Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Preeti is a hardworking and sincere social worker, who is famous amongst the community she works with as ‘Sakhi Saheli’ because of her empathetic and warm personality. Her friends often call this phenomena ‘Preetism’, a label that denotes her loving generous and friendly nature. She is always seen in ethnic clothes and a khadi shoulder bag. For her self-less service towards the less privileged, Preeti was recognised by several organisations and the government.
It can therefore be concluded that traits are relatively __________ over time and __________ across situations.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Stable, consistent
A trait is a relatively enduring attribute on which one individual differs from another. To summarise: (a) traits are relatively stable over time, (b) they are generally consistent across situations, and (c) their strengths and combinations vary across individuals. Preeti is always seen in ethnic clothes, and her warm nature is known to the whole community she works with, which is why her friends could give it a name.
Options (1), (2) and (3) each put ‘unstable’ or ‘inconsistent’ in one of the blanks, and a quality that changed from day to day or from one situation to another would not be a trait at all.
NCERT (2025-26): “Trait Approaches … A trait is considered as a relatively enduring attribute or quality on which one individual differs from another. They include a range of possible behaviours that are activated according to the demands of the situation. To summarise, (a) traits are relatively stable over time, (b) they are generally consistent across situations, and (c) their strengths and combinations vary across individuals leading to individual differences in personality.…” |