Subbarayan Peri

A Variorium on Learning by Verbal Testimony (East and West): an Episode from Classical Indian Epistemology to Modern Western Psycho-pedagogy Subbarayan Peri

Verbal Testimony is a learning theory advocated by the classical Indian epistemologists dated back 1500- 500 BCE. It has its advantages over the learning theories accepted by the Western psycho-pedagogy. It is the sipmple, natural, economic and effective way of learning. Statement: Words of Trust worthy person inculcate learning among individuals. Mechanism: Psycho-linguistic principle of Verbal Conditioning. Explanation: Individuals are conditioned to the sentences with injective mood verbs and spring to action contended by the verb. UtilityFields: All walks of human life; Education, Industry, Psycho-therapy, Counseling etc. Advantages: It is the best way for inculcation of values , attitudes and attitudinal change. The learning tasks which are impossible by other learning strategies are possible by LVT. e. g. Learning of father by the testimony of mother. Success stories: Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi could change the behaviors of trillions of individuals across continents, and centuries. Had there been no Learning by Verbal Testimony, science wouldn't have been gained its status as we witnessed it today.