Which of the following emotional characteristics are of crucial significance…

Correct answer: Hero-worship and sentiments.

Adolescence is a period of intense emotional development. The question asks specifically for an emotional characteristic that is of crucial significance in adolescent learning, and among the given options that characteristic is hero-worship and the heightened play of sentiments.

During adolescence, learners tend to idolise and imitate role models (teachers, sportspersons, film stars, leaders). This hero-worship, together with strong, often idealistic sentiments, deeply shapes their attitudes, values, ideals and self-concept, and therefore strongly influences how and what they choose to learn. That is why it is treated as an emotional characteristic of crucial significance for the adolescent learner and is important for personality development.

The other choices — a feeling of group belongingness, expanding ties with people in the neighbourhood, and dependence / friend-making processes — are primarily social characteristics of adolescence (concerned with peer affiliation and social adjustment) rather than the emotional characteristic the question asks about.

Source: UGC NET Paper I (Teaching Aptitude — learner characteristics).