Habits: NBSE Class 12 Education answers, notes

Summary

A habit is a behavior we do so often that it becomes automatic. It is something we learn through practice, not something we are born with. Any action, from eating to thinking, can become a habit if it is repeated enough. One writer, William James, called habit “man’s second nature.” This means our habits become such a normal part of our lives that they feel as natural as our own instincts. When an action is repeated many times in the same way, we no longer need to pay close attention to it, and a habit is formed.

Habits are created through a three-step loop: reminder, routine, and reward. The reminder is the trigger that starts the behavior. The routine is the action itself. The reward is the benefit we get from the action, which makes us want to do it again. Habits have several characteristics. They bring uniformity to our lives, as we perform them the same way every time. They make tasks feel easier and require less mental effort and attention. This also means we feel less tired when doing them. However, once formed, habits are very resistant to change.

Habits can be either good or bad. Good habits are useful for us and society. They help our lives run smoothly, save us time, and give us a feeling of stability. They help in learning and can lead to great achievements. Bad habits are harmful. They can make us feel like we have no control, prevent us from being creative, and make it hard to adapt to new situations. There are many kinds of bad habits, such as those that hurt our health, waste our time, or affect our relationships with others.

Breaking a bad habit requires a plan. It starts with a strong determination and willpower to change. One effective method is to substitute the bad habit with a good one. For example, a person who wants to stop smoking could chew gum when they feel the urge. Another way is to find the root cause of the habit. Some nervous habits are caused by stress, so managing the stress can help stop the habit. It is also possible to correct a bad habit by consciously practicing the right way of doing things until it becomes the new habit.

Textual

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What is meant by habit?

Answer: Any regularly occurring behaviour that requires little or no thought and is learned rather than innate is called a habit. A habit can be part of any activity, ranging from eating and sleeping to thinking and reacting, and is developed through reinforcement and repetition. It is the result of the practice of one’s own individual likes.

2. What is meant by bad habit?

Answer: A bad habit is a negative behaviour pattern. They are repetitive and negative behaviour patterns that can be stopped with motivation and willpower. Society takes a dim view of them, and such habits can break customs, laws, or mores. Many people find the habit annoying, repulsive, or something to be avoided. A bad habit could negatively affect your health or wellness and keep someone from being their best.

3. Mention the 3R’s of habit formation.

Answer: The 3R’s of habit formation are:

Reminder: The cue or trigger that starts the habit.
Routine: The action you take, which is the habit itself.
Reward: The benefit you gain from doing the habit.

4. Mention one advantage of habit formation.

Answer: One advantage of habit formation is that habits help us in smooth functioning.

5. Mention one disadvantage of habit formation.

Answer: One disadvantage of habit formation is that there is a danger of becoming slaves of our habits.

Short Answer Questions

List two main advantages of habit formation.

Answer: Two main advantages of habit formation are:

Habits help us in smooth functioning.
Habitual actions cost us little effortual actions cost us little effort and less strain.

2. Explain habit formation.

Answer: Habit formation is closely intertwined with goal pursuit, as everyday habits develop when people pursue their life’s goals. The basic mechanism underlying habits is that behaviour becomes less responsive to current goals and planning as habit associations strengthen. Habits develop through instrumental learning and are built on the principle that rewarded responses are repeated. When a goal is pursued repeatedly, people experience co-variations between context cues and actions that lead to goal attainment. The learning of these context-response associations is an unintended consequence of this repetition.

The process of habit formation can be understood through the 3 R’s:

Reminder: The cue or trigger that starts the habit.
Routine: The action you take, which is the habit itself.
Reward: The benefit you gain from doing the habit.

3. Mention the characteristics of habit.

Answer: The characteristics of habit are:

Uniformity: Habit brings uniformity in the activities of an individual. They are performed every time in the same way. There is a specific habit in our mode of talking, sleeping, walking, and other activities.
Ease and Facility: There is a facility in the performance of an activity if it is due to some habit. In the beginning, one may feel difficulty in performing some task but after the formation of habit, it becomes quite easy. For example, in the beginning it is difficult to ride a bicycle but after the formation of habit, it becomes quite easy.
Interest: The basis of habit is interest. At the beginning of schooling, the child runs away from the school, but after the formation of habit, going to school becomes interesting to him/her.
Reducing the need of Paying Attention: Habitual acts are performed with least or no attention. Women do knitting almost paying no attention to the work. Similarly a person playing a harmonium or violin places his fingers on the required string with no careful attention on his part.
Diminishing Fatigue: Habit diminishes fatigue due to habit formation. The work that is too difficult and tiresome in the beginning becomes a simple and spontaneous engagement for hours. The fact can be easily verified when we observe a bus driver driving on a long route for hours. Actually with the habit of driving, he learns to make the fewest and simplest movements and thus does not become the victim of fatigue easily.
Resistance to Modification: Habitual actions possess a strong tendency of resisting any modification or change. Once a habit, good or bad, is formed, it is difficult to give it up or bring changes in its functioning. A habitual smoker or gambler finds it difficult to give up his habit of smoking or gambling. On the other hand, a man who is not accustomed to accepting bribe cannot accept bribe and thus change his habit.
Habits are Useful as well as Harmful: In general habits are divided into two groups – good habits and bad habits. Good habits are like truth and punctuality, proper habits of works etc. are considered useful for the welfare of the individual as well as the society whereas bad habits like smoking, gambling, telling lies etc. are considered harmful to both the individual and the society.

4. List five bad habits you observe in yourself.

Answer: Five bad habits I observe in myself are:

Staying up late
Spending too much time online
Multi-tasking
Poor posture
Watching an endless stream of YouTube videos

5. List four points helpful to obtain desirable habit.

Answer: Four points helpful to obtain a desirable habit can be understood from the principles of habit formation and breaking bad habits:

Firm Determination and Strong Will Power: To form a new desirable habit, one should have a firm determination to start and strong willpower to stick to the new routine consistently.
Strong Initiative with Quick Actions: One should take a strong initiative to begin the new habit and follow through with actions immediately and regularly.
Use of Voluntary Practice: Desirable habits can be formed by voluntarily and repeatedly practising the desired action until it becomes automatic.
Substitute Bad Habits: A convenient approach is to replace bad habits with socially desirable ones, which gradually causes the bad habits to die their natural death.

Long Answer Questions

1. What do you understand by habit formation? Explain the 3R’s involved in habit formation.

Answer: Habit formation is closely intertwined with goal pursuit, as everyday habits develop when people pursue their life’s goals. An implication of the basic context-response mechanism underlying habits is that behaviour becomes less responsive to current goals and planning as habit associations strengthen. Habits develop through instrumental learning and build on the fundamental principle that rewarded responses are repeated. When repeatedly pursuing a goal, people experience co-variations between context cues and actions that lead to goal attainment. Daily life is full of such repetition. Research shows that about 43% of actions are performed almost daily and usually in the same context. The learning of context-response associations is an unintended consequence of this repetition.

The 3 R’s involved in habit formation are Reminder, Routine, and Reward.

Reminder: This is the cue or trigger that starts the habit. An example is a traffic light turning green.
Routine: This is the action you take, which is the habit itself. An example is also a traffic light turning green, which prompts the action of driving.
Reward: This is the benefit you gain from doing the habit. For example, you get closer to your destination.

If the reward is positive, you will have a desire to repeat the action the next time a reminder appears. Eventually, this repetition will form a new habit.

2. Mention the advantages and disadvantages of habit formation.

Answer: Good habits are essential for effective and smooth living. Such actions need little effort and conscious thinking. The advantages of habit formation are:

Habits help us in smooth functioning.
Habitual actions cost us little effort and less strain.
Habits do not require our conscious attention.
Habitual actions save our time.
Habits make our movements simpler, quicker, and more accurate.
Our activities do not become tiresome (no fatigue).
Since the activities become automatic, we do not need our higher mental processes like thinking, reasoning, creativity, etc. for these activities and such abilities can be used for other better activities.
Good habits provide feelings of stability and security.

Habits are so strong that they control one’s life. When one becomes a slave of his habits, he loses the power to adapt to new situations. The disadvantages of habit formation are:

There is danger of becoming slaves of our habits.
There will not be any scope for thinking or creativity.
We cannot learn new things or to adapt to new situations.
Our actions become mechanical.
Habits interfere in our other activities.
We feel highly disturbed when we have to make any adjustment or change in our routine like eating, sleeping, etc.
There may be negative effects both physical and psychological. For example, if there is any change in the timing of sleep, food, etc. we feel highly disturbed both physically and mentally such as sleeplessness, indigestion, nausea, mood upset, etc.

3. Explain the nature of habit on the basis of its characteristics.

Answer: The nature of habits can be understood through the following characteristics:

Uniformity: Habit brings uniformity in the activities of an individual. They are performed every time in the same way. There is a specific habit in our mode of talking, sleeping, walking, and other activities.
Ease and Facility: There is a facility in the performance of an activity if it is due to some habit. In the beginning, one may feel difficulty in performing some task but after the formation of habit, it becomes quite easy. For example, in the beginning it is difficult to ride a bicycle but after the formation of habit, it becomes quite easy.
Interest: The basis of habit is interest. At the beginning of schooling, the child runs away from the school, but after the formation of habit, going to school becomes interesting to him/her.
Reducing the need of Paying Attention: Habitual acts are performed with least or no attention. For example, women do knitting almost paying no attention to the work.
Diminishing Fatigue: Habit diminishes fatigue due to habit formation. The work that is too difficult and tiresome in the beginning becomes a simple and spontaneous engagement for hours. For example, a bus driver driving on a long route for hours learns to make the fewest and simplest movements and thus does not become the victim of fatigue easily.
Resistance to Modification: Habitual actions possess a strong tendency of resisting any modification or change. Once a habit, good or bad, is formed, it is difficult to give it up or bring changes in its functioning. A habitual smoker or gambler finds it difficult to give up his habit.
Habits are Useful as well as Harmful: In general habits are divided into two groups – good habits and bad habits. Good habits like truth and punctuality are considered useful for the welfare of the individual and society, whereas bad habits like smoking, gambling, and telling lies are considered harmful to both.

4. List five bad habits which is time consuming for students.

Answer: Five bad habits which are time consuming for students are:

Spending too much time online
Video games
Watching an endless stream of YouTube videos
Facebook addiction
Watching reality television

5. List the bad habits for school students.

Answer: Some bad habits for school students include:

Being more than five minutes late for an appointment
Poor posture
Not getting enough sleep
Multi-tasking
Not having a work routine
Staying up late
Spending too much time online
Finishing other people’s sentences
Being argumentative

6. Mention the four points for breaking of bad habits.

Answer: Four points that can be found fruitful in breaking bad habits are:

Firm Determination and Strong Will Power: First of all, one should realise the necessity of setting oneself free from the clutches of a bad habit. Moreover, one should have a firm determination to break it. Thus there is a need for strong willpower so that the temptations are never allowed as even a single act of the repetition of a bad habit may throw the individual back on the starting point.
Strong Initiative with Quick Actions: Bad habits are like a powerful and dangerous enemy. Therefore, the initial attack should be well planned. One should leave nothing to chance. Public declarations and pledges help much in this direction as they give sufficient emotional strength to an individual. One who declares publicly that one would not smoke from such and such date, receives an inner strength to give up his bad habit, but mere declaration and resolution do not suffice. They should be followed by actions.
Use of Voluntary Practice: Many improper habitual actions can be rectified by the use of voluntary practices. Incorrect spellings, mispronunciation, and an improper way of performing certain skill work can be corrected and improved by correcting and practicing the right way of performing these acts.
Substitution of Bad Habits by the appropriate socially approved behaviour: One of the convenient approaches in removing bad habits is to replace them with socially desirable habits. These socially desirable habits gradually make the bad habits die their natural death. That is why a person who wishes to give up his habit of smoking is often advised to take cough drops or betel nuts when the urge to smoke is strong. Similarly, bad habits like telling lies and improper eating habits can be replaced by telling the truth and proper eating habits for neutralising them in the course of time.

Additional

Extra Questions and Answers

1. How is a habit defined in psychology?

Answer: In psychology, any regularly occurring behaviour that requires little or no thought and is learned rather than innate is called a habit. A habit can be part of any activity, ranging from eating and sleeping to thinking and reacting, and is developed through reinforcement and repetition.

2. How did Garrett define the term “habit”?

Answer: Garrett defined habit as “the name given to behaviour so often repeated as to be automatic”.

3. According to James, what is man’s second nature?

Answer: According to James, “Habit is man’s second nature”.

4. How did Ryburn define a habitual action?

Answer: Ryburn defined a habitual action as “the result of many repetitions of the act in approximately the same way. It is done without conscious thought, performed smoothly, and with the maximum speed required”.

5. How do Behaviourists define habit?

Answer: Behaviourists define habit as something that, similar to how instincts motivate a person for a specific experience, makes a person restless to get back some past experience.

6. What is the basis of habit?

Answer: The basis of habit is interest.

7. What is the brain’s motivator for something to become a habit?

Answer: Cravings are the brain’s motivator for something to become a habit. For something to become a habit, our brain must crave it.

8. On average, how long does it take for a new habit to form?

Answer: It takes an average of 66 days before a new habit takes root in our brain.

9. What is a ‘Reminder’ in the context of habit formation?

Answer: A ‘Reminder’ is the cue or trigger that starts the habit. An example is a traffic light turning green.

10. What is a ‘Routine’ in the context of habit formation?

Answer: A ‘Routine’ is the action you take, the habit itself. An example is your response to a traffic light turning green.

11. What is a ‘Reward’ in the context of habit formation?

Answer: A ‘Reward’ is the benefit you gain from doing the habit. For example, when a traffic light turns green and you proceed, you get closer to your destination.

12. What is the danger of becoming a slave to our habits?

Answer: The danger of becoming a slave to our habits is that they are so strong they can control one’s life, causing one to lose the power to adapt to new situations.

13. List two habits that are considered to offend others.

Answer: Two habits that are considered to offend others are:

Being more than five minutes late for an appointment
Picking your nose

14. List two habits that are considered to waste your time.

Answer: Two habits that are considered to waste your time are:

Twitter
Watching commercials, infomercials, or advertisements

15. List two bad habits that can negatively impact your health.

Answer: Two bad habits that can negatively impact your health are:

Not getting enough sleep
Smoking cigarettes

16. List two bad habits related to diet and nutrition.

Answer: Two bad habits related to diet and nutrition are:

Mindless eating
Drinking soda

17. List two examples of poor productivity habits.

Answer: Two examples of poor productivity habits are:

Multi-tasking
Being a perfectionist

18. List two examples of nervous habits.

Answer: Two examples of nervous habits are:

Talking to yourself
Biting fingernails

19. List two examples of personal bad habits.

Answer: Two examples of personal bad habits are:

Using devices late at night
Staying up late

20. List two examples of bad conversation and social skills habits.

Answer: Two examples of bad conversation and social skills habits are:

Forgetting names of people you meet
Repeating yourself

21. What is the first step in breaking nervous habits?

Answer: The first step in breaking nervous habits is to recognise that they exist.

22. How is a habit established through repetition and practice?

Answer: Habits are the product of experiences and practice. When a particular action is repeated several times in almost the same way under similar circumstances, one does not require voluntary attention and effort. The action tends to become quite automatic, like a reflex action. It is then termed a habitual action, and thus a habit is established.

23. Explain the characteristic of ‘Uniformity’ in habits.

Answer: Habit brings uniformity to the activities of an individual. They are performed every time in the same way. There is a specific habit in our mode of talking, sleeping, walking, and other activities.

24. Explain the characteristic of ‘Ease and Facility’ in habit formation.

Answer: There is a facility in the performance of an activity if it is due to some habit. In the beginning, one may feel difficulty in performing some task, but after the formation of a habit, it becomes quite easy. For example, in the beginning, it is difficult to ride a bicycle, but after the formation of the habit, it becomes quite easy.

25. How does habit formation reduce the need for paying attention? Give an example.

Answer: Habitual acts are performed with the least or no attention. For example, women do knitting almost paying no attention to the work. Similarly, a person playing a harmonium or violin places his fingers on the required string with no careful attention on his part.

26. How does habit formation help in diminishing fatigue? Give an example.

Answer: Habit diminishes fatigue due to habit formation. Work that is too difficult and tiresome in the beginning becomes a simple and spontaneous engagement for hours. This can be easily verified when we observe a bus driver driving on a long route for hours. With the habit of driving, he learns to make the fewest and simplest movements and thus does not become the victim of fatigue easily.

27. Explain the ‘Resistance to Modification’ characteristic of habits.

Answer: Habitual actions possess a strong tendency to resist any modification or change. Once a habit, good or bad, is formed, it is difficult to give it up or bring changes in its functioning. A habitual smoker or gambler finds it difficult to give up his habit of smoking or gambling. On the other hand, a man who is not accustomed to accepting a bribe cannot accept a bribe and thus change his habit.

28. How can habits be both useful and harmful? Provide examples.

Answer: In general, habits are divided into two groups: good habits and bad habits. Good habits like truth and punctuality, and proper habits of work are considered useful for the welfare of the individual as well as the society. In contrast, bad habits like smoking, gambling, telling lies, etc., are considered harmful to both the individual and the society.

29. What is the role of habit in educational progress?

Answer: Habit is a great means of our progress in an educational situation. It is easy to learn reading and writing during childhood, but learning is very difficult during adulthood or old age. Habit strengthens learning activities. During the early years, a child learns alphabets due to habits. At a later period, different hard learning tasks can be overcome by a child through habits.

30. How is habit formation closely intertwined with goal pursuit?

Answer: As everyday habits develop when people go about pursuing life’s goals, habit formation is closely intertwined with goal pursuit. Habits develop through instrumental learning and build on the principle that rewarded responses are repeated. When repeatedly pursuing a goal, such as making coffee, people experience co-variations between context cues, like a coffee filter, and actions, like measuring grounds, that lead to goal attainment.

31. What did the experience-sampling research reveal about daily actions?

Answer: In the experience-sampling research, where people recorded what they were thinking, feeling, and doing once per hour, it was found that about 43% of actions were performed almost daily and usually in the same context. Particular actions, such as types of food eaten, also tend to be performed in particular physical locations. The learning of context-response associations is an unintended consequence of this repetition.

32. Why are nervous habits often difficult to break? What is their underlying cause?

Answer: Nervous habits are very difficult to break because they are usually ingrained in our psyche. Many of these bad nervous habits are caused or exacerbated by stress, so sometimes the best method of dealing with them is by dealing with the underlying stress that causes them.

33. Why is firm determination essential for breaking a bad habit?

Answer: First of all, one should realise the necessity of setting oneself free from the clutches of a bad habit and have a firm determination to break it. There is a need for strong willpower so that temptations are never allowed, as even a single act of repeating a bad habit may throw the individual back to the starting point.

34. What is meant by taking ‘Strong Initiative with Quick Actions’ to break a habit?

Answer: Bad habits are like a powerful and dangerous enemy, so the initial attack should be well planned. One should leave nothing to chance. Public declarations and pledges help in this direction as they give sufficient emotional strength to an individual. For instance, one who publicly declares they will not smoke from a certain date receives an inner strength to give up the habit. However, mere declaration and resolution do not suffice and must be followed by actions.

35. How can ‘Voluntary Practice’ be used to correct improper habits?

Answer: Many improper habitual actions can be rectified by the use of voluntary practices. Incorrect spellings, mispronunciation, or an improper way of performing certain skill work can be corrected and improved by correcting and practising the right way of performing these acts.

36. Explain how one can ‘Hit on the Root Cause of Bad Habits’.

Answer: To hit on the root cause of bad habits, the causes should be discovered and attempts should be made to remove them. Many habits develop due to varying reasons, such as certain complexes, inner conflicts, or emotional disturbances. Nervous habits like nail-biting, pen-chewing, and nose-picking belong to this category. The emotional factor causing such habits should be considered, and children should be indirectly asked to give them up. Physical defects can also lead to bad habits, and proper medical care should be arranged in such cases.

37. What are ‘Habits that Waste Your Time’? Why are they problematic?

Answer: Habits that waste your time include activities like spending an hour on a video game or Facebook, or watching a show on Netflix. The problem with many of these mindless activities is that they are mindless. They waste our time, we lose our sense of time, and we often spend a lot longer on these activities than we realise. The worst part is that they can be so mindless that sometimes we do not really get enjoyment from them; they are just wasted time.

38. What are ‘Bad Habits that Impact Your Health’? Give two examples.

Answer: Bad health habits are things that put our lives or wellness at risk. Two examples of such habits are:

Not getting enough sleep
Smoking cigarettes

39. What are ‘Poor Productivity Habits’? Give two examples.

Answer: Being productive means to focus, be methodical, and have a plan for what you need to do. Poor productivity habits are those that prevent this. Two examples are:

Multi-tasking
Not removing distractions/time-wasters

40. Explain the concept of habit as a learned behaviour, developed through reinforcement and repetition.

Answer: Any regularly occurring behaviour that requires little or no thought and is learned rather than innate is called a habit. A habit can be part of any activity, ranging from eating and sleeping to thinking and reacting. It is developed through reinforcement and repetition.

These definitions point out that habits are the product of experiences and practice. When a particular action is repeated several times in almost the same way under similar circumstances, one does not require voluntary attention and effort, and the action tends to become quite automatic, like a reflex action. This is termed a habitual action, and thus a habit is established.

41. Summarize the definitions of habit as given by Garrett, James, and Ryburn.

Answer: The definitions of habit as given by Garrett, James, and Ryburn are as follows:

According to Garrett, habit is the name given to behaviour so often repeated as to be automatic.
According to James, habit is man’s second nature.
According to Ryburn, a habitual action is the result of many repetitions of the act in approximately the same way. It is done without conscious thought, performed smoothly, and with the maximum speed required.

42. Explain any three characteristics of habit with suitable examples.

Answer: Three characteristics of habit are:

Ease and Facility: There is a facility in the performance of an activity if it is due to some habit. In the beginning, one may feel difficulty in performing some task, but after the formation of a habit, it becomes quite easy. For example, in the beginning, it is difficult to ride a bicycle, but after the formation of the habit, it becomes quite easy.
Reducing the need of Paying Attention: Habitual acts are performed with least or no attention. Women do knitting almost paying no attention to the work. Similarly, a person playing a harmonium or violin places his fingers on the required string with no careful attention on his part.
Diminishing Fatigue: Habit diminishes fatigue due to habit formation. The work that is too difficult and tiresome in the beginning becomes a simple and spontaneous engagement for hours. This can be easily verified when we observe a bus driver driving on a long route for hours. With the habit of driving, he learns to make the fewest and simplest movements and thus does not become the victim of fatigue easily.

43. Explain the role of habit in the development of an individual’s character and sentiments.

Answer: Habit plays a vital role in our day-to-day life, as many of an individual’s behaviours are according to his or her habits. The development of our character depends on our habits and sentiments. A man who has good habits is supposed to be a man of character and is respected in society. A man is known by his habits, as his personality is clothed in habits, and he tends to become what he repeatedly practices. Our emotions and sentiments are influenced and controlled by our habits. Therefore, what a man is or will be is decided by his habits of thought, action, and feeling.

44. Explain the process of habit formation through instrumental learning and context-response associations.

Answer: Habit formation is closely intertwined with goal pursuit. Habits develop through instrumental learning and build on the fundamental principle that rewarded responses are repeated. As habit associations strengthen, behaviour becomes less responsive to current goals and planning. When repeatedly pursuing a goal, such as making coffee, people experience co-variations between context cues, like a coffee filter, and actions, like measuring grounds, that lead to goal attainment. Daily life is full of such repetition. The learning of these context-response associations is an unintended consequence of this repetition, which leads to the formation of a habit.

45. List and explain any four advantages of habit formation.

Answer: Four advantages of habit formation are:

Habitual actions cost us little effort and less strain. This means that once an action becomes a habit, performing it requires minimal physical or mental energy.
Habits do not require our conscious attention. Because the actions are automatic, we can perform them without actively thinking about each step.
Habitual actions save our time. Since we perform these actions quickly and efficiently without thought, we save valuable time that can be used for other tasks.
Since the activities become automatic, we do not need our higher mental processes like thinking, reasoning, or creativity for these activities. These abilities can then be used for other, more complex activities.

46. List and explain any four disadvantages of habit formation.

Answer: Four disadvantages of habit formation are:

There is a danger of becoming slaves of our habits. Habits can become so strong that they control one’s life, and a person loses the power to adapt to new situations.
There will not be any scope for thinking or creativity. When actions are purely habitual, there is no room for original thought or innovative approaches.
We cannot learn new things or adapt to new situations. Strong habits can make it difficult to change our ways, even when circumstances require it.
Our actions become mechanical. Habits can cause our behaviours to become robotic and lack conscious involvement or spontaneity.

47. What are ‘Habits that Offend Others’? Give four examples from the text.

Answer: Habits that offend others are a type of bad habit, which is a negative and repetitive behaviour pattern. Society often takes a dim view of these habits because they may break customs or mores. Many people find these habits annoying, repulsive, or something to be avoided.

Four examples of habits that offend others are:

Being more than five minutes late for an appointment
Picking your nose
Picking your teeth in public
Checking a phone or iPad at dinner

48. What are ‘Bad Habits related to Diet and Nutrition’? Give four examples.

Answer: Bad habits related to diet and nutrition range from simply eating too much to emotional eating, where it is difficult to sense how much food you really consume. If you eat a lot of “comfort foods,” you will likely end up with extra padding around the middle and feel lethargic. These habits can start small, like having one piece of chocolate, but can grow into a daily routine and become a problem.

Four examples of bad habits related to diet and nutrition are:

Mindless eating
Drinking soda
Eating too quickly
Skipping breakfast

49. What are ‘Nervous Habits’? How can one deal with them effectively?

Answer: Nervous habits are habits that are very difficult to break because they are usually ingrained in our psyche. Many times, we do not even realise we are doing these bad habits until other people let us know.

To deal with them effectively, the first step is to recognise that they exist. One must be mindful of the things they do and make conscious efforts to stop the nervous habits. While this is an important first step, it may not completely rid a person of the habit. Since many of these bad nervous habits are caused or exacerbated by stress, the best method of dealing with them is by dealing with the underlying stress that causes them.

50. Explain the method of ‘Substitution of Bad Habits’ with a relevant example.

Answer: The method of substitution of bad habits involves replacing them with appropriate, socially approved behaviours. This is a convenient approach where socially desirable habits are used to gradually make the bad habits die their natural death. For example, a person who wishes to give up the habit of smoking is often advised to take cough drops or betel nuts when the urge to smoke is strong. Similarly, bad habits like telling lies or negligence can be replaced by telling the truth and being careful, which helps in neutralising the bad habits over time.

51. What are ‘Bad Conversation and Social Skills Habits’? Give four examples.

Answer: Bad conversation and social skills habits are behaviours that can negatively affect one’s ability to work well with others, which is important for achieving success in life. These habits can create a bad impression. Some of these habits are offshoots of a lack of self-esteem, such as not holding eye contact or excessive throat clearing, while others come from being a bit selfish in conversation.

Four examples of bad conversation and social skills habits are:

Forgetting names of people you meet
Repeating yourself
Not holding eye contact
Finishing other people’s sentences

52. Discuss any five characteristics of habit that throw light on its nature.

Answer: The following are five characteristics of habit which throw light on the nature of habits:

(i) Uniformity: Habit brings uniformity in the activities of an individual. They are performed every time in the same way. There is a specific habit in our mode of talking, sleeping, walking, and other activities.
(ii) Ease and Facility: There is a facility in the performance of an activity if it is due to some habit. In the beginning, one may feel difficulty in performing some task but after the formation of habit, it becomes quite easy. For example, in the beginning it is difficult to ride a bicycle but after the formation of habit, it becomes quite easy.
(iii) Interest: The basis of habit is interest. At the beginning of schooling, the child runs away from the school, but after the formation of habit, going to school becomes interesting to him/her.
(iv) Reducing the need of Paying Attention: Habitual acts are performed with least or no attention. Women do knitting almost paying no attention to the work. Similarly a person playing a harmonium or violin places his fingers on the required string with no careful attention on his part.
(v) Diminishing Fatigue: Habit diminishes fatigue due to habit formation. The work that is too difficult and tiresome in the beginning becomes a simple and spontaneous engagement for hours. The fact can be easily verified when we observe a bus driver driving on a long route for hours. Actually with the habit of driving, he learns to make the fewest and simplest movements and thus does not become the victim of fatigue easily.

53. Discuss in detail the major advantages of forming good habits.

Answer: Good habits are essential for effective and smooth living. Such actions need little effort and conscious thinking. Some important advantages are listed below:

Habits help us in smooth functioning.
Habitual actions cost us little effort and less strain.
Habits do not require our conscious attention.
Habitual actions save our time.
Habits make our movements simpler, quicker, and more accurate.
Our activities do not become tiresome (no fatigue).
Since the activities become automatic, we do not need our higher mental processes like thinking, reasoning, creativity, etc. for these activities and such abilities can be used for other better activities.
Good habits provide feelings of stability and security.

54. Discuss in detail the major disadvantages of habit formation.

Answer: Habits are so strong that they control one’s life when one becomes a slave of his habits, he loses the power to adapt to new situations. Some points which reflects disadvantages of habit formation are:

There is danger of becoming slaves of our habits.
There will not be any scope for thinking or creativity.
We cannot learn new things or to adapt to new situations.
Our actions become mechanical.
Habits interfere in our other activities.
We feel highly disturbed when we have to make any adjustment or change in our routine like eating, sleeping, etc.
There may be negative effects both physical and psychological. For example, if there is any change in the timing of sleep, food, etc. we feel highly disturbed both physically and mentally such as sleeplessness, indigestion, nausea, mood upset, etc.

55. “A man is known by his habits as his personality is clothed in habits.” Elaborate on this statement.

Answer: A man is known by his habits as his personality is clothed in habits. He tends to become what he repeatedly practices. One who is habituated of gambling, smoking, eve-teasing stealing, etc. is sure to become a socially undesirable, unscrupulous person while the one who practices honesty, regularity, generosity, industriousness will become a useful and productive member of the society. Our Emotion and sentiments are influenced and controlled by our habits. Therefore in short, what a man is or will be is decided by his habits of thoughts, actions, and feelings.

56. Explain in detail the three methods of breaking bad habits: Firm Determination, Strong Initiative, and Voluntary Practice.

Answer: The three methods for breaking bad habits are as follows:

(i) Firm Determination and Strong Will Power: First of all, one should realise the necessity of setting oneself free from the clutches of a bad habit. Moreover, one should have a firm determination to break it. Thus there is a need for strong willpower so that the temptations are never allowed as even a single act of the repetition of a bad habit may throw the individual back on the starting point.
(ii) Strong Initiative with Quick Actions: Bad habits are like powerful and dangerous enemy. Therefore, the initial attack should be well planned. One should leave nothing to chance public declarations and pledge help much in this direction as they give sufficient emotional strength to an individual. One who declares publicly that one would not smoke from such and such date, receives an inner strength to give up his bad habit, but mere declaration and resolution do not suffice. They should be followed by actions.
(iii) Use of Voluntary Practice: Many improper habitual actions can be rectified by the use of voluntary practices. Incorrect spellings, mispronunciation, improper way of performing certain skill work etc. can be corrected and improved by correcting and practicing the right way of performing these acts etc.

57. Explain the methods of ‘Substitution’ and ‘Hitting the Root Cause’ for breaking bad habits.

Answer: The methods of ‘Substitution’ and ‘Hitting the Root Cause’ for breaking bad habits are explained below:

(i) Substitution of Bad Habits by the appropriate socially approved behaviour: One of the convenient approaches in removing bad habits is to replace them by socially desirable habits. These socially desirable habits gradually make the bad habits die their natural death. That is why a person who wishes to give up his habit of smoking is often advised to take cough drops or betel nuts, when the urge to smoke is strong. Similarly bad habits like telling lies, negligence, improper eating habits etc. can be replaced by telling truth, care and proper eating habits for neutralising them in course of time.
(ii) To Hit on the Root Cause of Bad Habits: The root causes of bad habits should be discovered and attempts should be made to remove these causes. If we try to analyse the genesis of bad habits, we can find that many habits are developed due to many a varying reasons. Sometimes they are formed due to certain complexes, inner conflicts or emotional disturbances. Nervous habits like nail biting, pen-chewing and nose picking belong to this category. No direct measure is useful in removing such habits. The emotional factor, which causes such habits, should be taken into consideration and children should be indirectly asked to give up such undesirable habits. Physical defects also sometimes lead to bad habits. Proper medical care and treatment in such cases should be arranged.

58. Discuss the various categories of bad habits, including those that offend others and those that waste time.

Answer: A bad habit is a negative behaviour pattern that is repetitive. Society takes a dim view of them, and they could negatively affect your health or wellness, keeping someone from being their best. Various categories of bad habits include:

Habits that Offend Others: These habits break customs, laws, or mores. Many people find these habits annoying, repulsive, or something to be avoided. They include:

Being more than five minutes late for an appointment
Picking your nose
Picking your teeth in public
Checking i Phone / i Pad at dinner
Eating with your mouth open
Popping/Snapping gum in public
Talking during movies

Habits that Waste Your Time: The problem with many of these mindless activities is that they are mindless. They waste our time, we lose our sense of time, and we often spend a lot longer on these activities than we realise. The worst part about it is that they can be so mindless that sometimes we do not really get enjoyment from them. They are just wasted time. These habits include:

Twitter
Watching commercials, infomercials, or advertisements
Spending time worrying about spam comments, negative reviews, and Internet trolls
Facebook addiction

60. Discuss in detail the major advantages and disadvantages of habit formation. How do habits provide stability yet hinder creativity and adaptation?

Answer: Habit formation has both significant advantages and disadvantages that affect our daily lives. Good habits are essential for effective and smooth living, as such actions need little effort and conscious thinking.

The major advantages of habit formation are:

Habits help us in smooth functioning.
Habitual actions cost us little effort and less strain.
Habits do not require our conscious attention.
Habitual actions save our time.
Habits make our movements simpler, quicker, and more accurate.
Our activities do not become tiresome (no fatigue).
Since the activities become automatic, we do not need our higher mental processes like thinking, reasoning, and creativity for these activities, and such abilities can be used for other, better activities.
Good habits provide feelings of stability and security.

On the other hand, habits can be so strong that they control one’s life. When one becomes a slave to his habits, he loses the power to adapt to new situations. The disadvantages of habit formation include:

There is a danger of becoming slaves of our habits.
There will not be any scope for thinking or creativity.
We cannot learn new things or to adapt to new situations.
Our actions become mechanical.
Habits interfere in our other activities.
We feel highly disturbed when we have to make any adjustment or change in our routine, like eating or sleeping.
There may be negative physical and psychological effects. For instance, a change in the timing of sleep or food can cause sleeplessness, indigestion, nausea, and mood upset.

Habits provide stability because good habits give feelings of security and make our daily functioning smooth and predictable. However, this same automaticity hinders creativity and adaptation. As habits become stronger, there is less scope for thinking or creativity because the actions are performed without conscious thought. This mechanical nature means we cannot easily learn new things or adapt to new situations, as we are programmed to respond in a set way, which can interfere with other activities and cause distress when routines are changed.

61. “Bad habits are harmful to the individual as well as to society.” Discuss this statement by categorizing and explaining different types of bad habits and their impacts.

Answer: The statement that bad habits are harmful to the individual as well as to society is accurate. A bad habit is a negative, repetitive behaviour pattern that can be stopped with motivation and willpower. Society often takes a dim view of such habits, which may break customs or laws, negatively affect health and wellness, and keep a person from being their best. Bad habits create obstacles in the path of proper development, bring a bad name to an individual, and can prove to be dangerous to society.

These harmful behaviours can be categorized as follows:

Habits that Offend Others: These habits are often found annoying or repulsive by other people. Examples include being more than five minutes late for an appointment, picking your nose or teeth in public, checking a phone at dinner, eating with your mouth open, popping gum in public, and talking during movies.
Habits that Waste Your Time: These are mindless activities that cause us to lose our sense of time without providing real enjoyment. They include using Twitter, watching commercials, worrying about spam comments, and Facebook addiction.
Bad Habits that Impact Your Health: These are habits that put our lives or wellness at risk over time. Examples include not getting enough sleep, not telling your doctor the truth, overeating, not protecting yourself from the sun, poor posture, smoking cigarettes, not dealing with stress, not drinking enough water, and distracted driving.
Bad Habits related to Diet and Nutrition: These habits range from simply eating too much to emotional eating. They include mindless eating, excessive salt, drinking soda, eating too quickly, eating white sugar, skipping breakfast, and eating fast food.
Poor Productivity Habits: These habits prevent us from being focused, methodical, and productive. They include multi-tasking, not removing distractions, being a perfectionist, not having a work routine, being overloaded with information, and refusing to learn new skills.
Negative Habits that Increase your Monthly Bills: These are simple routines that cause a waste of money. Examples are staring into an open fridge, using incandescent bulbs rather than CFLs, leaving lights on, and leaving a cell phone plugged in when fully charged.
Nervous Habits that Negatively Impact Your Social Interactions: These are difficult habits to break, often ingrained in our psyche and caused by stress. They include talking to yourself, biting fingernails, unconscious pen clicking, grinding teeth, and fiddling with keys.
Personal Bad Habits: This is a catch-all term for miscellaneous habits that go against societal expectations or are detrimental over time, such as using devices late at night, staying up late, spending too much time online, and breaking promises to yourself.
Bad Conversation and Social Skills Habits: These habits can create a poor impression and hinder the ability to work well with others. They stem from a lack of self-esteem or selfishness and include forgetting names, not holding eye contact, finishing other people’s sentences, and monopolising the conversation.

62. Elaborate on the five key suggestions for breaking bad habits. Why is a multi-pronged approach necessary to overcome ingrained negative behaviours?

Answer: Bad habits are harmful and are blots on the personality of an individual; therefore, every attempt should be made to get rid of them. The following five suggestions can be fruitful in breaking bad habits.

(i) Firm Determination and Strong Will Power: First, one should realise the necessity of setting oneself free from the clutches of a bad habit. Moreover, one should have a firm determination to break it. This requires strong willpower so that temptations are never allowed, as even a single repetition of a bad habit may throw the individual back to the starting point.
(ii) Strong Initiative with Quick Actions: Bad habits are like a powerful and dangerous enemy, so the initial attack should be well-planned. Public declarations and pledges can help, as they give emotional strength. For example, one who declares publicly that they will not smoke from a certain date receives an inner strength to give up the habit. However, mere declaration is not enough and must be followed by actions.
(iii) Use of Voluntary Practice: Many improper habitual actions can be rectified through voluntary practice. Incorrect spellings, mispronunciation, or an improper way of performing a certain skill can be corrected and improved by correcting and practicing the right way of performing these acts.
(iv) Substitution of Bad Habits by the appropriate socially approved behaviour: A convenient approach is to replace bad habits with socially desirable ones. These new habits gradually make the bad habits die their natural death. For instance, a person wishing to give up smoking might be advised to take cough drops when the urge to smoke is strong. Similarly, habits like telling lies can be replaced by telling the truth.
(v) To Hit on the Root Cause of Bad Habits: The root causes of bad habits should be discovered and removed. Many habits develop due to varying reasons, such as certain complexes, inner conflicts, or emotional disturbances. Nervous habits like nail-biting and nose-picking belong to this category. The emotional factor causing such habits should be taken into consideration, and children should be indirectly asked to give up such habits. Physical defects can also lead to bad habits, and proper medical care should be arranged in such cases.

A multi-pronged approach is necessary because bad habits are not simple behaviours; they are often powerful, dangerous, and deeply ingrained in our psyche, making them very difficult to break. They can arise from a wide variety of sources, including deep-seated emotional disturbances, inner conflicts, physical defects, or simple repetition. A single strategy is unlikely to address all these potential causes. For example, willpower alone may not be enough to overcome a nervous habit rooted in anxiety; in that case, hitting the root cause is essential. Likewise, simply trying to stop a habit might fail without substituting it with a positive alternative. Therefore, combining determination, public commitment, corrective practice, substitution, and addressing the root cause provides a more robust and effective plan to overcome these ingrained negative behaviours.

Extra MCQs: Knowledge-Based

1: The quote “man’s second nature” is famously used to define __________.

A. instinct
B. habit
C. character
D. emotion

Answer: B. habit

2: An action performed repeatedly without conscious thought is considered a __________ action.

A. voluntary
B. complex
C. habitual
D. innate

Answer: C. habitual

3: The tendency for a habit to be performed consistently in the same way is its characteristic of __________ .

A. Interest
B. Facility
C. Uniformity
D. Fatigue

Answer: C. Uniformity

4: The foundation upon which a habit is formed is known as __________ .

A. Attention
B. Repetition
C. Willpower
D. Interest

Answer: D. Interest

5: According to some research, habits account for approximately __________ of our daily actions.

A. 40%
B. 50%
C. 66%
D. 21%

Answer: A. 40%

6: For a new behaviour to become automatic, it takes an average of __________ days.

A. 30
B. 90
C. 21
D. 66

Answer: D. 66

7: In the ‘3 R’s’ model, the actual action or behaviour itself is the __________.

A. Reminder
B. Reward
C. Routine
D. Reaction

Answer: C. Routine

8: One of the primary advantages of habit formation is that it reduces effort and saves __________ .

A. money
B. creativity
C. time
D. complexity

Answer: C. time

9: A major disadvantage of habits is that they can make actions become __________ and lack conscious engagement.

A. creative
B. mechanical
C. difficult
D. voluntary

Answer: B. mechanical

10: Eating with your mouth open is classified as a habit that __________ .

A. impacts health
B. reduces productivity
C. is a nervous tic
D. offends others

Answer: D. offends others

11: Poor posture is a common example of a bad habit that primarily affects one’s __________ .

A. social life
B. health
C. finances
D. productivity

Answer: B. health

12: The practice of __________ is considered a poor habit for productivity.

A. planning
B. delegating
C. multi-tasking
D. taking breaks

Answer: C. multi-tasking

13: The root cause of many nervous habits, such as grinding teeth, is often __________.

A. fatigue
B. boredom
C. hunger
D. stress

Answer: D. stress

14: The very first step in overcoming nervous habits is to __________ that you have them.

A. find a substitute for
B. seek advice for
C. recognize
D. publicly declare

Answer: C. recognize

15: Dominating a discussion and not letting others speak is an example of a bad __________ habit.

A. health
B. conversation
C. productivity
D. nervous

Answer: B. conversation

16: To successfully break a bad habit, the most critical element required is firm determination and strong __________.

A. social support
B. financial reward
C. willpower
D. public accountability

Answer: C. willpower

17: Replacing an unwanted habit with a socially desirable one is a strategy known as __________ .

A. substitution
B. analysis
C. avoidance
D. declaration

Answer: A. substitution

18: An individual’s __________ is largely developed and controlled by their collection of habits.

A. instincts
B. character
C. education
D. wealth

Answer: B. character

19: The cue or trigger that initiates the habit loop in the ‘3 R’s’ model is the __________ .

A. Routine
B. Reward
C. Reminder
D. Repetition

Answer: C. Reminder

20: An unexpected and significant change in one’s daily habits and routine can lead to a __________ .

A. financial gain
B. mood upset
C. physical improvement
D. creative block

Answer: B. mood upset

Extra MCQs: Competency-Based

1: Assertion (A): A habit is a learned behavior that becomes automatic over time.
Reason (R): Habits are developed through reinforcement and repetition, requiring little to no conscious thought once established.