Assertion-Reason type questions are very confusing to some of the aspirants while others play with it. Its difficulty and ease both lie in the options furnished. An analysis of the options would simplify the inherent complexities.
There are four alternatives A, B, C, and D. The instructions are given as following.
Read the following two statements Assertion (A) and Reason (R) and indicate your answer using the codes given below :
(A). Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B). Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C). (A) is true, (R) is false.
(D). (A) is false, (R) is true.
The last two are the easiest ones. The moment you detect that the Assertion is false then the correct answer is D even if the second statement (Reason) is beyond your ken of knowledge. If the Reason is false then automatically the answer would be C, despite you having no idea about the Assertion.
Let's take an example.
Assertion (A) : A large body of research indicates that violence and aggression is learned through observation.
Reason (R) : Learning through observation takes place due to exposure to similar situation and experienced reinforcement.
The Assertion is true for instance recall Bandura's Bobo doll experiment. The Reason puts forth two causes first "due to exposure to similar situation" and second "experienced reinforcement". The first cause is correct but second isn't because in observational learning the reinforcement is vicarious. Hence Reason is false and the correct answer would be C [(A) is true, (R) is false].
The real problem arises when both the statements i.e. Assertion and Reason are correct. Then deciding between options A and B becomes difficult. In that case read the Assertion and add Because then read the Reason. If you find that Reason is explaining the cause of Assertion then the answer is A. If the Reason fails to do so then the answer is B. It is easily said than done, isn't it. Let's take some concrete example to demystify it.
Assertion (A) : Median is used as a measure of scale value in method of equal appearing intervals.
Reason (R) : In normal distribution mean, median and mode are identical.In this question the Assertion is correct and Reason is also true. But the Reason (In normal distribution mean, median and mode are identical) fails to explain why the "Median is used as a measure of scale value in method of equal appearing intervals". The correct answer, therefore, would be B [ Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)].
Here is another question.
Assertion (A) : Research suggests that delay conditioning is generally the most effective method for establishing a conditioned response.
Reason (R) : Conditioned stimulus helps predict forthcoming presentation of the unconditioned stimulus.In delay conditioning the CS is presented before the onset of US and it is true that the delay conditioning is generally the most effective method for establishing a conditioned response. This effectiveness is contingent upon the prediction which the CS makes about US. In this way the Reason successfully explains the Assertion, so the option A [Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)] is correct.
