Students must start practicing the questions from CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 Psychology with Solutions Set 6 are designed as per the revised syllabus.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 Psychology Set 6 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 are 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 instinctual life force that energises the id is called ____________. [1]
(a) pleasure principle
(b) libido
(c) sex
(d) aggression
Answer:
(b) libido
Explanation: Libido energises the id and the id acts on pleasure principle. Sex and aggression are common causes of behavior.
Question 2.
Kelman distinguished three forms of social influence, which are: [1]
(a) Compliance, obedience and conformity
(b) Compliance, identification and internalisation
(c) Conformity, identification, internalisation
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(b) Compliance, identification and internalisation
Explanation: Kelman distinguished three forms of social influence, viz. compliance, identification, and internalisation.
Question 3.
The unspoken rules in a group are referred to as ____________. [1]
(a) rules
(b) norms
(c) conformity
(d) obedience
Answer:
(b) norms
Explanation: Norms are the unspoken rules of group which every group member has to abide by.
Question 4.
Robin’s mother passed away but he is not willing to accept the death and he does not want to talk about it. Which defense mechanism is he using? [1]
(a) Denial
(b) Repression
(c) Rationalisation
(d) Projection
Answer:
(a) Denial
Explanation: it is denial because Robin is trying not to accept even though he knows. In repression there is an unconscious act of suppressing the memory.
Question 5.
The tendency of the subject to agree with questions mentioned in the test irrespective of their nature is referred to as ___________. [1]
(a) Social desirability
(b) Acquiescence
(c) Lack of concentration
(d) Behavioral rating
Answer:
(b) Acquiescence
Explanation: Acquiescence refers to the tendency to agree with questions irrespective of their content. Social desirability is to agree with things that are socially desirable.
Question 6.
For people to comply, what all techniques can be used? [1]
(i) Foot in the door technique
(ii) Deadline technique
(ii) Door in the face technique
(a) (i) and (ii)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (i),(ii) and (iii)
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(c) (i),(ii) and (iii)
Explanation: All of the above techniques are used to comply people.
Question 7.
That buddhi includes skills as mental effort, determined action, feelings and opinions along with cognitive components was proposed by__________. [1]
(a) C.H Rice
(b) Uma Chaudhary
(c) J.P. Das
(d) Long and Mehta
Answer:
(c) J.P. Das
Explanation: The Sanskrit word ‘buddhi’ which is often used to represent intelligence is far more pervasive in scope than the western concept of intelligence. Buddhi, according to J.P. Das, includes such skills as mental effort, determined action, feelings, and opinions along with cognitive competence such as knowledge, discrimination, and understanding.
Question 8.
Schemas that function in the form of categories are called ____________. [1]
(a) Stereotype
(b) Attribution
(c) Prototype
(d) Prejudice
Answer:
(c) Prototype
Explanation: Most of the schemas are in the form of categories or classes. Schemas that function in the form of categories are called prototypes, which are the entire set of features or qualities that help us to define an object completely.
Question 9.
The stress process propounded by Lazarus is based on the theory of stress is: [1]
(a) Behavioural
(b) Psychodynamic
(c) Cognitive
(d) Humanistic
Answer:
(c) Cognitive
Explanation: In stressful situations, the cognitive appraisal of the stress and the resources are done.
Question 10.
The mode of message transmission is more effective in bringing about an attitude change is: [1]
(a) digital
(b) pamphlets
(c) mass media
(d) face to face
Answer:
(d) Face to face
Explanation: Face-to-face transmission of the message is usually more effective than indirect transmission.
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): In cognitive dissonance, there are two opposite attitude.
Reason (R):Due to this dissonance, a person feels that “Something is not fit” as there are two opposing attitudes which causes mental discomfort. [1]
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of 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: In cognitive dissonance, there is a difference between 2 attitudes and that differences causes mental discomfort.
Question 12.
Sigmund Freud believed that abnormal behavior is an expression of ___________. [1]
(a) unconscious mental conflicts
(b) personality factors
(c) childhood trauma
(d) abuse
Answer:
(a) unconscious mental conflicts
Explanation: Psychodynamic theorists believe that behaviour, whether normal or abnormal, is determined by psychological forces within the person of which she/he is not consciously aware. These internal forces are considered dynamic, i.e. they interact with one another and their interaction gives shape to behaviour, thoughts and emotions. Abnormal symptoms are viewed as the result of conflicts between these forces.
Question 13.
In a child with minor mishaps such as knocking things over may be commonly found. [1]
(a) Oppositional Defiant disorder
(b) Autism spectrum disorder
(c) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(d) Impulse control disorders
Answer:
(c) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Explanation: Impulsivity and hyperactivity makes the kid energised and always on the go where they might not have any control.
Question 14.
In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice. [1]
Assertion (A): The frequency distribution for the IQ scores tends to approximate a bell shaped curve.
Reason (R): it is bell shaped as most of the IQ scores lies on the extremes of the curve and it is flat from the middle.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of 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:
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion.
Explanation: The frequency distribution for the IQ scores tend to approximate a bell shaped curve. This is because, most of the IQ scores lie in between 90-110 and only a small percentage lies on the extreme end.
Question 15.
___________results from the blocking of needs and motives by something or someone that hinders us from achieving a desired goal. [1]
(a) Conflict
(b) Frustration
(c) Stress
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(b) Frustration
Explanation: Frustration is a result of blocking of needs or something we desire. Conflict arises when a person has to choose between two things.
Question 16.
When people believe they are being plotted against, spied on, threatened, attacked or deliberately victimized, they are experiencing the delusion of __________. [1]
(a) reference
(b) persecution
(c) grandiose
(d) erotomania
Answer:
(b) persecution
Explanation: In delusion of reference, one feels that their thoughts are being controlled, in persecutes they feel that someone wants to harm them, in grandiose delusion they have an inflated sense of self esteem and in erotomania they feel that someone secretly loves them.
Question 17.
The notion of contextual intelligence implies that intelligence is a product of __________. [1]
(a) heredity
(b) Nature
(c) environment
(d) experiences
Answer:
(d) Experiences
Explanation: in contextual intelligence, the intelligence arises from our experiences and how we use them to solve novel problems
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): people join groups to be more powerful and have a sense of self esteem.
Reason (R): groups do not provide with a security and can exclude anyone anytime it likes. [1]
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of 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 (IQ is false
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true
Answer:
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion.
Explanation: people join groups as it provides a social security and also boosts one self esteem and being a part of a groups makes you feel powerful.
Section -B (10 Marks)
Question 19.
Explain the concept of abnormality with reference to the four D’s. [2]
Answer:
For any mental health issue to be diagnosed as an disorder, it should have the 4D’s. ‘Four Ds’: deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger. That is, psychological disorders are deviant (different, extreme, unusual, even bizarre), distressing (unpleasant and upsetting to the person and to others), dysfunctional (interfering with the person’s ability to carry out daily activities in a constructive way), and possibly dangerous (to the person or to others).
Question 20.
How are attitudes different from beliefs and values? [2]
Answer:
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). It is accompanied by an emotional component, and a tendency to act in a particular way with regard to the attitude object. The thought component is referred to as the cognitive aspect, the emotional component is known as the affective aspect, and the tendency to act is called the behavioural (or conative) aspect. Taken together, these three aspects have been referred to as the A-B-C components (Affective-Behavioural Cognitive components) of attitude.
Question 21.
Describe any two limitations of the Observation method of Personality assessment. [2]
OR
Define personality. Enumerate its features
Answer:
Behavioural observation is another method which is very commonly used for the assessment of personality. Use of observation for personality assessment is a sophisticated procedure that cannot be carried out by untrained people. The limitations are:
(1) Professional training required for collection of useful data through these methods is quite demanding and time consuming.
(2) Maturity of the psychologist is a precondition for obtaining valid data through these techniques.
OR
Personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations. personality is characterised by the following features:
(1) It has both physical and psychological components.
(2) Its expression in terms of behaviour is fairly unique in a given individual.
(3) Its main features do not easily change with time.
(4) It is dynamic in the sense that some of its features may change due to internal or external situational demands. Thus, personality is adaptive to situations.
Question 22.
What is Psychotherapy? List down its goals. [2]
Answer:
Psychotherapy is a voluntary relationship between the one seeking treatment or the client and the one who treats or the therapist. The purpose of the relationship is to help the client to solve the psychological problems being faced by her or him. The relationship is conducive for building the trust of the client so that problems may be freely discussed. Psychotherapies aim at changing the maladaptive behaviours, decreasing the sense of personal distress, and helping the client to adapt better to her/his environment. All psychotherapies aim at a few or all of the following goals :
(1) Reinforcing client’s resolve for betterment.
(2) Lessening emotional pressure.
(3) Unfolding the potential for positive growth.
(4) Modifying habits.
(5) Changing thinking patterns.
(6) Increasing self-awareness.
(7) Improving interpersonal relations and communication.
Question 23.
Elaborate Sheldon’s theory of personality. [2]
Answer:
Using body build and temperament as the main basis, Sheldon proposed the Endomorphic, Mesomorphic, and Ectomorphic typology. The endomorphs are fat, soft and round. By temperament they are relaxed and sociable. The mesomorphs have strong musculature, are rectangular with a strong body build. They are energetic and courageous. The ectomorphs are thin, long and fragile in body build. They are brainy, artistic and introvert.
Section – C (12 Marks)
Question 24.
In light of the Covid pandemic, many companies decided to lay off their employees. With reference to secondary appraisal, suggest how would these employees evaluate this situation? [3]
Answer:
The perception of stress is dependent upon the individual’s cognitive appraisal of events and the resources available to deal with them. The stress process, based on the cognitive theory of stress was propounded has distinguished between two types of appraisal, i.e. primary and secondary. Primary appraisal refers to the perception of a new or changing environment as positive, neutral or negative in its consequences. Negative events are appraised for their possible harm, threat or challenge. Harm is the assessment of the damage that has already been done by an event.
Threat is the assessment of possible future damage that may be brought about by the event. Challenge appraisals are associated with more confident expectations of the ability to cope with the stressful event, the potential to overcome and even profit from the event. When we perceive an event as stressful, we are likely to make a secondary coping abilities and resources and whether they will be sufficient to meet the harm, threat or challenge the event.
So in the face of Covid 19 pandemic, the secondary appraisal would be how much money they are left and how long they can go with their savings, is there anyone else earning in their home, how many people they have to take care of and if the money would be sufficient, how to look for new jobs.
Question 25.
Explain the Indian notion of intelligence. [3]
Answer:
Intelligence in the Indian tradition can be termed as integral intelligence, which gives emphasis on connectivity with the social and world environment. The Sanskrit word ’buddhi’ which is often used to represent intelligence is far more pervasive in scope than the western concept of intelligence.
Buddhi, according to J.P. Das, includes such skills as mental effort, determined action, feelings, and opinions along with cognitive competence such as knowledge, discrimination, and understanding. Unlike the western views, which primarily focus on cognitive parameters, the following competencies are identified as facets of intelligence in the Indian tradition :
(1) Cognitive capacity (sensitivity to context, understanding, discrimination, problem solving, and effective communication).
(2) Social competence (respect for social order, commitment to elders, the young and the needy, concern about others, recognising others’ perspectives).
(3) Emotional competence (self regulation and self-monitoring of emotions, honesty, politeness, good conduct, and self-evaluation).
(4) Entrepreneurial competence (commitment, persistence, patience, hard work, vigilance, and goal-directed behaviours).
Question 26.
How do the concepts of cognitive dissonance make a person feel “mental discomfort”?
OR
Explain any 3 ways in which prejudices are learned. [3]
Answer:
The concept of cognitive dissonance was proposed by Leon Festinger. It emphasises the cognitive component. Here the basic idea is that the cognitive components of an attitude must be ‘consonant’ (opposite of ‘dissonant’), i.e., they should be logically in line with each other. If an individual finds that two cognitions in an attitude are dissonant, then one of them will be changed in the direction of consonance. For example,
Cognition I : Pan masala causes mouth cancer which is fatal.
Cognition II : I eat pan masala. Holding these two ideas or cognitions will make any individual feel that something is ‘out of tune’, or dissonant, in the attitude towards pan masala. Therefore, one of these ideas will have to be changed, so that consonance can be attained. In the example given above, in order to remove or reduce the dissonance, I will stop eating pan masala. This would be the healthy, logical and sensible way of reducing dissonance.
OR
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 change. Social psychologists have shown that prejudice has one or more of the following sources :
Learning: Like other attitudes, prejudices can also be learned through association, reward and punishment, observing others, group or cultural norms end exposure to information that encourages, prejudice. People who learn prejudiced attitudes may develop a ‘prejudiced personality’, and show low adjusting capacity, anxiety, and feelings of hostility against the outgroup.
A strong social identity and ingroup bias: Individuals who have a strong positive attitude towards their own group boost this attitude by holding negative attitudes towards other groups. These are shown as prejudices.
Scapegoating: This is a phenomenon by which the majority group places the blame on a minority outgroup for its own social, economic or political problems. The minority is too weak or too small in number to defend itself against such accusations. Scapegoating is a group based way-bf expressing frustration, and it often results in negative attitudes or prejudice against the weaker group.
Question 27.
Enumerate the characteristics of people with high Emotional intelligence. [3]
Answer:
Salovey and Mayer who considered emotional intelligence as “the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions”. Emotional Quotient (EQ) is used to express emotional intelligence in the same way as IQ is used to express intelligence. Characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent Persons are:
(1) Perceive and be sensitive to your feelings and emotions.
(2) Perceive and be sensitive to various types of emotions in others by noting their body language, voice and tone, and facial expressions.
(3) Relate your emotions to your thoughts so that you take them into account while solving problems and taking decisions.
(4) Understand the powerful influence ofthe nature and intensity of your emotions.
(5) Control and regulate your emotions and their expressions while dealing with self and others to achieve harmony and peace.
Section – D (16 Marks)
Question 28.
Groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals. Justify the statement with the help of an example.
OR
What is social loafing? How can we reduce social loafing. [4]
Answer:
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.
Whatever the initial position in the group, this position becomes much stronger as a result of discussions in the group. This strengthening group interaction and discussion is referred to as group polarisation. This may sometimes have dangerous repercussions as groups may take extreme positions. For example, favoring one party over the other. You will favor one party over the other polarisation are:
(1) In the company of like-minded people, you are likely to hear newer arguments favouring your viewpoints. This will make you more favourable one party as a group is formed on the basis of similarity.
(2) When you find others also favouring one party, you feel that this view is validated by the public. This is a sort of bandwagon effect.
(3) When you find people having similar views, you are likely to perceive them as in group. You start identifying with the group, begin showing conformity, and as a consequence your views become strengthened.
OR
It has been found that individuals work less hard in a group than they do when performing Alone. This points to a phenomenon referred to as ’social loafing’. Social loafing is a reduction in an individual’s effort when working on a collective task, i.e. one in which outputs are pooled with those of other group members.
This phenomenon has been demonstrated in many experiments by Latane and his associates who asked group of male students to clap or cheer as loudly as possible as they (experimenters) were interested in knowing how much noise people make in social settings. They varied the group size; individuals were either alone, or in groups of two, four and six. The results of the study showed that although the total amount of noise rose up, as size increased, the amount of noise produced by each participant dropped.
Reasons for social loafing are:
(1) Group members feel less responsible for the overall task being performed and therefore exert less effort.
(2) Motivation of members decreases because they realise that their contributions will not be evaluated on individual basis.
(3) The performance of the group is not to be compared with other groups.
(4) There is an improper coordination (or no coordination) among members.
(5) Belonging to the same group is not important for members. It is only an aggregate of individuals.
Social loafing may be reduced by:
Making the efforts of each person identifiable. Increasing the pressure to work hard (making group members committed to successful task performance). Increasing the apparent importance or value of a task. Making people feel that their individual contribution is important
Strengthening group cohesiveness which increases the motivation for successful group outcome.
Question 29.
Elaborate the types of HumanisticExistential Therapies. [4]
Answer:
The therapies postulate that psychological distress arises from feelings of loneliness, alienation, and an inability to find meaning and genuine fulfillment in life. Human beings are motivated by the desire for personal growth and self-actualisation, and an innate need to grow emotionally.
Self-actualisation is defined as an innate or inborn force that moves the person to become more complex, balanced, and integrated, i.e. achieving the complexity and balance without being fragmented. Integrated means a sense of whole, being a complete person, being in essence the same person in spite of the variety of experiences that one is subjected to. Healing occurs when the client is able to perceive the obstacles to self actualisation in her/his life and is able to remove them.
Existential Therapy Victor Frankl, a psychiatrist and neurologist propounded the Logotherapy. Logos is the Greek word for soul and Logotherapy means treatment for the soul. Frankl calls this process of finding meaning even in life-threatening circumstances as the process of meaning making. The basis of meaning making is a person’s quest for finding the spiritual truth of one’s existence.
Neurotic anxieties arise when the problems of life are attached to the physical, psychological or spiritual aspects of one’s existence.The goal of logotherapy is to help the patients to find meaning and responsibility in their life irrespective of their life circumstances. In Logotherapy, the therapist is open and shares her/his feelings, values and his/her own existence with the client Transference is actively discouraged.
The goal is to facilitate the client to find the meaning of her/his being. Client-centred Therapy Client-centred therapy was given by Carl Rogers. The therapy provides a warm relationship in which the client can reconnect with her/his disintegrated feelings. The therapist shows empathy, i.e. understanding the client’s experience as if it were her/his own, is warm and has unconditional client as she/he is. Empathy sets up an and the client.
Unconditional positive regard indicates that the positive warmth of the therapist is not dependent on what the client reveals or does in the therapy sessions. The therapist reflects the feelings of the client in a non-judgmental manner. Personal relationships improve with an increase in adjustment. In essence, this therapy helps a client to become her/his real self with the therapist working as a facilitator.
Gestalt Therapy
The German word gestalt means ’whole’. This therapy was given by Freiderick (Fritz) Peris together with his wife Laura Peris. The goal of gestalt therapy is to increase acceptance. The client is taught to recognise the bodily processes and the emotions that are being blocked out from awareness. The therapist does this by encouraging the client to act out fantasies about feelings and conflicts. This therapy can also be used in group settings.
Question 30.
Teenagers like you experiences many stressors in life. Describe a few measures that you adopt to manage stress in your everyday life? [4]
Answer:
Stress is a silent killer. It is estimated to play a significant role in physical illness and disease. Hypertension, heart disease, ulcers, diabetes and even cancer are linked to stress. Due to lifestyle changes stress is on the increase. Therefore, schools, other institutions, offices and communities are concerned about knowing techniques to manage stress. Some of these techniques are:
Relaxation Techniques: It is an active skill that reduces symptoms of stress and decreases the incidence of illnesses such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Usually relaxation starts from the lower part of the body and progresses up to the facial muscles in such a way that the whole body is relaxed. Deep breathing is used along with muscle relaxation to calm the mind and relax the body.
Meditation Procedures : The yogic method of meditation consists of a sequence of learned techniques for refocusing of attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness. It involves such a thorough concentration that the meditator becomes unaware of any outside stimulation and reaches a different state of consciousness.
Creative Visualisation: It is an effective technique for dealing with stress. Creative visualisation is a subjective imagination. Before visualising one must set oneself a realistic goal, as it helps build confidence. It is easier to visualise if one’s mind is quiet, body relaxed and eyes are closed. This reduces the risk of interference from unbidden thoughts and provides the creative energy needed for turning an imagined scene into reality.
Time Management: The way you spend your time determines the quality of your Life. Learning how to plan time and delegate can help to relieve the pressure. The major way to reduce time stress is to change one’s perception of time. The central principle of time management is to spend your time doing the things that you value, or that help you to achieve your goals.
Question 31.
Describe the major types of Mood disorders with a case study. [4]
OR
What are some of the measures suggested by WHO to prevent suicide? What are the approaches that are useful in strengthening positive self-esteem in children?
Answer:
Mood disorders are characterised by disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state. The most common mood disorder is depression, which covers a variety The main types of mood disorders include depressive, manic and bipolar disorders.
Depression:
Major depressive disorder is defined as a period of depressed mood and/or loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, together with other symptoms which may include change in body weight, constant sleep problems, tiredness, inability to think clearly, agitation, greatly slowed behaviour, and thoughts of death and suicide.
Other symptoms include excessive guilt or feelings of worthlessness. Factors Predisposing towards. Genetic make-up, or heredity is an important risk factor for major depression and bipolar disorders. Age is also a risk factor. For instance, women are particularly at risk during young adulthood, while for men the risk is highest in early middle age.
Similarly gender also plays a great role in this differential risk addition. For example, women in comparison to men are more likely to report a depressive disorder. Other risk factors are experiencing negative life events and lack of social support.
Mania: Another less common mood disorder is mania. People suffering from mania become euphoric (‘high’), extremely active, excessively talkative, and easily distractible. Manic episodes rarely appear by themselves; they usually alternate with depression.
Bipolar disorder: Such a mood disorder, in which both mania and depression are alternately present, is sometimes interrupted by periods of normal mood. This is known as bipolar mood disorder. Bipolar mood disorders were earlier referred to as manic-depressive disorders. Among the mood disorders, the lifetime risk of a suicide attempt is highest in case of bipolar mood disorders.
Several risk in addition to mental health status of a person predict the likelihood of suicide. These include age, gender, ethnicity, or race and recent occurrence of any traumatic event.
OR
Teenagers and young adults are as much at high risk for suicide, as those who are over 70 years. Gender is also an influencing factor, i.e. men have a higher rate of contemplated suicide than women. Other factors that affect suicide rates are cultural attitudes toward suicide.ln Japan, for instance, suicide is the culturally appropriate way to deal with feeling of shame and disgrace. Negative expectations, hopelessness, setting unrealistically high standards, and being over-critical in self-evaluation are important themes for those who have suicidal preoccupations. Suicide can be prevented by being alert to some of the symptoms which include :
(1) changes in eating and sleeping habits
(2) withdrawal from friends, family and regular activities
(3) violent actions, rebellious behaviour, running away
(4) drug and alcohol abuse
(5) marked personality change
(6) persistent boredom
(7) difficulty in concentration
(8) complaints about physical symptoms, and
(9) loss of interest in pleasurable activities.
However, seeking timely help from a professional counselor/psychologist can help to prevent the likelihood of suicide.
Section – E (6 Marks)
Question 32.
Enumerate the stages of personality development of an individual as proposed by Sigmund Freud.
OR
Define self. Elaborate the cognitive and behavioural aspects of self. [6]
Answer:
Freud claims that the core aspects of personality are established early, remain stable throughout life, and can be changed only with great difficulty. He proposed a five-stage theory of personality (also called psychosexual) development. Problems encountered at any stage may arrest a person’s life. These stages are :
Oral Stage: A newborn’s instincts are focused on the mouth. This is the infant’s primary pleasure seeking centre. It is through the mouth that the baby obtains food that reduces hunger. The infant achieves oral gratification through feeding, thumb sucking, biting and babbling. It is during these early months that people’s basic feelings about the world are established. Thus, for Freud, an adult who considers the world a bitter place probably had difficulty during the oral stage of development.
Anal Stage: It is found that around ages two and three the child learns to respond to some of the demands of the society. One of the principal demands made by parents is that the child learns to control the bodily functions of urination and defecation. Most children at this age experience pleasure in moving their bowels. The anal area of the body becomes the focus of certain pleasurable feelings. This stage establishes the basis for conflict between the id and the ego, and between the desire for babyish pleasure and demand for adult, controlled behaviour.
Phallic Stage: This stage focuses on the genitals. At around ages four and five children begin to realise the differences between males and females. They become aware of sexuality and the sexual relationship between their parents. During this stage, the male child experiences the Oedipus Complex, which involves love for the mother, hostility towards the father, and the consequent fear of punishment or castration by the father.
A major developmental achievement of this stage is the resolution of the Oedipus complex. This takes place by accepting his father’s relationship with his mother, and modelling his own behaviour after his father. For girls, the Oedipus complex follows a her love to the father a girl tries to symbolically marry him and raise a family. When she realises that this is unlikely, she begins to identify with her mother and copy her behaviour as a means of getting (or, sharing in) her father’s affection.
The critical component in resolving the Oedipus complex is the development of identification with the same sex parents. In other words, boys give up sexual feelings for their mothers and begin to see their fathers as role models rather than as rivals; girls give up their sexual desires for their father and identify their mother as an ideal
Latency Stage: This stage lasts from about seven years until puberty. During this period, the child continues to grow physically, but sexual urges are relatively inactive. Much of a child’s energy is channelled into social or achievementrelated activities.
Genital Stage: During this stage, the repressed feelings of earlier stages are once again exhibited. People learn to deal with members of the opposite sex in a socially and sexually mature way. However, if the journey towards this stage is marked by excessive stress or overindulgence, it may cause fixation to an earlier stage of development.
Freud’s theory also postulates that as children proceed from one stage to another stage of development, they seem to adjust their view of the world. Failure of a child to pass successfully through a stage leads to fixation to that stage. In this situation, the child’s development gets arrested at an earlier stage.
For example, a child who does not pass successfully through the phallic stage fails to resolve the Oedipal complex and may still feel hostile toward the parent of the same sex. This failure may have serious consequences for the child’s life. Such a boy may come to consider that men are generally hostile, and may wish to relate to females in a dependable relationship.
Regression is also a likely outcome in such situations. It takes a person back to an earlier stage. Regression occurs when a person’s resolution of problems at any stage of development is less than adequate. In this situation, people display behaviours typical\ of a less mature stage of development.
OR
Self and personality refer to the characteristic ways in which we define our existence. They also refer to the ways in which our experiences are organised and kinds of self. They get formed as a result of our interactions with our physical and socio-cultural environments. A distinction is made between ‘personal’ and ’social’ self.
The personal self leads to an orientation in which one feels primarily concerned with oneself. The social self emerges in relation with others and emphasises such aspects of life as cooperation, unity, affiliation, sacrifice, support or sharing. This self values family and social relationships. Hence, it is also referred to as familial or relational self.
Self concept: The way we perceive ourselves and the ideas we hold about our competencies and attributes is also called self-concept. At a very general level, this view of oneself is, overall, either positive or negative. At a more specific level, a person may have a very positive view of her/his athletic bravery, but a negative view of her/ his academic talents.
At an even more specific level,one may have a positive self-concept about one’s reading ability but a negative one about one’s mathematical skills. Finding out an individual’s self-concept is not easy. The most frequently used method involves asking the person about herself/ himself.
Self-esteem: Self-esteem is an important aspect of our self. As persons we always make some judgment about our own value or worth. This value judgment of a person about herself/himself is called self-esteem. Some people have high self-esteem, whereas others may have tow self-esteem. Studies indicate that by the age of 6 to 7 years, children seem to have formed self-esteem academic competence, social competence, physical/ athletic competence, and physical appearance, which become more refined with age.
Our capacity to view ourselves in terms of stable dispositions permits us to combine separate self-evaluations into a general psychological image of ourselves. This is known as an overall sense of self esteem. Self-esteem shows a strong relationship with our everyday behaviour, children with high academic self esteem perform better in schools than those with low academic self-esteem, and children with high social self-esteem are more liked by their peers than those with low social with low self-esteem in all areas are often found to display anxiety, depression, and increasing antisocial behaviour.
Studies have shown that warm and positive parenting helps in the development of high self-esteem among children as it allows them to know that they are accepted as competent and worthwhile. Children, whose parents help or make decisions for them even when they do not need assistance, often suffer from low self-esteem.
Self-efficacy: Self-efficacy is another important aspect of our self. People differ in the extent to which they believe they themselves control their life outcomes or the outcomes are controlled by luck or fate or other situational factors, e.g. passing an examination. A person who believes that she/he has the ability or behaviours required by a particular situation demonstrates high self-efficacy.
The notion of self-efficacy is based on Bandura’s social learning theory. Bandura’s initial studies showed that children and adults learned behaviour by observing and imitating others. People’s expectations of mastery or achievement and their convictions about their own effectiveness also determine the types of behaviour in which they would engage, as also the amount of risk they would undertake. A strong sense of self-efficacy allows people to select, influence, and even construct the circumstances of their own life.
People with a strong sense of self-efficacy also feel less fearful. Self-efficacy can be developed. People with high self-efficacy have been found to stop smoking the moment they decide to do so. Our society, our parents and our own positive experiences can help in the development of a strong sense of selfefficacy by presenting positive models during the formative years of children.
Self-regulation: Self-regulation refers to our ability to organise and monitor our own behaviour. People, who are able to change their behaviour according to the demands of the external environment, are high on self¬ monitoring. Learning to delay or defer the gratification of needs is called self-control. Self-control plays a key role in the fulfillment of long-term goals.
A number of psychological techniques of self-control have also been suggested. Observation of own behaviour is one of them. This provides us with necessary information that may be used to change, modify, or strengthen certain aspects of self. Self-instruction is another important technique. We often instruct ourselves to do something and behave the way we want to. Such instructions are quite effective in self-regulation. Self-reinforcement is the third technique. This involves rewarding behaviours that have pleasant outcomes.
Section – F (8 Marks)
Case study 1
Creative writers, for example, need facility in dealing with language. The artist must understand the effect that will be produced by a particular technique of painting, a scientist must be able to reason and so on. Hence, a certain level of intelligence is required for creativity but beyond that intelligence does not correlate well with creativity. It can be concluded that creativity can take many forms and blends. Some may have more of intellectual attributes, others may have more of attributes associated with creativity. Researchers have found that the relationship between creativity and intelligence is positive. All creative acts require some minimum ability to acquire knowledge and capacity to comprehend, retain, and retrieve.
Question 33.
What are the characteristics of creativity tests? [2]
Answer:
The characteristics of creativity tests are:
Most of the creativity tests is that they are open-ended. They permit the person to think of different answers to the questions or problems in terms of her/his experiences.
Creativity tests involve divergent thinking and assess such abilities as ability to produce a variety of ideas, i.e. ideas which are off-the-beaten-track, ability to see new relationships between seemingly unrelated things, ability to guess causes and consequences, ability to put things in a new context, etc.
These tests measure general creative thinking abilities like ability to think of a variety of ideas on a given topic/ situation, alternative ways of looking at things, problems or situations, etc. A few investigators have also developed tests of creativity in different areas such as literary creativity, scientific creativity, mathematical creativity, etc.
Question 34.
Is High IQ equivalent to high creativity? [2]
Answer:
Terman, in the 1920s, found that persons with high IQ were not necessarily creative. At the same time, creative ideas could come from persons who did not have a very high IQ. Other researches have shown that not even one of those identified as gifted, followed up throughout their adult life, had become well-known for creativity in some field. Researchers have also found that both high and low level of creativity can be found in highly intelligent children and also children of average intelligence. The same person, thus, can be creative as well as intelligent but it is not necessary that intelligent ones, in the conventional sense, must be creative. Intelligence, therefore, by itself does not ensure creativity.
Case study 2
These are conditions in which there are physical symptoms in the absence of a physical disease. In these disorders, the individual has psychological difficulties and complains of physical symptoms, for which there is no biological cause. These include conversion disorders, somatic symptom disorder, and illness anxiety disorder among others.
Somatic symptom disorder involves a person having persistent body-related symptoms which may or may not be related to any serious medical condition. People with this disorder tend to be overly pre-occupied with their symptoms and they continually worry about their health and make frequent visits to doctors. As a result, they experience significant distress and disturbances in their daily life.
Question 35.
Enumerate the symptoms of Illness Anxiety Disorder. [2]
Answer:
Illness anxiety disorder involves persistent pre-occupation about developing a serious illness and constantly worrying about this possibility. This is accompanied by anxiety about one’s health. Individuals with illness anxiety disorder are overly concerned about undiagnosed disease, negative diagnostic results, do not respond to assurance by doctors, and are easily alarmed about illness such as on hearing about someone else’s ill-health or some such news.
In general, both somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder are concerned with medical illnesses. But, the difference lies in the way this concern is expressed. In the case of somatic symptom disorder, this expression is in terms of physical complaints while in case of illness anxiety disorder, as the name suggests, it is the anxiety which is the main concern.
Question 36.
In which disorder a person losses the feeling of his/her limbs? [2]
Answer:
In conversion disorder a person lossess feelings in his/her limbs. The symptoms of conversion disorders are the reported loss of part or all of some basic body functions. Paralysis, blindness, deafness and difficulty in walking are generally among the symptoms reported. These symptoms often occur after a stressful experience and may be quite sudden.