The _____ approach is used in modern times for understanding of psychological disorders.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Interactional approach
Three perspectives on psychological disorders have recurred through history: the supernatural, the biological or organic, and the psychological.
Option (1) Psychological approach — Incorrect. This older view holds that psychological problems are caused by inadequacies in the way an individual thinks, feels, or perceives the world. It looks at one kind of cause only.
Option (2) Biological approach — Incorrect. The biological or organic approach holds that people behave strangely because their bodies and brains are not working properly. It too is one of the old, single-cause perspectives.
Option (3) Interactional approach — Correct. In recent years there has been a convergence of these approaches, which has resulted in an interactional, or bio-psycho-social approach. In it, biological, psychological and social factors all play important roles in the expression and outcome of psychological disorders.
Option (4) Social approach — Incorrect. Social factors are only one of the three that the modern approach brings together; social causes alone do not make up the approach used today.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 02-06-2023 (Slot 3).
NCERT (2025-26): “Historical Background … A recurring theme in the history of abnormal psychology is the belief that individuals behave strangely because their bodies and their brains are not working properly. This is the biological or organic approach. In the modern era, there is evidence that body and brain processes have been linked to many types of maladaptive behaviour.…” “…Another approach is the psychological approach. According to this point of view, psychological problems are caused by inadequacies in the way an individual thinks, feels, or perceives the world.…” “…In recent years, there has been a convergence of these approaches, which has resulted in an interactional, or bio-psycho-social approach. From this perspective, all three factors, i.e. biological, psychological and social play important roles in influencing the expression and outcome of psychological disorders.” |