Personality traits of “Hardiness” have been highlighted in the studies conducted by:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Kobasa
Option (1) Hans Selye — Incorrect. Selye, the father of modern stress research, described the General Adaptation Syndrome, the body’s three-stage response to prolonged stress.
Option (2) Holmes and Rahe — Incorrect. Holmes and Rahe developed a life event measure of stress, in which each life change carries a stress score.
Option (3) Kobasa — Correct. Kobasa studied people who had high levels of stress but low levels of illness, and found they shared three traits called hardiness: ‘the three Cs’ — commitment, control and challenge. Such a person has a stress-resistant personality.
Option (4) Lazarus and Folkman — Incorrect. Lazarus and Folkman conceptualised coping as a dynamic process and divided it into problem-focused and emotion-focused responses.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 15-05-2026 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Stress Resistant Personality : Recent studies by Kobasa have shown that people with high levels of stress but low levels of illness share three characteristics, which are referred to as the personality traits of hardiness. It consists of ‘the three Cs’, i.e. commitment, control, and challenge. Hardiness is a set of beliefs about oneself, the world, and how they interact. It takes shape as a sense of personal commitment to what you are doing, a sense of control over your life, and a feeling of challenge.…” |