CBSE Class 12 Psychology 2023 Solved Paper
Section A (1 Mark)
1. Vijay’s parents are confused as to what subjects he should choose in Grade 11. To know where his strengths lie, the school counsellor suggested that he take an aptitude test. What form of aptitude test do you think would be given to him?
(a) Specialised
(b) Independent
(c) Generalised
(d) Vocational
2. There are some people who are hostile, egocentric, and antisocial. They are said to be high on _________ .
(a) Sociability
(b) Psychoticism
(c) Neuroticism
(d) Introversion
3. The self that values family and social relationships is referred to as _________ .
(i) Personal
(ii) Social
(iii) Familial
(iv) Relational
(a) (i) and (iii)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (iii) and (iv)
(d) (i) and (iv)
4. Some traits often get associated strongly with the name of the person and derive such identities as the ‘Gandhian’ or ‘Hitlerian’ trait. Identify the trait.
(a) Central
(b) Secondary
(c) Surface
(d) Cardinal
5. Which of the following statements is not true about coping with stress?
(i) Coping is a dynamic situation-specific reaction to stress.
(ii) It is a set of concrete responses to stressful situations or events that are intended to resolve the problem and reduce stress.
(iii) People who cope poorly with stress have high level of natural killer cell cytotoxicity.
(iv) Individuals show similarity in coping strategies that they use to deal with stressful situations.
(a) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(b) (iii) only
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (i) and (ii)
6. Meena’s work environment is highly stressful due to unrealistic expectations by the organisation. She had been trying to balance her job as well as her home front. Since the last few months, she was not feeling well. So, she went for a check-up and was diagnosed with high blood pressure. According to General Adaptation Syndrome, at what stage does this happen?
(a) Alarm reaction
(b) Resistance
(c) Exhaustion
(d) Adaptation
7. Wasim is always brushing everything under the carpet and refuses to face the stressor or even accept it. Which kind of unhelpful habit is this?
(a) Forgetfulness
(b) Avoidance
(c) Procrastination
(d) Perfectionism
8. Which of the following statements is/are true about the diathesis-stress model?
(i) Presence of some biological aberration which may be inherited.
(ii) Physiological disorders develop due to combination of psychological predisposition and stressors.
(iii) Diathesis may carry vulnerability to develop a psychological disorder.
(iv) Absence of pathogenic stressors that may lead to psychopathology.
(a) Only (i) is true.
(b) (i) and (iii) are true.
(c) Only (iii) is true.
(d) (ii) and (iv) are true.
9. Some people are unable to prevent themselves from specific ideas or from repeatedly carrying out a set of actions that disrupts their daily functioning. These people are showing symptoms of ____________ .
(a) Manic depressive disorder
(b) Panic disorder
(c) Somatic symptom disorder
(d) Obsessive-compulsive disorder
10. Michael, a 10-year-old boy, was diagnosed with a disorder where he has difficulty in perceiving and processing information accurately and efficiently. This impacts his basic skills of reading, writing and doing mathematics. Identify this disorder.
(a) Autism spectrum disorder
(b) Intellectual disability
(c) Specific learning disorder
(d) Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
11. In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Select the correct choice from (a), (b), (c), (d).
- Assertion (A): According to cognitive therapy, childhood experiences provided by the family and society develop core schemas in the child which include beliefs and action patterns in individual.
- Reason (R): In this therapy, irrational beliefs mediate between antecedent events and their consequences.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(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.
12. Ritik is undergoing a therapy where he is being taught to recognise bodily processes and the emotions that are being blocked out from his awareness. Which therapy is being applied here?
(a) Client-centred therapy
(b) Logotherapy
(c) Cognitive behaviour therapy
(d) Gestalt therapy
13. Why is behavioural analysis conducted to overcome stress?
(i) To find malfunctioning behaviour
(ii) To find the consequent operations of the adaptive behaviour
(iii) To identify the antecedents of faulty learning
(iv) To identify factors that maintain faulty learning
(a) (i), (iii) and (iv)
(b) Only (iii)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (i) and (ii)
14. In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Select the correct choice from (a), (b), (c), (d).
- Assertion (A): Cognitive consistency means that two components in an attitude system must be in opposite directions.
- Reason (R): If the two elements are not logically in consonance with each other, it leads to distress in the individual.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(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.
15. Ashwin’s roommate at college, who belonged to a particular State, was always rude and selfish towards him. Ashwin now does not befriend or employ people from this State as he feels that they are all impolite. This is an example of
(a) Self-fulfilling prophecy
(b) Kernel of truth
(c) Scapegoating
(d) Social cognition
16. Which one of the following is not a factor that will lead to attitude change?
(a) Message characteristics
(b) Environmental characteristics
(c) Source characteristics
(d) Target characteristics
17. We all belong to different types of groups. What type of group will the armed forces be if you join it?
(i) Primary
(ii) Secondary
(iii) Formal
(iv) Informal
(a) (i), (iii) and (iv)
(b) (iii) and (iv)
(c) (ii) and (iii)
(d) (i), (ii) and (iv)
18. In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Select the correct choice from (a), (b), (c), (d).
- Assertion (A): Children from disadvantaged homes, when adopted into families with higher socio-economic status, exhibit a large increase in their intelligence scores.
- Reason (R): Environmental deprivation lowers intelligence while rich nutrition, good family background and quality of schooling increases intelligence.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and Reason (R) is correct explanation of Assertion (A).
(b) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(c) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
(d) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
Section B (2 Marks)
19. Adil, a young man, shows aggressive actions that threaten or cause harm to people or animals and indulges in serious rule violations. What are these symptoms indicative of? Mention two other types of aggressive behaviour.
Ans: Conduct Disorder
Types of aggressive behaviour
- – verbal aggression
- – physical aggression
- – hostile aggression
- – Proactive aggression (Any two of the above aggressive behaviours)
20. (a) Ranjan has faced a lot of mishaps in his life. However, he shows low levels of illness despite high levels of stress. What makes people like Ranjan resistant to stress ?
Ans: (a) Hardiness is a set of beliefs about oneself, the world, and how they interact
3 Cs – commitment, control, challenge. Explanation of 3Cs (Any two points)
OR
(b) Neerav’s parents have recently shifted to Bengaluru and have been busy settling him in the new city. Neerav misses his friends back in Nagpur, and this has impacted his academic performance. What is the source of this stress? State the other sources of stress as well.
Ans: Life events – changes in life from the moment we are born
Other sources of resources
- Hassles – happening in daily lives
- Traumatic events – being involved in a variety of extreme events
21. Explain cognitive distortions. Give an example of cognitive distortion that a client might be experiencing.
Ans: Cognitive distortions are ways of thinking which are general in nature but distort the reality in a negative manner. They lead to errors of cognition about the social reality. Example – “I am ugly”, I am stupid” or any other relevant example.
22. Suppose you are a college student who wants to contribute towards the country’s economy. Suggest a process that you will see to bring an attitude change amongst your peers towards buying only Indian goods to support the nation’s economy.
Ans: To bring an attitude change among my peers towards buying only Indian goods, I would use the Two-Step Concept of Attitude Change. I would first influence opinion leaders, respected and influential students, by explaining the importance of supporting Indian products for the nation’s economy. Once they adopt this view, they can influence others, making the message more acceptable and impactful.
23. Differentiate between ingroup and outgroup.
Ans: Ingroup
- Refers to one’s own group
- Use the word “we” or “us”
- People are generally supposed to be similar, viewed favourably, and have desirable traits
- Supporting example (Any two relevant points)
Outgroup
- Refers to another group
- Use the word ‘they’
- Members are viewed differently and often perceived negatively in comparison to in-group members.
- Supporting Example (Any two relevant points)
Section C (3 Marks)
24. Ryan and Shireen are siblings brought up in the same environment. Ryan knows all the formulae in mathematics and can recall them as they are but cannot solve problems based on those formulae, whereas Shireen can use formulae to solve any kind of problem that are based on them. Explain the intelligence they both exhibit. Which approach is this theory based on?
Ans: Hierarchical Model of Intelligence by Arthur Jensen
- Level 1 – Associative learning in which output is more or less similar to input
(Possessed by Ryan)
- Level 2 – Cognitive competence involves higher-order skills as they transform the input to produce an effective output.
(Possessed by Shireen)
- Based on the Psychometric Approach (or any other relevant explanation)
25. Explain any three psychological models used to understand mental disorders.
Ans: Psychological Models
- 1. Psychodynamic: Psychodynamic theorists believe that behaviour, whether normal or abnormal, is determined by psychological forces within the person of which s/he is not consciously aware.
- 2. Behavioural: This model states that both normal and abnormal behaviours are learned, and psychological disorders are the result of learning maladaptive ways of behaving.
- 3. Cognitive: This model states that abnormal functioning can result from cognitive problems.
- 4. Humanistic–Existential: Humanists believe that human beings are born with a natural tendency to be friendly, cooperative and constructive, and are driven to self-actualise, i.e. to fulfil this potential for goodness and growth. Existentialists believe that from birth, we have total freedom to give meaning to our existence or to avoid that responsibility. (Explanation of any three)
26. (a) An individual’s attitude towards a particular topic may be contrary to his behaviour. Justify this statement with evidence.
Ans: (a) LaPiere experiment: In the days when Americans were said to be prejudiced against the Chinese, Richard LaPiere, an American social psychologist, conducted the following study. He asked a Chinese couple to travel across the United States and stay in different hotels. Only once during these occasions were they refused service by one of the hotels. Sometime later, LaPiere sent out questionnaires to managers of hotels and tourist homes in the same areas where the Chinese couple had travelled, asking them if they would give accommodation to Chinese guests. A very large percentage said that they would not do so. This response showed a negative attitude towards the Chinese, which was inconsistent with the positive behaviour that was actually shown towards the travelling Chinese couple. Thus, attitudes may not always predict the actual pattern of one’s behaviour.
OR
(b)Values and beliefs are not the same as attitudes. Explain this statement with the help of examples.
Ans: (b) Beliefs refer to the cognitive component of attitudes, and form the ground on which attitudes stand, such as belief in God, or belief in democracy as a political ideology. Values are attitudes or beliefs that contain a ‘should’ or ‘ought’ aspect, such as moral or ethical values. One example of a value is the idea that one should work hard, or that one should always be honest, because honesty is the best policy. Values are formed when a particular belief or attitude becomes an inseparable part of a person’s outlook on life.
27. Mehak is an important member of her Psychology group and has recently been selected to be a member of the football team as well. What is the main difference between the group and the team that she is a part of?
Ans:
| Group | Team |
| 1. Performance is dependent on the contribution of individual members | 1. Both individual contribution and teamwork matter |
| 2. The leader or whoever is heading the group holds responsibility for the work | 2. Although there is a leader, members holdthemselves responsible |
Section D (4 Marks)
28. (a) Describe the model which states that intellectual activity involves the three interdependent functioning of neurological systems.
Ans: PASS Model
- (i) Attention Arousal: Arousal and attention enable a person to process information. An optimal level of arousal focuses our attention to the relevant aspects of a problem.
- (ii) Simultaneous & successive processing takes place when you perceive the relations among various concepts and integrate them into a meaningful pattern for comprehension.
- (iii) Planning: It allows us to think of the possible courses of action, implement them to reach a target, and evaluate their effectiveness. (Explanation of above processes)
OR
(b) The cultural environment provides a context for intelligence to develop. How does the role of culture influence our understanding of intelligence? Explain.
Ans: According to Vygotsky, culture provides a social context in which people live, grow and understand the world around them.
- Sternberg’s notion of contextual or practical intelligence implies that intelligence is a product of culture.
- Technologically advanced societies adopt child-rearing practices that foster skills of generalisation, abstraction, speed, minimal moves and mental manipulation among children, whereas
- Integral intelligence emphasises connectivity with the social and world environment, and the majority focuses on cognitive, social, emotional and entrepreneurial competences. (Or any other four relevant points)
29. A study found that one-third of British children, at age six, are afraid of snakes even though it is rare to encounter snakes in British Isles. The children had never come in contact with snakes in a traumatic situation, but snakes still generated anxious response. How would Carl Jung’s theory of personality explain the same? Throw some light on his theory.
Ans:
- The given example can be best understood with the help of Carl Jung’s analytical Psychology.
- Concept of the collective unconscious consisting of Archetypes or primordial images.
- Primordial images (archetypes) are not individually acquired, but are inherited.
- The God or the Mother Earth.
- So the British children have the primordial images of snakes (archetype) which are inherited (or any other relevant example) (Any other relevant feature of Carl Jung’s theory)
30. (a) To deal effectively with environment, the individuals must possess the right life skills. Explain any four of these life skills.
Ans: Life Skills
- Assertiveness: Assertiveness is a behaviour or skill that helps to communicate, clearly and confidently, our feelings, needs, wants, and thoughts.
- Time management: 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.
- Rational Thinking: Some of the principles of rational thinking are: challenging your distorted thinking and irrational beliefs, driving out potentially intrusive negative anxiety-provoking thoughts, and making positive statements.
- Improving relationships: This consists of three essential skills: listening to what the other person is saying, expressing how you feel and what you think, and accepting the other
- person’s opinions and feelings, even if they are different from your own.
- Self-care: If we keep ourselves healthy, fit and relaxed, we are better prepared physically and emotionally to tackle the stresses of everyday life.
- Overcoming unhelpful habits: Unhelpful habits, such as perfectionism, avoidance, procrastination, etc., are strategies that help to cope in the short-term but make one more vulnerable to stress. (Explanation of any four life skills)
OR
(b) Many ailments like hypertension, ulcers, etc., could be stress-related. To prevent this from happening, we need to be aware about stress management techniques. Explain any four of these techniques.
Ans: Stress management techniques
- Relaxation techniques: Deep breathing is used along with muscle relaxation to calm the mind and relax the body.
- Meditation procedures: It involves such a thorough concentration that the meditator becomes unaware of any outside stimulation and reaches a different state of consciousness.
- Biofeedback: Biofeedback training involves three stages: developing an awareness of the particular physiological response, e.g. heart rate, learning ways of controlling that physiological response in quiet conditions; and transferring that control into the conditions of everyday life.
- Creative Visualisation: Creative visualisation is a subjective experience that uses imagery and imagination. It is easier to visualise if one’s mind is quiet, body relaxed, and eyes are closed.
- Cognitive behavioural techniques: The essence of this approach is to replace negative and
- irrational thoughts with positive and rational ones.
- Exercise: Swimming, walking, running, cycling, skipping, etc, for at least four times a week. help to reduce stress. (Explanation of any 4 techniques)
31. An eight-year-old child is showing aggressive and disruptive behaviour in the class. As a student of Psychology, what techniques would you suggest to help modify the child’s behaviour?
Ans: Behaviour modification techniques
- Positive Reinforcement: Rewarding the child for appropriate behaviour, such as using kind words or following rules, to increase the chances of such behaviour recurring.
- Negative Reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant consequence when the child behaves well—for example, reducing extra tasks if the child sits quietly—encouraging good behaviour.
- Aversive Conditioning: Pairing the undesirable behaviour with an unpleasant consequence, such as removing a privilege when the child is aggressive, to reduce that behaviour.
- Token Economy: Giving tokens or points for good behaviour, which can later be exchanged for a reward, motivating the child to behave positively.
- Differential Reinforcement: Reinforcing only the desired behaviour while ignoring or not reinforcing the undesired ones, to gradually shape better behaviour.
- Modelling/Vicarious Learning: Encouraging the child to observe and imitate the calm and respectful behaviour of peers or adults.
(Relevant explanation of any two of the above techniques)
Section E (6 Marks)
32. (a) A number of theories have been used to understand personality. Discuss how efforts have been made to categorise people into personality types since ancient times.
Ans: Type Approach – Attempts to comprehend human personality by examining certain broad patterns in the observed behavioural characteristics of individuals.
Type Theories
- Hippocrates: The Greek physician Hippocrates had proposed a typology of personality based on fluid or humour. He classified people into four types (i.e., sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric); each characterised by specific behavioural features.
- Charak Samhita: classifies people into the categories of vata, pitta and kapha on the basis of three humoural elements called tridosha. Each refers to a type of temperament, called prakriti (basic nature) of a person.
- Trigunas – Here, the typology of personality is based on the trigunas, i.e. sattva, rajas, and tamas.
- Sheldon – Proposed the Endomorphic, Mesomorphic, Ectomorphic typology based on body build and temperament. The endomorphs are fat, soft and round. The mesomorphs have strong musculature, are rectangular, with a strong body build. The ectomorphs are thin, long and fragile in body build.
- Jung’s typology – Introvert and Extrovert: According to this typology, introverts are people who prefer to be alone, tend to avoid others, withdraw into themselves in the face of emotional conflicts, and are shy. Extroverts, on the other hand, are sociable, outgoing, drawn to occupations that allow dealing directly with people, and react to stress by trying to lose themselves among people and social activity.
- Friedman Rosenman – Type A & Type B, Type C and Type D personalities. Type-A personalities seem to possess high motivation, lack patience, feel short of time, be in a great hurry, and feel like they are always burdened with work. Type B lacks these traits. Type C are cooperative, unassertive and patient. Type D is characterised by a proneness to depression. (Any six points to be explained)
OR
(b) According to Freud, individuals avoid anxiety by using mechanisms that protect the ego by distorting reality. What are these mechanisms called? Explain its different kinds with the help of examples.
Ans: Ego Defence Mechanism / Defence Mechanism
- Repression: The anxiety-provoking behaviours or thoughts are dismissed by the unconscious. When people repress a feeling or desire, they become unaware of that wish or desire.
- Projection: Here, people attribute their own traits to others. Thus, a person who has strong aggressive tendencies may see other people as acting in an excessively aggressive way towards her/him.
- Denial: In denial, a person refuses to accept reality. Thus, someone suffering
- from HIV/AIDS may altogether deny her/ his illness.
- Reaction Formation: In reaction formation, a person defends against anxiety by adopting
- behaviours opposite to her/his true feelings.
- Rationalisation: In rationalisation, a person tries to make unreasonable feelings or behaviour seem reasonable and acceptable.
(Brief explanation of any five defence mechanisms with relevant examples)
Section F
Read the case study and answer the question (Q. 33 34) that follows :
Mohsin, a 6-year-old boy, has difficulty in feeding and dressing himself, but training from his parents has helped him to be a little independent. He faces trouble making friends outside his family and has difficulty in dealing with people in social situations. His parents are always worried about him and are aware that he needs consistent level of supervision in daily tasks. Mohsin’s brother understands his needs and what he says but it is difficult for his peers to understand him as he lags behind them in communication and language skills.
Throughout Mohsin’s journey, psychologists and health workers focused on engaging his family in meaningful future planning using a variety of strategies and resources. This included offering them ongoing and timely information and assisting the family to understand and connect to resources.
33. (a) Identify the disorder Mohsin is exhibiting. Distinguish it from autism spectrum disorder.
Ans: Disorder – Intellectual disability
Intellectual disability:
- The child having an I.Q. of 70 or less suffers from intellectual disability.
- Child deficits or impairments in adaptive behaviour, i.e. in areas of communication, self-care, home living, social/interpersonal skills, etc.
Autism Spectrum Disorder:
- About 70% of children with this disorder have intellectual disabilities.
- Autism spectrum disorder is characterised by widespread impairments in social interaction and communication skills.
- Shows restricted range of interests and strong desire for routine, i.e. difficulty in socialisation. (Any one difference)
OR
(b) How are the symptoms that Mohsin is exhibiting different from a more severe form of that disorder ?
Ans: Mohsin suffers from moderate intellectual disability. Severe /Profound form of intellectual disability differs from moderate intellectual disability in respect of self–help skills, speech and communication, academics, social skills, and vocational adjustment. Explanation of any two areas of functioning.
34. In order to understand Mohsin’s disorder, what do psychologists refer to classify psychological disorders?
Ans: Classification of psychological disorders
(i) DSM–5 by APA
(ii) ICD-10 by WHO.
Read the case study and answer the question (Q. 35 36) that follows :
When Srikanth Bolla was born, neighbours in the village suggested that his parents smother him. It was better than the pain they would have to go through their lifetime, some said. He is useless, baby without eyes; being born blind is a sin, others added. Twenty-three years later, Srikanth is standing tall, living by his conviction that if the ‘world’ looks at me and says, I look back at the world and say, I can do anything.
Srikanth is the Founder and CEO of Hyderabad-based Bollant Industries, an organisation that employs uneducated and challenged employees to manufacture eco-friendly, disposable consumer packaging solutions, which is worth < 50 crore. He considers himself the luckiest man alive, not because he is now a millionaire, but because his uneducated parents, who earned < 20,000 a year, did not heed any of the ‘advice’ they received and raised him with love and affection. They are the richest people I know, says Srikanth.
35. We can see that Srikanth has the ability to adopt, shape and select the environment. Identify the theory of intelligence that would best support our understanding of Srikanth
Ans: Triarchic Theory of intelligence
Type of Intelligence – Contextual Intelligence
36. “Srikanth is standing tall, living by his conviction that if the world looks at me and says, ‘Srikanth, you can do nothing, I look back at the world and say, I can do anything.” According to Gardner’s multiple theory of intelligences, which kind of intelligence explains this? Discuss this intelligence in brief.
Ans: Intrapersonal intelligence
(i) Awareness of one’s own feelings, motives, and desires
(ii) Knowledge of one’s internal strengths and limitations, and using that knowledge to effectively relate to others. (Any one point (i) and (ii)
CBSE Class 12 Psychology 2023 Solved Paper PDF
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