The term "Diathesis" in diathesis stress model means:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → Biological predisposition to the disorder

The diathesis-stress model states that psychological disorders develop when a diathesis (biological predisposition to the disorder) is set off by a stressful situation.

Option (1) Biological predisposition to the disorder — Correct. The first component of the model is the diathesis, the presence of some biological aberration which may be inherited.

Option (2) Psychological predisposition to the disorder — Incorrect. The diathesis carries a vulnerability that puts the person ‘at risk’ of a disorder, but its basis is biological, an inherited aberration, not a psychological one.

Option (3) Social Impact — Incorrect. Social factors come into the model only through the third component, the pathogenic stressors that may set off the disorder. They are the ‘stress’ part of the model, not the diathesis.

Option (4) Cultural Impact — Incorrect. Cultural influences are likewise among the stressors and conditions outside the person; the diathesis is what the person brings to them biologically.

NCERT (2025-26): “Factors Underlying Abnormal Behaviour … In addition to these models, one of the most widely accepted explanations of abnormal behaviour has been provided by the diathesis-stress model. This model states that psychological disorders develop when a diathesis (biological predisposition to the disorder) is set off by a stressful situation. This model has three components. The first is the diathesis or the presence of some biological aberration which may be inherited. The second component is that the diathesis may carry a vulnerability to develop a psychological disorder. This means that the person is ‘at risk’ or ‘predisposed’ to develop the disorder. The third component is the presence of pathogenic stressors, i.e. factors/ stressors that may lead to psychopathology. If such ‘at risk’ persons are exposed to these stressors, their predisposition may actually evolve into a disorder. This model has been applied to several disorders including anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.”