the content of thought
  3. lateral thinking and the six thinking hats
  4. thought comes before language and determines it
7.
What is meant by “concept”?
  1. a mental representation of a category
  2. seeing an object only in its usual use
  3. the rules for arranging words into sentences
  4. communicating well in two languages
8.
In three minutes, Dev lists 8 uses of a brick and Ananya lists 18. On fluency alone, who scores higher, and by how many ideas?
  1. Ananya, by 26
  2. Dev, by 10
  3. Ananya, by 10
  4. Ananya, by 12
Section B — Short answer8 × 2 = 16 marks
9.
What is thinking?
10.
Name the process or concept in each case. (a) Ananya looks for a completely new way of defining the problem rather than digging deeper in one direction. (b) Dev sees many plants bend towards light and concludes that plants grow towards light.
11.
Name the divergent thinking ability (fluency, flexibility, originality or elaboration) in each case. (a) Ananya works out every detail of how a new idea would actually work. (b) Priya suggests a use for a paper cup that nobody else thought of.
12.
Name the stage of the creative process: (a) testing and judging the idea (b) the sudden “Aha!” moment of the idea
13.
Explain each term: (a) concept (b) convergent thinking
14.
What idea is each thinker known for? (a) Piaget (b) Whorf
15.
Suppose a baby is 15 months old now. Which language stage is the baby likely in, and which stage would you expect 5 months later?
16.
Suppose a student lists 14 uses of a newspaper, falling into 7 different kinds of use. Which numbers show fluency and flexibility? What would make an answer original?
Section C — Word problems4 × 4 = 16 marks
17.
Describe the steps in solving a problem, with an example.
18.
Match each with its stage: (a) verification (b) incubation (c) preparation. Choose from: setting the problem aside after getting stuck; understanding the problem and gathering facts; testing and judging the idea.
19.
Isha looks for a completely new way of defining the problem rather than digging deeper in one direction. (a) Which concept does this show? (b) Explain your answer.
20.
Put these stages of language development in the correct order: learning the rules of language; the one-word stage (holophrases); echolalia.
AmbifulWorksheets
Practice that never repeats
CBSE · Class 11 · Psychology

Answer key

Thinking · AW-11PY-THK-2026-V1 · For parents — fold back or tear off before handing the sheet to your child.

QAnswerWorking
1(d) images and concepts—
2(a) brainstorming—
3(c) fluency—
4(a) understanding the problem and gathering facts—
5(b) the two-word stage (telegraphic speech)24 months: the two-word stage (telegraphic speech)
6(c) lateral thinking and the six thinking hats—
7(a) a mental representation of a category—
8(c) Ananya, by 10fluency counts ideas: 18 − 8
9A higher mental process through which we manipulate and analyse acquired or stored information.—
10(a) lateral thinking (b) inductive reasoning—
11(a) elaboration (b) originality—
12(a) verification (b) illumination—
13(a) a mental representation of a category (b) finding the one correct answer—
14(a) thought comes before language and determines it (b) language determines the content of thought—
15the one-word stage (holophrases); at 20 months, the two-word stage (telegraphic speech)15 + 5 = 20 months
16Fluency 14 (the number of ideas); flexibility 7 (the variety of kinds); an original answer is a rare, unusual usecount of ideas; count of categories
17Identify the problem, represent it, plan the solution with sub-goals, evaluate solutions, choose and carry one out, and check the outcome, e.g. organising a school play.—
18(a) testing and judging the idea (b) setting the problem aside after getting stuck (c) understanding the problem and gathering facts—
19(a) lateral thinking (b) Looking for alternative ways of defining and interpreting a problem, instead of going deeper in one direction—
20echolalia → the one-word stage (holophrases) → learning the rules of language—