Students must start practising the questions from CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 Psychology with Solutions Set 5 are designed as per the revised syllabus.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 Psychology Set 5 with Solutions
Time Allowed: 3 Hours
Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions :
All questions are compulsory except where internal choice has been given.
- Question Nos 1 -18 in Section A carry 1 mark each.
- Question Nos 19-23 in Section B are Very Short Answer Type – I questions carrying 2 marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 30 words.
- Question Nos 24-27 in Section C are Short Answer Questions Type – II carrying 3 marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 60 words.
- Question Nos 28 – 31 in Section D are Long Answer Type – I questions carrying 4 marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 120 words.
- Question No. 32 in Section E is a Long Answer Type – II question carrying 6 marks. Answer to this question should not exceed 200 words
- Question Nos 33- 36 in Section F is based on two cases given. Each case has two questions carrying two marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 30 words.
Section – A (18 Marks)
Question 1.
The fact that the buyer of a car will be influenced more by the opinion of an automobile engineer than that of his child is referred to as characteristic of the source influencing the attitude. [1]
(a) Credibility and attractiveness
(b) Emotional and rational appeal
(c) Fear appeal and credibility
(d) Centrality and intensity
Answer:
(a) Credibility and attractiveness
Explanation: Credibility and attractiveness are two characteristics of the source that influences attitude change.
Question 2.
Schizophrenia is linked with the excessive activity of the neurotransmitter called: [1]
(a) Dopamine
(b) Serotonin
(c) Oxytocin
(d) Adrenaline
Answer:
(a) Dopamine
Explanation: Serotonin is associated with depression, adrenaline is released when one is stressed while oxytocin is linked with the feelings of love.
Question 3.
When anxiety-provoking behaviours or thoughts are totally dismissed by the unconscious, it is known as. [1]
(a) Denial
(b) Repression
(c) Reaction formation
(d) intellectualisation
Answer:
(b) Repression
Explanation: When anxiety-producing behaviours and thoughts are totally dismissed by unconsciousness, the individual is actually repressing them completely.
Question 4.
When children exhibit dominating behaviour and bully others without provocation, it is referred to as. [1]
(a) Hostile aggression
(b) Physical aggression
(c) Proactive aggression
(d) Violent behaviour
Answer:
(c) Proactive aggression
Explanation: Children characterised by Antisocial personality and conduct disorder may exhibit four types of aggression i.e., verbal, physical, hostile and proactive.
Question 5.
In Psychodynamic therapy, what comprises the second stage? [1]
(a) Therapeutic relationship
(b) Transference
(c) Termination
(d) All of the above
Answer:
(b) Transference
Explanation: Stage two is the middle phase, which is a long process. It is characterised by transference, resistance on the part of the client, and confrontation and clarification, i.e. working through on the therapist’s part. All these processes finally lead to insight.
Question 6.
When a child learns to offer sweets or money at a place of worship and thinks it is expected of him/her to do so as well, we can say that this attitude has been learnt by him/her. [1]
(a) learning through association
(b) learning through observation
(c) learning through cultural norms
(d) learning through media influences
Answer:
(c) learning through cultural norms
Explanation: Children learn attitudes by association, reward and punishment, modelling, cultural norms and exposure to information.
Question 7.
Which of the following are the motives of therapy? [1]
(i) Reinforcing the client’s resolve for betterment.
(ii) Increasing self-awareness.
(iii) Becoming aware of one’s choices in life.
(iv) helping a client to judge others.
(a) (i), (ii). (iv)
(b) (i), (iii). (iv)
(c) (i), (ii), (iii)
(d) All of the above
Answer:
(c) (i), (ii), (iii)
Explanation: All psychotherapies aim at a few or all of the following goals:
(i) Reinforcing the client’s resolve for the betterment
(ii) Lessening emotional pressure.
(iii) Unfolding the potential for positive growth.
(iv) Modifying habits.
(v) Changing thinking patterns.
(vi) Increasing self-awareness.
(vii) improving interpersonal relations and communication
Question 8.
The tendency of the subject to agree with questions mentioned in the test irrespective of their nature is referred to as [1]
(a) Agreeableness
(b) Openness to experiences
(c) Acquiescence
(d) Conscientiousness.
Answer:
(c) Acquiescence
Explanation: Agreeableness, Openness to experience and Conscientiousness are personality traits mentioned in the Big five model of personality.
Question 9.
Gifted children are also high on intrinsic motivation. This statement is: [1]
(a) True
(b) False
(c) Can’t say
(d) Insufficient information
Answer:
(a) True
Explanation: Gifted children are inherently motivated to work hard and achieve more in life.
Question 10.
In rational emotive therapy, A-B-C analysis refers to ________Belief analysis. [1]
(a) Action
(b) Antecedent
(c) Attitude
(d) Autism
Answer:
(b) Antecedent
Explanation: Antecedent events are the events that cause distress, belief refers to the irrational belief system of the client and consequence refers to the consequent dysfunctional behaviours.
Question 11.
In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice.
Assertion (A): Acquiescenceis a drawback of psychometric assessments.
Reason (R): Acquiescence refers to ticking the same option irrespective of the statement given. [1]
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion.
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true
Answer:
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
Explanation: Acquisence is a drawback as it compromises the result of the assessment.
Question 12.
Samantha is a 20-year-old girl with an IQ of 67. She has begun facing problems in self-care ever since she met with a road accident. She will be diagnosed with mild Mental retardation. [1]
(a) True
(b) False
(c) Symptoms should be diagnosed before 18 years of age.
(d) It is profound mental retardation.
Answer:
(c) Symptoms should be diagnosed before 18 years of age.
Explanation: For the diagnosis of Mental retardation, the symptoms must be noticed before 18 years of age.
Question 13.
Freud considered much of an individual’s instinctual energy to be sexual and the rest as aggressive. [1]
(a) True
(b) False
(c) Death and life instinct
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(a) True
Explanation: Sexual and aggressive impulses form the primary basis for the id/pleasure-seeking behaviour.
Question 14.
In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice.
Assertion (A): Groups are formed on the basis of proximity.
Reason (R): We are most likely to form groups with those people who we do not know. [1]
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion.
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Answer:
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Explanation: Groups are formed on the basis of proximity as in how far people live and this influences their interaction.
Question 15.
The Mental Measurement Handbook which lists 103 tests of intelligence in India, available in different languages, was developed by_______. [1]
(a) C. H Rice
(b) Long and Mehta
(c) M.C Joshi
(d) Pramila Pathak
Answer:
(b) Long and Mehta
Explanation: Attempts were made by many Indian psychologists to develop Indian norms for intelligence tests and to adapt the tests to Indian languages. This was documented by Long and Mehta in Mental Measurement Handbook.
Question 16.
Rewarding critical thinking or even disagreement among group members is an effective way of reducing group thinking. [1]
(a) True
(b) False
(c) Don’t know
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(a) True
Explanation: Irving Janis had identified that groupthink may be a result of cohesion and may influence the leaders to make irrational decisions.
Question 17.
In times of stressful situations like a natural disaster or an outbreak, people may provide assistance to the underprivileged in the form of money, goods and services. This is an example of support provided to stressed individuals. [1]
(a) Informational support
(b) Tangible support
(c) Financial support
(d) Material support
Answer:
(b) Tangible support
Explanation: Social support can be provided through money, goods etc.
Question 18.
In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice.
Assertion (A): Maintaining factors are those factors which lead to the persistence of faulty behaviour.
Reason (R): For example, smoking helps release stress, so that is a maintaining factor. [1]
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion.
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Answer:
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
Explanation: Maintaining factors reinforce the behaviour
Section – B (10 Marks)
Question 19.
What do you understand by a therapeutic alliance? [2]
Answer:
The relationship between q client and a therapist is known as a therapeutic relationship or alliance. A therapeutic relationship must provide a trusting environment where a therapist displays unconditional positive regard, is non-judgmental and keeps an empathetic attitude towards the client. The components of this relationship are:
Contractual nature: The partnership between the client and therapist aims at helping the client overcome his/her problems.
Limited duration: This alliance lasts until the client becomes capable of dealing with his/her problems and takes control of his/her life.
Question 20.
Describe Cattell’s trait approach to personality.
OR
Describe the Ego and the Superego Seas proposed by Sigmund Freud. [2]
Answer:
Raymond Cattell applied the statistical technique of factor analysis to discover the characteristics on the basis of which people differ from each other. Cattell divided traits into two types :
(1) Source traits: These are stable building blocks of personality. Cattell believed there are 16 source traits present in opposing tendencies. For example, a person may be reserved or outgoing, serious or happy-go-lucky, and submissive or dominant.
(2) Surface traits: These traits result from the interaction of source traits. These are obvious parts of personality and are hence easily identified by other people.
Related Theory:
A trait is considered a relatively enduring attribute or quality on the basis of which one individual differs from another. They are relatively stable over time and generally consistent across situations.
OR
Ego: It is out of the Id but seeks to satisfy an individual’s instinctual needs in accordance with reality. Hence, it works by the reality principle. The ego often directs the Id towards socially appropriates ways of behaving. Superego: It functions on the basis of morality principle i.e., societal norms.
Related Theory:
Freud also proposed three levels of consciousness i.e., conscious, preconscious and unconscious. He proposed that personality development progresses through five psychosexual stages – oral anal, phallic, latency and genital stages.
Question 21.
This technique aims to inoculate people against stress. Identify the technique being referred to here, name its proponent and mention the steps followed while using this technique. [2]
Answer:
The technique is referred to here is the stress inoculation technique based on the cognitive behavioural technique of stress management. The technique was proposed by Eichenbaum. It involves inoculating people against stress by following three steps:
(1) Assessment: It involves discussing and seeing the problem from the client’s perspective.
(2) Stress reduction: The client learns ways of managing stress like relaxation and self-instruction.
(3) Application and follow through: The client learns to apply the solution in real-time. Being separated from self and reality.
Question 22.
Sasha is a 16-year-old girl, who is 5 ft 8 inches tall, weighs 49 kg and feels that she is very fat. As a result, she hardly eats any food and tries to survive on one apple a day. Identify the disorder that she has. [2]
Answer:
Sasha is experiencing Anorexia nervosa. It is experienced by the youth and may onset during the teen years. They are three types:
(1) Anorexia nervosa: Individuals have a distorted self-image and perceive themselves to be overweight. Hence, they avoid eating, starve and over-exercise compulsively to lose weight. In the case of Sasha, she is very much within the average weight range for people of her age and height, yet she has a distorted body image and hence, avoids eating. Other disorders in this category are:
(2) Bulimia Nervosa
(3) Binge eating
Question 23.
What are Situational Stress tests?
Answer:
A variety of situational tests have been devised for the assessment of personality. The most commonly used test of this kind is the situational stress test. It provides us with information about how a person behaves in stressful situations. The test requires a person to perform a given task with other persons who are instructed to be non-cooperative and interfering. The test involves a kind of role-playing. The person is instructed to play a role for which she/he is observed. A verbal report is also obtained on what she/he was asked to do. The situation may be a realistic one, or it may be created through a video play.
Section – C (12 Marks)
Question 24.
Describe the effects of stress on any three domains of human life. [3]
Answer:
Stress can affect human beings in many ways. The three domains of life which are primarily affected by stress are as follows:
(1) Physiological: Stress leads to the production of stress hormones, like cortisol marked changes in heart rate, B.P. metabolism, slowing down of the digestive system, etc.
(2) Behavioural: Stress may affect the appetite, leading to increased intake of stimulants Like caffeine, alcohol and cigarette smoking. It may also lead to disturbed sleep patterns, reduced work performance, increased absence from one’s work/college, etc.
(3) Emotional: Stress may lead to mood swings, erratic behaviour, anxiety, depression and tension, leading to a decrease in confidence and affected relationships. The person’s characteristics that play an important role in determining the experience of stress are of and is able to alter his/her cognitive structures. There are three types.
Question 25.
How do personal characteristics play an important role in the experience of stress? [3]
Answer:
The person’s characteristics that play an important role in determining the experience of stress are and is able to alter his/her cognitive structures. There are three types.
(1) Physiological characteristics: The experience of stress is contingent upon one’s physical health and constitution. An individual with relatively poor health and a weaker constitution would be more vulnerable to stress than one who has good health and a stronger constitution.
(2) Psychological characteristics: An individual with good mental health and a balanced temperament and with a positive self-concept will be less vulnerable to the experience of stress.
(3) Cultural characteristics: The experience of stress also varies with the cultural expectations of one’s response styles and behaviours in a given situation. For example, cultural definitions of the expected mode of behaviour of a teenager may shape his/her experience as an adolescent.
Question 26.
Explain the therapeutic techniques that can help a client to correct his/her “must” and “should” statements.
OR
Which school of therapy practices unconditional positive regard? [3]
Answer:
Rational Emotive Therapy is used for correcting “must” and “should” statements. This therapy was proposed by Albert Elis. The central thesis of this therapy is that irrational beliefs mediate between antecedent events and their consequences. The first step in RET is the antecedent-belief-consequence (ABC) analysis. Antecedent events, which caused psychological distress, are noted.
The client is also interviewed to find the irrational beliefs, which are distorting the present reality. Irrational beliefs may not be supported by empirical evidence in the environment. These beliefs are characterised by thoughts with ‘musts’ and ‘shoulds’. This distorted perception of the antecedent event due to the irrational belief leads to the consequence, i.e. negative emotions and behaviours. Irrational beliefs are assessed through questionnaires and interviews. In the process of RET, the irrational beliefs are refuted by the therapist through a process of non-directive questioning.
The nature of questioning is gentle, without probing or being directive. The questions make the client think deeper into her/his assumptions about life and problems. Gradually the client is able to change the irrational beliefs by making a change in her/his philosophy about life. The rational belief system replaces the irrational belief system and there is a reduction in psychological distress.
OR
Question 27.
‘We should guard against the erroneous practices associated with intelligence tests’ Comment. [3]
Answer:
Intelligence tests are standardized tests that help us to know an individual’s Mental Age with reference to his chronological age. IQ = MA/CA X 100. Intelligence tests serve many useful purposes including personnel selection, career guidance, counselling, self-analysis and diagnosis. However, some of the limitations of the intelligence tests are as follows:
- Stigma: Poor performance on the test may attach a stigma and hence may lead to poor self-respect and a drop in performance among the individuals being analysed.
- Discrimination: The tests may invite discriminatory practices from parents, teachers and others in society.
- Poor representation for a particular section of society: If a test is biased towards a particular section of people i.e. norms are available for people from the middle class or high-end society then there could be an undervaluation of the IQ of those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Lack of practical skill assessment: Intelligence tests do not capture creative potentialities and practical aspects of intelligence.
Section – D (16 Marks)
Question 28.
In India, the suicide rate among young adults aged 15-29 years is more than three times the international average. Suggest how we can identify the youth who are in a state of distress and prevent suicide. [4]
Answer:
The risk of an individual committing suicide is the highest among people with depressive and bipolar disorders. However, in addition to mental illnesses, there are certain risk factors like ethnicity, racial discrimination and occurrence of serious life events that may help predict the likelihood of suicide among young people. People with suicidal tendencies are generally the ones experiencing distress and may present the following symptoms:
(1) Problem-solving, stress management and emotional expression are hindered.
(2) Thoughts about suicide are heightened under acute emotional distress.
(3) Stigma attached to suicide constrains people from seeking help.
(4) Lack of interest in common daily activities.
(5) Declining performance in academics or at work.
(6) Abuse of a particular substance like smoking, or drinking alcohol.
(7) Negative expectations, hopelessness and being over-critical in self-evaluation are some obvious patterns in their thought processes. The People experiencing distress could be helped by strengthening their self-esteem in the following ways:
- Accentuating positive Life experiences;
- Opportunities for developing physical, social and vocational skills;
- Establishing trustful communication;
- Helping them establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals for themselves.
Question 29.
Describe the self-report measures of personality assessment and enumerate their limitations.
OR
How does the humanistic approach conceptualise personality? [4]
Answer:
Self-report measures are the most structured method of personality assessment that require the client to give the most objective responses about himself/herself. Some of them are as follows:
(1) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): It was developed by Hathaway and Mc-Kinley for psychiatric diagnosis but later applied to a variety of psychopathology. It consists of 567 statements and the subject has to respond ‘True’ or ‘False’ to them. The test is divided into 10 subscales some of which are – hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria masculinity and femininity.
(2) Eysenck Personality Questionnaire : (EPQ): Initially the test was developed by Eysenck to test two dimensions of personality – introverted-extraverted and emotionally stable/unstable. These dimensions are characterised by 32 personality traits. Later he added a third dimension to this theory i.e., psychoticism (lack of feeling for others).
(3) Cattell’s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF): The test consists of declarative statements and the subjects respond to the specific situation by choosing from a set of given alternatives. The test can be used with high school students as well as with adults. This test has been widely used for career guidance, vocational exploration and occupational testing. Some of the limitations of self-report tests are:
- Social desirability: This refers to the tendency to select responses that are socially likeable.
- Acquiescence: It is the tendency of the subject of saying ‘yes’ to most items.
- Hesitant to open: The subject gets self-conscious and hesitates to share his/her private feelings.
OR
The humanistic approach to personality development emphasises a positive view of the human being Carl Rogers and Maslow were the proponents of this approach. Rogers made two assumptions about human behaviour. Firstly, human behaviours are goal-directed and worthwhile and secondly, people will almost always choose self-actualising and adaptive behaviour. Some of the propositions of the Humanistic approach are:
(1) Fully functional individual: Carl Rogers proposed the idea of a fully functional person. According to him, fulfilment is the motivational force for personality development. People try to express their capabilities, talents and potential to the fullest extent.
(2) Concept of self: He observed that each person has a concept of a true self and an ideal self about him/her. An ideal self is a self that a person would like to be, while the real self is what he/she really is. Correspondence between the two leads to a happier and more contented person in congruence with himself/ herself. However, a discrepancy between the two can lead to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
(3) View on personality development: Rogers believed that personality development is a continuous process and is affected by social factors which in turn influence an individual’s self-esteem and determine his/ her personality.
(4) Therapy: He proposed the idea of client-centred therapy with an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard for the client.
(5) Abraham Maslow gave an account of psychologically healthy people in terms of their attainment of self-actualisation. Self-actualisation is possible by analysing motivations that govern people’s behaviours. Maslow has a positive view of the belief that people have the potential for love, and joy and to do creative work. According to him/her, the real journey of human life begins with the pursuit of self-esteem and self-actualisation needs.
Question 30.
Define ‘group’. Elaborate on the elements of group structure.
OR
Groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals. Justify the statement with the help of an example. [4]
Answer:
A group refers to an organised system of two or more individuals who are interacting and are interdependent, who have common motives, a set of role relationships and norms that regulate the behaviour of members. Groups are formed due to contact and some form of interaction under conditions of proximity, similarity and common motives and goals. The process of group formation takes place in stages and as the members of the group interact, the group structure begins to take shape. The elements of group structure are:
(1) Roles: These are socially defined expectations from a particular person. Roles refer to the typical behaviour that depicts a person in a particular social context. One’s role in a group has to be clearly defined.
(2) Norms: These are expected standards of behaviours and beliefs that are mutually agreed upon and enforced upon group members. Norms represent shared ways of viewing the world.
(3) Status: By being a member of a group, an individual enjoys some status in society. Status refers to the relative social position given to an individual in that group. For example, the head or president of the group, advisory member, etc.
(4) Cohesiveness: It refers to togetherness, binding or mutual attraction of group members. As cohesiveness increases, group members begin to think, feel and behave as a social unit and not as isolated individuals. Extreme cohesiveness may lead to group thinking.
Related Theory:
By being a member of a group, an individual is able to satisfy certain needs, like achieving a sense of status, and self-esteem, experiencing a sense of security, satisfying one’s psychological needs and accomplishing personal goals. The stages of group formation are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning.
OR
When people become members of a group and spend time with each other, they begin to like one another and develop a sense of affinity or cohesion. As the group becomes high on cohesiveness, members start thinking, feeling and acting as a social unit rather than as isolated.
Groups show another tendency referred to as ‘group polarisation’.
It has been found that groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals alone. For example, a person favours red over black, but the whole group favours black over red. Whatever the initial position in the group, this position becomes much stronger as a result of discussions in the group. This strengthening of the group’s initial position as a result of group interaction and discussion is referred to as group polarization.
This may sometimes have dangerous repercussions as groups may take extreme positions, i.e. from very weak to very strong interacting with and discussing this issue with like-minded people. After this interaction, your views may become stronger. This firm conviction is because of the following three reasons: In the company of like-minded people, you are likely to hear newer arguments favouring your viewpoints. This will make you more favourable.
Question 31.
Sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence represents the information-processing approach to intelligence. Justify the statement with respect to the elements of intelligence proposed by Sternberg. [4]
Answer:
Sternberg defined intelligence as the ability to adapt, shape and select an environment to accomplish one’s goals and those of one’s society and culture. This theory of intelligence supports the notion that intelligence is tuned by cultural factors. The triarchic theory of intelligence has three elements:
(1) Componential intelligence: This is also known as analytical intelligence. People high on componential intelligence can think analytically and critically and are successful in schools. It has three components:
- Knowledge acquisition component: Learning how to do things.
- Executive components
- Performance components
(2) Experiential intelligence: It means using past experiences creatively in solving problems. People high on this intelligence are able to integrate different experiences to make new discoveries.
(3) Contextual intelligence: It is also known as practical intelligence. It refers to one’s ability to deal with environmental demands. People high on this type of intelligence are also known as street smarts. They adapt, select or modify their environment comfortably.
Section – E (6 Marks)
Question 32.
Many societies reflect prejudices on the basis of religion. Give a few examples and suggest a few strategies to handle prejudices.
OR
Define attitude. Elaborate on its components and properties. [6]
Answer:
Prejudices are exampLes of attitudes towards a particular group. They are usually negative, and in many cases, may be based on stereotypes (the cognitive component) about the specific group. The cognitive component of prejudice is frequently accompanied by dislike or hatred, the affective component. Prejudice may also get translated into discrimination, the behavioural component, whereby people begin to behave negatively towards the member of that group.
A few examples of prejudices are as follows: The genocide committed by the Nazis in Germany against Jewish people lead to hatred and discrimination. The prejudice against non-white people was translated into discriminatory behaviour against them, leading to the development of separate educational and recreational facilities for blacks and whites. Prejudices can be minimised by minimising opportunities for Learning prejudices, changing such attitudes, de-emphasising a narrow social identity based on the ingroup, and discouraging the tendency towards self-fulfilling prophecy among the victims of prejudice.
Strategies for handling prejudice are:
(1) Education and information dissemination: for correcting stereotypes related to specific target groups, and tackling the problem of a strong in-group bias.
(2) Increasing intergroup contact allows for direct communication, the removal of mistrust between groups, and even the discovery of positive qualities in the outgroup. However, these strategies are successful only if:
- The two groups meet in a cooperative rather than competitive context;
- Close interactions between the groups help them to know each other better: and
- The two groups are not different in power or status.
(3) Highlighting individual identity rather than group identity, thus weakening the importance of group (both ingroup and outgroup) as a basis for evaluating the other person.
OR
An attitude is a state of the mind, a set of views, or thoughts, regarding some topic (called the ‘attitude object’), which have an evaluative feature (positive, negative or neutral quality).
Three components of attitudes are the A-B-C components (Affective-BehaviouralCognitive components). Attitudes that are still in the formative stage, and are more like opinions, are much more likely to change compared to attitudes that have become firmly established and have become a part of the individual’s values. The properties of attitudes are:
(1) Valence (positivity or negativity): The valence of attitude tells us whether an attitude is positive or negative towards the attitude object. On a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 to 5, a score of 4 or 5 reflects a positive attitude, while an of1 or 2 reflects a negative attitude.
(2) Extremeness indicates how positive or negative an attitude is. A rating of 1 is as extreme as a rating of 5, though they are in opposite directions (valence). Ratings of 2 and 4 are less extreme. A neutral attitude is the lowest on extremeness.
(3) Simplicity or complexity (multiplexity) refers to how many attitudes there are within a broader attitude. An attitude system is said to be ‘simple’ if it contains only one or a few attitudes and ‘complex’ if it is made up of many attitudes. For example, attitude towards health and well-being consists of several ‘member’ attitudes, such as one’s concept of physical and mental health, views about happiness and well-being, and beliefs about how one should achieve health and happiness. However, attitude towards a particular person is likely to consist of mainly one attitude. Each member’s attitude that belongs to an attitude system also has A-B-C components.
(4) Centrality refers to the role of a particular attitude in the system much more than non-central (or peripheral) attitudes would. An attitude with greater centrality would influence other attitudes in the system much more than non-central (or peripheral) attitudes would. For example, in the attitude towards world peace, a negative attitude towards high military expenditure may be present as a core or central attitude that influences all other attitudes in the multiple attitude system.
Section – F (8 Marks)
Case Study 1
The evidence for hereditary influences on intelligence comes mainly from studies on twins and adopted children. Heredity can best be viewed as something that sets a range within which an individual’s development is actually shaped by the support and opportunities of the environment. Another line of evidence comes from the studies of adopted children, which show that children’s intelligence is more similar to their biological rather than adoptive parents.
Question 33.
How does nature influences intelligence? Explain with an example. [2]
Answer:
The intelligence of identical twins reared together correlates by almost 0.90. Twins separated early in childhood also show considerable similarity in their intellectual, personality and behavioural characteristics. The intelligence of identical twins reared in different environments correlates with 0.72, those of fraternal twins reared together correlates by almost 0.60, and those of brothers and sisters reared together correlate by about 0.50, while siblings reared apart correlate by about 0.25.
Question 34.
Does the Environment influence intelligence? [2]
Answer:
With respect to the role of environment, studies have reported that as children grow in age, their intelligence level tends to move closer to that of their adoptive parents. Children from disadvantaged homes adopted into families with higher socio¬ economic status exhibit a large increase in their intelligence scores. There is evidence that environmental deprivation lowers intelligence while ricfi nutrition, good family background, and quality schooling increase intelligence.
Case Study 2
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were known as the Age of Reason and Enlightenment, as the scientific method replaced faith and dogma as ways of understanding abnormal behaviour. The growth of a scientific attitude towards psychological disorders in the eighteenth century contributed to the Reform Movement and to increased compassion for people who suffered from these disorders. Reforms of asylums were initiated in both Europe and America.
Question 35.
What is meant by Deinstutionalisation? [2]
Answer:
Reforms of asylums were initiated in both Europe and America. One aspect of the reform movement was the new inclination for deinstitutionalisation which placed emphasis on providing community care for recovered mentally ill individuals.
Question 36.
Explain the Interactional approach. [2]
Answer:
In recent years, there has been a convergence of these approaches, which has resulted in an interactional, or biopsychosocial approach. From this perspective, all three factors, i.e. biological, psychological and social play important roles in influencing the expression and outcome of psychological disorders.