Class 12 Psychology — Important Questions Bank
1-Mark Questions (Fill in / Choose / Define)
Intelligence & Aptitude 1. Who proposed the concept of IQ? Answer: William Stern 2. IQ of 70–90 falls in which category? Answer: Below average / Borderline 3. Name any two of Gardner's multiple intelligences. Answer: Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Musical, Spatial, etc. 4. What does DAT stand for? Answer: Differential Aptitude Test
Self and Personality 5. The \_\_\_ is the unconscious storehouse of desires. Answer: Id 6. Name a projective personality test. Answer: Rorschach Inkblot Test / TAT 7. Who developed the 16PF? Answer: Raymond Cattell 8. Define self-concept. Answer: One's own perception of oneself — physical, psychological, and social.
Stress and Coping 9. Expand GAS. Answer: General Adaptation Syndrome 10. Name two emotion-focused coping strategies. Answer: Meditation, social support
Psychological Disorders 11. What does OCD stand for? Answer: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 12. Hallucinations and delusions are symptoms of \_\_\_. Answer: Schizophrenia 13. Expand DSM. Answer: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 14. Which disorder involves multiple personalities? Answer: Dissociative Identity Disorder
Therapeutic Approaches 15. Who developed psychoanalysis? Answer: Sigmund Freud 16. What is systematic desensitisation used for? Answer: Treating phobias 17. ECT stands for? Answer: Electroconvulsive Therapy 18. Who developed Client-Centred Therapy? Answer: Carl Rogers
Attitude and Social Cognition 19. Define attitude. Answer: A learned predisposition to respond positively or negatively toward an object, person, or situation. 20. What is the Fundamental Attribution Error? Answer: Overestimating personality and underestimating situational factors when explaining others' behaviour.
Social Influence 21. Who conducted the conformity experiment? Answer: Solomon Asch 22. Define social loafing. Answer: Tendency to put in less effort when working in a group. 23. Who conducted the obedience experiment? Answer: Stanley Milgram
3-Mark Questions
1. Distinguish between intelligence and aptitude.
Answer outline:
- Intelligence = general mental ability to learn, adapt, reason
- Aptitude = potential to learn a specific skill or domain
- Intelligence measured by IQ tests; Aptitude by DAT
- Intelligence broader; Aptitude more specific
2. Explain the three components of attitude (ABC model).
Answer outline:
- A — Affective component: emotional feeling toward the object
- B — Behavioural component: action tendency, how we behave toward it
- C — Cognitive component: beliefs and knowledge about the object
- All three components are usually consistent
3. What is the General Adaptation Syndrome? Explain its three stages.
Answer outline:
- Hans Selye's model of stress response
- Stage 1: Alarm reaction — body mobilises fight-or-flight
- Stage 2: Resistance — body adapts, maintains alertness
- Stage 3: Exhaustion — resources depleted, vulnerability to illness
4. Distinguish between neurosis and psychosis.
Answer outline:
- Neurosis: mild disorder, person in touch with reality, anxiety-based (e.g., phobia, OCD)
- Psychosis: severe disorder, person loses touch with reality (e.g., schizophrenia)
- Neurosis — insight present; Psychosis — insight absent
5. Explain three techniques used in behaviour therapy.
Answer outline:
- Systematic desensitisation: gradual exposure to phobia + relaxation
- Token economy: rewards for desired behaviour (used in institutions)
- Aversive conditioning: pairing unwanted behaviour with unpleasant stimulus
6. What is social facilitation? Give an example.
Answer outline:
- Performance improves on simple/well-learned tasks when others are present
- Zajonc's social facilitation theory
- Example: Cyclists ride faster in a group than alone
7. Describe two types of leadership styles.
Answer outline:
- Autocratic: leader decides alone, high control, fast decisions
- Democratic: group involvement, collaborative, higher morale
- Laissez-faire: hands-off, works only with highly skilled teams
5-Mark Questions
1. Describe Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. (Unit 1)
Answer outline:
- Howard Gardner, 1983, proposed 8 types of intelligence
- Linguistic: language, writing (poets, writers)
- Logical-mathematical: reasoning, numbers (scientists)
- Musical: rhythm, melody (musicians)
- Spatial: visualization, maps (architects)
- Bodily-kinesthetic: body movement (athletes, dancers)
- Interpersonal: understanding others (teachers, counsellors)
- Intrapersonal: self-understanding
- Naturalist: classifying nature (biologists)
- Implication: education should nurture all types
2. Explain Freud's Psychoanalytic theory of personality. (Unit 2)
Answer outline:
- Three structures: Id (unconscious, pleasure principle), Ego (reality principle), Superego (moral principle)
- Three levels: conscious, preconscious, unconscious (iceberg model)
- Defence mechanisms: repression, projection, rationalization, denial, displacement
- Personality shaped by early childhood experiences
- Criticism: unscientific, difficult to test
3. Discuss the major types of psychological disorders. (Unit 4)
Answer outline:
- Anxiety disorders: Phobia (irrational fear), OCD (obsessions + compulsions), PTSD, GAD, Panic disorder
- Mood disorders: Major Depression (persistent sadness), Bipolar (mania + depression)
- Psychotic: Schizophrenia — hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech
- Dissociative: DID — multiple personalities
- Somatic: physical symptoms without medical cause
4. Compare Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Psychoanalysis. (Unit 5)
Answer outline:
- CBT: Aaron Beck, short-term, present-focused, identifies negative automatic thoughts
- CBT technique: cognitive restructuring, thought records
- Psychoanalysis: Freud, long-term, past-focused, unconscious exploration
- Psychoanalysis techniques: free association, dream analysis, transference
- CBT more evidence-based; Psychoanalysis more insight-based
5. Explain the factors that influence conformity. (Unit 7)
Answer outline:
- Group size: conformity increases up to 3-4 members
- Unanimity: if one dissenter present, conformity drops
- Asch's experiment: 75% conformed at least once
- Task difficulty: more ambiguous = more conformity
- Cultural factors: collectivistic cultures conform more
- Individual factors: self-esteem, need for belonging
10-Mark Questions (Essay)
1. Explain Milgram's obedience experiment and its implications.
Outline: Background + Procedure + Results (65% gave max shock) + Variables (proximity, authority) + Ethical issues + Real-world implications (Holocaust, authority)
2. Describe the causes, symptoms, and treatment of schizophrenia.
Outline: Definition + Types (paranoid, disorganised, catatonic, residual) + Positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) + Negative symptoms (flat affect, alogia) + Biological causes + Treatment (antipsychotics + CBT + rehabilitation)
3. Discuss the role of attitude in social behaviour. How can prejudice be reduced?
Outline: Attitude definition + ABC model + Attitude formation + Prejudice definition + Causes of prejudice + Methods to reduce: intergroup contact, education, empathy, superordinate goals, legislation
Exam Tips
- Always write the name of the psychologist who proposed each theory
- Experiments (Milgram, Asch) must include: purpose, procedure, results, conclusion
- Disorders questions: write name of disorder + at least 3 symptoms
- Use tables to compare (e.g., CBT vs Psychoanalysis) — saves time and earns full marks