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.
Preeti’s traits such as wears ethnic clothes and carries a khadi shoulder bag always, are called.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Secondary traits
Option (1) Central traits — Incorrect. Central traits are quite generalised dispositions such as warm, sincere, diligent, the kind used in a testimonial. Wearing ethnic clothes is a habit, not a disposition of that breadth.
Option (2) Cardinal traits — Incorrect. Cardinal traits are highly generalised dispositions around which a person’s whole life revolves, such as Gandhi’s non-violence. A choice of clothes and bag does not shape a whole life.
Option (3) Secondary traits — Correct. The least generalised characteristics of a person are called secondary traits; ‘likes mangoes’ or ‘prefers ethnic clothes’ are the examples. Preeti’s ethnic clothes and khadi shoulder bag are the same kind of narrow preference.
Option (4) Satvic guna — Incorrect. Sattva guna, from the Indian typology of the trigunas, includes attributes like cleanliness, truthfulness, dutifulness, detachment and discipline. It is a type of personality based on qualities of character, not a preference for a kind of dress.
NCERT (2025-26): “Allport’s Trait Theory … Cardinal traits are highly generalised dispositions. They indicate the goal around which a person’s entire life seems to revolve. Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence and Hitler’s Nazism are examples of cardinal traits. Such traits often get associated with the name of the person so strongly that they derive such identities as the ‘Gandhian’ or ‘Hitlerian’ trait. Less pervasive in effect, but still quite generalised dispositions, are called central traits. These traits (e.g., warm, sincere, diligent, etc.) are often used in writing a testimonial or job recommendation for a person. The least generalised characteristics of a person are called secondary traits. Traits such as ‘likes mangoes’ or ‘prefers ethnic clothes’ are examples of secondary traits.…” “Type Approaches … Sattva guna includes attributes like cleanliness, truthfulness, dutifulness, detachment, discipline, etc.…” |