CHAPTER-5 INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

Meaning or Concept of Individual Differences

The concept of individual differences is fundamental in any progressive system of education. It is a modern concept and has emerged into limelight and prominence only in recent times, mainly on account of the researches in the field of educational psychology. It has been proved beyond all doubts that no two individuals are exactly similar. Every individual is a new experiment in the hands of nature. And though all human beings look alike in their visible fundamentals, e.g., the body and the limbs of the body, they differ widely in their physical, mental and emotional characteristics. Though all human beings have elements of likeness, within the general framework of what constitutes the human beings, every individual tends to be different. The individual differences on the whole lend to be quantitative rather than qualitative. These individual differences are so marked that no progressive system of education or teaching can afford to neglect them. Thus, the study of individual differences is of paramount importance in the field of education.