Class XII Session 2025-26

Subject - Psychology
Sample Question Paper - 2

Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 70

General Instructions:

1. All questions are compulsory except where internal choice has been given.

2. Question Nos. 1-14 in Section A carry 1 mark each. You are expected to answer them as directed.

3. Question Nos. 15-19 in Section B are very short answer type-I questions carrying 2 marks each. The answer to

each question should not exceed 30 words.

4. Question Nos. 20-23 in Section C are short answer type-II questions carrying 3 marks each. The answer to each

question should not exceed 60 words.

5. Question Nos. 24 - 27 in Section D are long answer type-I questions carrying 4 marks each. The answer to each
question should not exceed 120 words.

6. Question Nos. 28-29 in Section E are long answer type-II questions carrying 6 marks each. The answer to each

question should not exceed 200 words.

7. Question Nos. 30–33 in Section F are based on two cases given. The answer to each onemark question should not

exceed 20 words. The answer to each two-mark question should not exceed 30 words.

Section A
1. The way we perceive ourselves and the ideas we hold about our competencies and attributes is called ________. [1]

a) Self esteem b) Self regulation

c) Self efficacy d) Self concept

2. ________ refers to those attributes of a person that make her/him different from others. [1]

a) Familial self b) Social identity

c) Relational self d) Personal identity

3. Who developed an Indian adaptation of the Differential Aptitude Test? [1]

a) J. M. Ojha b) Baqer Mehdi

c) Paramesh d) C. V. Raman
4. Name the treatment that combines Pranayam with chanting of mantras. [1]

a) Sudarshana Kriya Yoga b) Kundalini Yoga

c) Vipasana d) Ashtanga Yoga

5. What is the term used when a client learns to behave in a certain way by observing the behaviour of a role model [1]
or the therapist?

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 a) Modelling b) Differential reinforcement

c) Vicarious learning d) Inhibition

6. A therapist asks a client to reveal all his or her thoughts including his/her early childhood problems. What [1]
therapy is being used here?

a) Behavior therapy b) Biomedical therapy

c) Psychodynamic therapy d) Cognitive therapy

7. A strategy which involves denying or minimising the seriousness of any situation while coping with stress is [1]
best known as ________.

a) Assertiveness b) Avoidance-oriented strategy

c) Task oriented strategy d) Emotion-oriented strategy

8. When children face difficulty being in a room by themselves or going to school alone, it is called ________. [1]

a) Panic disorder b) SAD

c) Compulsive disorder d) Phobia

9. Which of the following constitutes Trigunas as per Ayurveda? [1]

a) Vatta, pitta, rajas b) Sattva, rajas, kapha

c) Vata, pitta, kapha d) Sattva, rajas and tamas

10. Which of the following is not an example of a primary group? [1]

a) Family b) Caste

c) Religion d) Political party

11. In which stage of group formation, there is conflict among members about how the target of the group is to be [1]
achieved?

a) Storming b) Forming

c) Norming d) Performing
12. When group cohesion interferes with effective leadership and lead to disaster decisions, this phenomenon is [1]
known as

a) Identification b) Obedience

c) Groupthink d) Conformity
13. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our society has witnessed many deplorable instances of discrimination, with [1]
prejudice. If you devise a plan to handle prejudice, it will include ________.

a) Changing such attitudes b) De-emphasising a narrow social identity

based on the in-group

c) All of these d) Minimising opportunities for learning

prejudices
14. In this type of group, the roles to be performed by members are stated in an explicit manner. [1]

a) Secondary b) Informal

c) Formal d) Primary

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 Section B
15. Tahir is unable to decide whether to study dance or music as he likes both. Is he frustrated or facing a conflict? [2]
Explain very briefly.
16. What functions do dream serve according to Freud? [2]
17. How is personal identity different from social identity? [2]
18. What is personality? [2]
19. What are the main differences between groups and teams? [2]
OR
What is social loafing?
Section C
20. Prejudice can exist without discrimination and vice-versa. Comment. [3]
21. How does rational emotive therapy help in reducing distress? Support your answer with the help of an example. [3]
22. How Psychodynamic therapies are different from Logotherapy? [3]
23. How does Erich Fromm differ from Freud’s approach to personality? [3]
OR
What is self-esteem?
Section D
24. Differentiate between prejudice and stereotype. [4]
25. Given what you know about coping strategies, what suggestions would you give to your friends to avoid stress [4]
in their everyday lives?
26. How do you define personality? Explain any one approach to the study of personality. [4]
OR
Describe behavioural ratings used in the assessment of personality. Explain the major limitations in using these
ratings.
27. How do psychologists characterize and define intelligence? [4]
Section E
28. Explain theories related to Psychometric Approach of Intelligence. [6]
OR
Any intellectual activity involves the independent functioning of three neurological systems. Explain with reference
to PASS model.
29. What is IQ? How do psychologists classify people on the bases of their IQ scores? [6]
Section F
Question No. 30 to 31 are based on the given text. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: [3]
Various factors have been identified which facilitate the development of positive health. Health is a state of complete
physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Positive health
comprises the following constructs: “a healthy body, high quality of personal relationships, a sense of purpose in life
self-regard, mastery of life’s tasks and resilience to stress, trauma, and change”. Specifically, factors that act as stress
buffers and facilitate positive health are diet, exercise, positive attitude, positive thinking, and social support. It is
essential to have a healthy lifestyle for handling stress and effective coping. Assertiveness, time management, rational
thinking, improving relationships, self-care, and overcoming unhelpful habits are life skills that help us to meet life's
challenges. Positive health and well-being come through a balanced diet, exercise, positive attitude, positive optimistic

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thinking, and social support. There is also a need for overall harmonious conditions in society. We must avoid taking
unhealthy escape routes of smoking, alcohol, drugs, and other harmful behaviors.
30. Identify the behavior or skill that helps to communicate, clearly and confidently, our feelings, needs, wants, and
thoughts. (1)
31. What are the traits of hardiness? Explain them. (2)
Question No. 32 to 33 are based on the given text. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: [3]
Stress is a common occurrence. While you can’t remove every single stressor from your life, it’s possible to manage
stress and maintain your health. This is important because stress can cause mental fatigue, irritability, and insomnia. But
even if you know the physical effects of stress, you may be unaware of the different stages of stress, known as general
adaptation syndrome (GAS). When you understand the different stages of stress and how the body responds in these
stages, it’s easier to identify signs of chronic stress in yourself.
Selye found that over time, resistance to stress can cause the body to become exhausted. As a result of weakened
resistance, the body is more susceptible to inflammatory diseases, chronic fatigue, and a shorter life.

32. Which stage is considered a level of normal resistance? (1)

33. What are the 3 stages of stress response? Explain. (2)

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 Solution

Section A
1.
(d) Self concept
Explanation:
All of us carry within us, a sense of who we are and what makes us different from others. We stick to our personal and social
identities and feel safe in this perception which is called self concept. Finding out an individual's self concept is not easy.

2.
(d) Personal identity
Explanation:
Personal identity refers to those attributes of a person that make her/him different from others. When a person describes
herself/himself by telling her/his name (e.g., I am Sanjana or Karim), or her/ his qualities or characteristics (e.g., I am honest
or hardworking person), or her/his potentialities or capabilities (e.g., I am a singer or dancer), or her/his beliefs (e.g., I am a
believer in God or destiny), s/he is disclosing her/his personal identity.

3. (a) J. M. Ojha
Explanation:
J. M. Ojha has developed an Indian adaptation of DAT. Several other aptitude tests have been developed in India for measuring
scientific, scholastic, literary, clerical, and teaching aptitudes
4.
(b) Kundalini Yoga
Explanation:
Kundalini yoga incorporates chanting mantras and breathing exercises with physical poses. It is an effective alternate treatment
of psychological stress.

5. (a) Modelling
Explanation:
Modelling is one way in which behavior is learned. When a person observes the behavior of another and then imitates that
behavior, he or she is modeling the behavior.
6.
(c) Psychodynamic therapy
Explanation:
The psychodynamic therapy views intrapsychic conflict to be the cause of the psychological disorder, the first step in the
treatment is to elicit this intrapsychic conflict.

7.
(b) Avoidance-oriented strategy
Explanation:
Avoidance oriented strategy involves conscious suppression of stressful thought and their replacement by protective thoughts
like phoning up friends or watching TV. You try and minimise the seriousness of a situation.

8.
(b) SAD
Explanation:
Separation anxiety disorder(SAD) a disorder in which a child becomes excessively anxious when separated from
[Link] are especially prone to separation anxiety during times of stress.

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 9.
(d) Sattva, rajas and tamas
Explanation:
As per Charak Samhita, the three Gunas are: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, ordered from “best” to “worst”. Ayurveda is always
striving to boost Sattva that includes cleanliness, truthfulness, discipline etc

10.
(d) Political party
Explanation:
Political party

11. (a) Storming

Explanation:
There is a stage of intragroup conflict which is referred to as storming. In this stage, there is conflict among members about
how the target of the group is to be achieved, who is to control the group and its resources, and who is to perform what task.
12.
(c) Groupthink
Explanation:
In groupthink, the group consensus interferes with rational decision making and lead to disasterous results as no one expresses
any dissent.

13.
(c) All of these
Explanation:
All of these

14.
(c) Formal
Explanation:
Formal groups are the ones that are created as per official authority, so as to fulfill the desired objective and hence the roles of
members are predefined.

Section B
15. Tahir is facing a conflict. He is experiencing a decision-making dilemma where he has to choose between two desirable options
(dance and music), and the inability to choose one is causing him uncertainty and indecision.
16. Dreams are considered as the royal road to the unconscious. Mainly they serve the following purposes:
i. They work as safeguards of sleep.
ii. They work as wish fulfilment devices. We can give expression to impulses and desires we find unacceptable during our
waking hours.
iii. Dreams release unconscious tension arising out of conflicts between Id and Ego.
17. Personal Identity: It refers to those attributes of a person that make him different from others, e.g., name, qualities,
characteristics, beliefs, etc.
Social Identity: It refers to those aspects of a person that link him to a social or cultural group or are derived from it. e.g., when
someone says that he is a Hindu or a Muslim he is trying to indicate his social identity.
18. According to Allport, personality is a dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems which
determine his/her characteristic pattern of behaviour and thought.
19. Both groups and teams are collections of people but they differ in following ways:
i. In groups, performance is dependent on the contributions of individual members. In teams, both individual contributions and
teamwork matter.

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 ii. In groups, the leader or whoever is heading the group holds responsibility for the work. However, in teams, although there is
a leader, members hold themselves responsible.
OR
Social loafing can be defined as reductions in motivation and effort when individuals work collectively in a group, compared to
when they work individually. An example of such a task is the game of tug-of-war. It is not possible for you to identify how much
force each member of the team has been exerting. Such situations give opportunities to group members to relax and become free
riders.
Section C
20. Prejudices can exist without being shown in the form of discrimination. Similarly, discrimination can be shown without prejudice.
i. Wherever prejudice and discrimination exist, conflicts are very likely to arise between groups within the same society.
ii. We all witnessed many instances of discrimination, with and without prejudice, based on gender, religion, community, caste,
physical handicap, and illnesses such as AIDS.
iii. Moreover, in many cases, discriminatory behaviour can be curbed by law. But, the cognitive and emotional components of
prejudice are more difficult to change.
21. Rational Emotive Therapy has been formulated by Albert Ellis. The Central thesis of this therapy is that irrational beliefs mediate
between antecedents' events and their consequences.
ABC model:
The first step in RET is the antecedent belief-consequence (ABC) analysis. Antecedent events, which caused psychological
distress is noted, by the use of an interview, which is distorting the present reality. Say for example that a person feels that no one
loves him, then this irrational belief has to be catered by identifying the antecedent event. In the process of RET, irrational beliefs
are refuted by the therapist through a process of non-directive questioning. In the case where the person feels that no one loves
me, the therapist will counter him by giving the examples which for the client's life events. 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.
22. Psychodynamic therapy:
i. According to Psychodynamic therapies cause of problem is intrapsychic conflicts.
ii. Belief in unconscious which is reservoir of instinctive and animal drives.
iii. Past, i.e., psychosexual development is important in personality development/ disorder.
iv. Transference is actively encouraged.
Logo Therapy:
i. Cause of problems is not getting meaning of ones life and existence.
ii. Belief in spiritual unconscious which is full of positive emotions and aesthetic values.
iii. Present is important for personality development/disorder.
iv. Transference is actively discouraged.
23. i. According to Freud, approachable personality is biologically oriented whereas Erich Fromm’s theory of personality has a
social orientation.
ii. He viewed human beings basically as social beings.
iii. For him, personality traits develop due to social interaction whereas, according to Freud, the roots of personality development
lies in innate tendencies and unconscious desires.
OR
i. Self-esteem is a cognitive component of self.
ii. The value judgment of a person about herself/himself is called self-esteem.
iii. It can be high or low. To assess it, we present a variety of statements to a person and ask him to indicate the extent to which
they are true for him. e.g., we may ask a child to what extent the statement “I am good at homework” or “I am highly liked by
my peers” is true. If he responds as them to be true, he will have high self-esteem than someone who says “no”.
Section D
24. Prejudices are a negative attitude.
i. These are biased about others.
ii. Prejudices are baseless and false.
iii. It refers to a biased attitude formed about an individual or a group of people.
iv. These are usually negative.
v. It has three components, i.e., A-B-C-

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 a. Affective (Emotional i.e dislike or hatred).
b. Behavioural (i.e., discrimination).
c. Cognitive (Believes, i.e., stereotypes).
Stereotypes are a cognitive component of prejudice. It is strongly influenced by the processing of incoming social information.
i. These are over-generalized beliefs, e.g., girls are talkative.
ii. Stereotypes are category based schemas.
iii. These may be positive or negative or neutral.
iv. The stereotype has no emotional blending.
v. From stereotypes, prejudices may emerge very easily.
vi. Stereotypes are usually formed for the groups.
vii. Stereotypes are preconceived notions.
25. High school students these days avoid extremely stressful lives, with increasing completion, expectations and demands. Therefore,
I would suggest ‘task-oriented strategy’ as explained by Endler and Parker, to be an effective means in coping with stress.
Task-oriented coping involves:
i. Obtaining information about a stressful situation.
ii. Deciding our priorities.
iii. Dealing directly with the stressful situation.
Such an approach helps during exams and project deadlines.
I would also suggest the adoption of a positive attitude and thinking which promotes health and well-being.
A positive attitude where the individual has a fairly accurate perception of reality; ability to take credit for success and blame
for failure; acceptance and tolerance for other’s viewpoints.
Positive thinking interns of being optimistic. Optimism points towards the inclination - to expect favorable life outcomes. An
optimist will always use problem-focused coping and try and find the source of stress. Relaxation Techniques, Exercise,
Balanced Diet all contribute significantly to stress reduction.
26. Personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations.
Behavioral approach does not give importance to the internal dynamics of behaviour. The behaviourists believe in data, which
they feel are definable, observable, and measurable. Thus, they focus on learning of stimulus-response connections and their
reinforcement. According to them, personality can be best understood as the response of an individual to the environment. They
see the development simply as a change in response characteristics, i.e. a person learns new behaviours in response to new
environments and stimuli. For most behaviourists, the structural unit of personality is the response. Each response is a behaviour,
which is emitted to satisfy a specific need.
For example, children do not like eating many of the vegetables (e.g., spinach, pumpkin, gourds, etc.), but gradually they learn to
eat [Link] to the behavioural approach, children may initially learn to eat such vegetables in anticipation of appreciation
(reinforcement) from their parents. Later on they may eventually learn to eat vegetables not only because their parents are pleased
with this behaviour, but also because they acquire the taste of those vegetables, and find them good. Thus, the core tendency that
organises behaviour is the reduction of biological or social needs that energise behaviour. This is accomplished through responses
(behaviours) that are reinforced.
The theories of classical conditioning (Pavlov), instrumental conditioning (Skinner), and observational learning (Bandura) are
well-known. These theories view learning and maintenance of behaviour from different angles.
OR
i. Used for assessment in educational and industrial setting.
ii. Generally taken by people who know the assessee.
iii. They attempt to put individuals into certain categories in terms of their behavioural qualities.
iv. The categories may involve different numbers or descriptor.
v. In order to use ratings effectively, the traits should be clearly defined in terms of carefully started behavioural anchors.
The method of rating suffers from the following major limitations:
1. Raters often display certain biases that colour their judgments of different traits. For example, most of us are greatly
influenced by a single favourable or unfavourable trait. This often forms the basis of a rater’s overall judgment of a person.
This tendency is known as the halo effect.
2. Raters have a tendency to place individuals either in the middle of the scale (called middle category bias) by avoiding extreme
positions, or in the extreme positions (called extreme response bias) by avoiding middle categories on the scale.

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27. The psychological motion of intelligence is quite different from the common sensed motion of intelligence.
Generally, people saw intelligence as mental alertness, ready art, quickness in learning and ability to understand relationships.
Oxford dictionary explained intelligence as the power of perceiving, learning to understand and know.
Accordingly, Alfred Binet also used these attributes and defined intelligence as the ability to judge well, understand well and
reason well.
Later Wechsler gave a comprehensive definition in terms of its functionality, i.e., its value for adaptation to the environment. He
defined intelligence as “the global and aggregate capacity of an individual to think rationally, act purposefully and to deal
effectively with his/her environment.”
Present-day psychologists such as Gardner and Sternberg emphasized that “Intelligent individual not only adapts to the
environment but actively modifies or shapes it.”
Sternberg views intelligence as “ the ability to adapt, to shape and select an environment to accomplish one's goals and those of
one's society and culture.”
Section E
28. The psychometric approach considers intelligence as an aggregate of abilities. It expresses an individual's performance in terms of
a single index of cognitive abilities.
i. Alfred Binet conceptualized intelligence as consisting of one similar set of abilities that can be used for solving all problems
in an individual's life. This theory of intelligence is called uni or the one-factor theory of intelligence.
ii. Charles Spearman introduced the two-factor theory of intelligence employing a statistical method called factor analysis.
a. He said that intelligence consisted of a general (g-factor) and some specific factors (s-factor).
b. The g-factor includes mental operations which are primary and common to all performances.
c. In addition to the g-factor, he said that there is an s-factor that is not common and helps the individual to excel in a
particular field.
iii. Theory of primary mental abilities was proposed by Louis Thurston.
a. It says that intelligence consists of seven primary abilities. Each ability is relatively independent of others.
iv. Arthur Jensen proposed a hierarchical model of intelligence, consisting of abilities operating at two levels.
Level-I: associative learning in which output is more or less similar to the input.
Level-II: called cognitive competence, involves high order skills as they transform the input to produce an effective output.
v. Structure-of-intellect-model: Proposed by J.P. Guilford.
vi. He classifies intellectual traits among three dimensions—operations, contents, and products.
OR
According to PASS model, theory based on information processing approach, intellectual activity involves the interdependent
functioning of the three neurological systems called the functional units of the brain.
These units are responsible for:
i. the arousal and attention.
ii. the simultaneous and successive processing.
iii. the planning.
Arousal and Attention
i. State of arousal helps in attending to the stimuli.
ii. Arousal and attention enable a person to process information.
iii. The optimal level of arousal focuses our attention on relevant aspects of a problem.
iv. Too much or too little arousal interferes with attention and performance.
Simultaneous and Successive Processing:
Simultaneous Processing refers to perceiving relations amongst various concepts and integrate them into meaningful
patterns for comprehension.
For e.g., in Raven’s standard progressive matrices (RSPM Test) choosing an appropriate pattern by comprehending relationship.
Successive Processing refers to recalling information serially so that one recall leads to another recall. For example, learning of
digits and letters and multiplication tables.
Planning:
i. After the information is attended to and processed, planning is activated.
ii. Planning involves reaching to the target and evaluating their effectiveness. Planning allows us to think of possible courses of
action and implementing them.
iii. If a plan does not work, it is modified to suit the requirements of the task or the situation.

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29. i. IQ is an index of brightness.
ii. It is the ratio of mental age to chronological age.
MA
iii. The concept of IQ was given by William Stern who gave the formula to calculate IQ i.e., CA
× 100

a. If MA > CA Above average

MA < CA Below average
MA = CA Average
b. IQ is relatively stable.
c. Average IQ is 100.
d. It is a good predictor of potential.
e. IQ scores are distributed in a population in such a way that most people tend to fall in the middle range of the distribution.
f. This can be shown in the form of the following table
Classification of people on the Basis of IQ
IQ Range Descriptive Label Per cent in the Population

Above 130 Very superior 2.2

120-130 Superior 6.7

110-1119 High average 16.1

90-109 Average 50.0

80-89 Low average 16.1

70-79 Borderline 6.7

Below 70 Mentally challenged/retarded 2.2

Section F
30. Assertiveness is the behavior or skill that helps to communicate, clearly and confidently, our feelings, needs, wants, and thoughts.
31. The traits of hardiness are
Challenge: Seeing problems or stressors as challenges and opportunities.
Control: Believing that you influence your environment and your destiny.
Commitment: Having a tendency to get involved in anything you do.
32. The alarm reaction stage is considered a level of normal resistance. During the alarm stage, your brain sends an emergency signal
to other parts of your body, which lets those parts know that you're in a dangerous situation. As your body mobilizes itself to react,
you can choose between a fight or flight response.
33. There are three stages to stress: the alarm stage, the resistance stage and the exhaustion stage.
1. The alarm stage is when the central nervous system is awakened, causing your body’s defenses to assemble. This SOS stage
results in a fight-or-flight response.
2. The resistance stage is when your body begins to repair itself and normalize heart rate, blood pressure, etc. After the initial
shock of a stressful event, your body enters this recovery phase but remains on high alert for a while.
3. The exhaustion stage is when activation in the first two stages continues over time, causing a breakdown in the balance
within your body. This is when certain diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease, may begin.

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