Read the case mentioned below and answer the question :
Rahman is a successful boy, who lives in Mumbai. He is very fond of junk food but he realised that eating junk food has many ill-effects on his health. He read in a newspaper that one can control his/her eating habits in order to reach long term goals in life. After reading this article on "Healthify Life" in the newspaper, he adopted a few effective mechanisms in his own lifestyle.
He selected all necessary information about the ideal weight and body mass index and found out his extra weight that is required to be shed off with immediate effect.
He started self introspection and instructed himself about the changed diet plan and work out schedule.
He kept a self reward policy wherein he could reward his own efforts towards weight loss journey and got extra happiness with each pleasant outcome.
After applying these changes in his life, Rahman reduced his body weight and gained some extra confidence, esteem and happiness in life.
Which aspect of human behaviour is stressed upon in this case study?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Self Regulation
Option (1) Personality — Incorrect. Personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations, which stay fairly stable over time. The case is not about Rahman’s lasting traits but about how he took charge of one habit.
Option (2) Self Regulation — Correct. Self-regulation is our ability to organise and monitor our own behaviour. It covers self-control, the delay of a need, and the techniques that build it: observation of own behaviour, self-instruction and self-reinforcement. Rahman used all three to give up junk food, so the case is about self-regulation.
Option (3) Self Worth — Incorrect. Self-worth, the value a person places on herself/himself, is close to self-esteem. Rahman’s esteem rose at the end, but only as a result of regulating his eating.
Option (4) Self Confidence — Incorrect. His extra confidence is also an outcome mentioned in the last line, not the process the case describes step by step.
NCERT (2025-26): “Self-regulation … Self-regulation refers to our ability to organise and monitor our own behaviour. People, who are able to change their behaviour according to the demands of the external environment, are high on self-monitoring. Many situations of life require resistance to situational pressures and control over ourselves. This becomes possible through what is commonly known as ‘will power’. As human beings we can control our behaviour the way we want. We often decide to delay or defer the satisfaction of certain needs. Learning to delay or defer the gratification of needs is called self-control. Self-control plays a key role in the fulfilment of long-term goals. Indian cultural tradition provides us with certain effective mechanisms (e.g., fasting in vrata or roza and non-attachment with worldly things) for developing self-control. A number of psychological techniques of self-control have also been suggested. Observation of own behaviour is one of them. This provides us with necessary information that may be used to change, modify, or strengthen certain aspects of self. Self-instruction is another important technique. We often instruct ourselves to do something and behave the way we want to. Such instructions are quite effective in self-regulation. Self-reinforcement is the third technique. This involves rewarding behaviours that have pleasant outcomes. For example, you may go to see a movie with friends, if you have done well in an examination. These techniques have been tried out and found quite effective with respect to self-regulation and self-control.” |