Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Psychology

Chapter

Self and Personality

Question:

Please read the case-study and answer the following question.

Four friends Tina, Pallavi, Vinay and Malini went on a trip. They got lost on a deserted island. They lost their boat and it was cold. Pallavi started panicking, got anxious and started worrying. She was thinking the worst that could happen to them-Tina tried to help Pallavi and took care of her. She kept assuring Pallavi that all will be well. Pallavi immediately looked out for Vinay as he was the most responsible among them. He was calm and started looking for wood and food to get through the night.

Malini was excited and wanted everyone to explore the island. She was curious if there were any inhabitants or wild animals. It was like the perfect plot for her next adventure story.

The given case study is based on which approach to study personality?

Options:

Type Approach

Behaviour Approach

Trait Approach

Interactional Approach

Correct Answer:

Trait Approach

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (3) → Trait Approach

The case study describes specific consistent personality characteristics of each individual:

  • Pallavi is anxious and panics → high neuroticism

  • Tina is helpful and caring → high agreeableness

  • Vinay is responsible and calm → high conscientiousness

  • Malini is curious and adventurous → high openness to experience

These traits align with the Five Factor Model (Big Five), which is a part of the Trait Approach. This approach focuses on identifying and measuring individual traits that are stable over time and across situations.

Type Approach classifies people into categories (e.g., introvert/extrovert)
Behaviour Approach focuses on learned behaviors
Interactional Approach studies behavior as a product of both personality and situational factors.