Please read the passage and answer the questions that follow:
Mohan is a 16 years old boy studying in high school. He usually gets anxious in normal circumstances. He has bouts of anxiety attacks when his teachers give him any assignments. In normal times too, he shows symptoms like restlessness, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, frequent urination, rapid heart rate etc. He has unpleasant feelings of fear and apprehensions. After such observations his family members brought him to a psychologist for consultation. The psychologist took detailed information about his psychological attributes, history in the context of his physical & psycho-social environment and interviews with his parents. The parents recalled that their child has become anxious & fearful and is unable to relax. Gradually Mohan is isolating himself from all his near and dear ones.
An in depth study of the individual in terms of his psychological attributes and history in the context of psychosocial and physical environment is called as:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Case Study
Option (1) Observation — Incorrect. Observation records behavioural phenomena as they occur, in a systematic and objective way. It sees what a person does at a time; it is one source of data for a case study, not an in-depth study of the whole person.
Option (2) Interview — Incorrect. An interview seeks information from a person on a one-to-one basis, as a counsellor or an employer does. The psychologist did interview Mohan’s parents, but that interview fed a larger study.
Option (3) Self-Report — Incorrect. In a self-report the person gives information about herself/himself (facts, opinions, beliefs), usually through an interview or a questionnaire. It covers only what the person reports.
Option (4) Case Study — Correct. A case study is an in-depth study of the individual in terms of her/his psychological attributes and psychological history, in the context of her/his psychosocial and physical environment. It is based on data from several methods: interview, observation, questionnaires and psychological tests. The psychologist who studied Mohan’s attributes and history and also spoke to his parents was building a case study.
Note 1: This question is based on the chapter ‘Variations in Psychological Attributes’, where case study is described as a method of assessment. However, since it is a case-study based question, all the questions on this case study are tagged to the chapter ‘Psychological Disorders’, which the case study is about.
Note 2: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 16-05-2025 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2026 on 06-06-2026 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Assessment Methods … Case Study is an in-depth study of the individual in terms of her/his psychological attributes, psychological history in the context of her/his psychosocial and physical environment. Case studies are widely used by clinical psychologists. Case analyses of the lives of great people can also be highly illuminating for those willing to learn from their life experiences. Case studies are based on data generated by different methods, e.g. interview, observation, questionnaire, psychological tests, etc.…” “…Interview involves seeking information from a person on a one-to-one basis.…” “…Observation involves employing systematic, organised, and objective procedures to record behavioural phenomena occurring naturally in real time.…” “…Self-Report is a method in which a person provides factual information about herself/himself and/or opinions, beliefs, etc. that s/he holds. Such information may be obtained by using an interview schedule or a questionnaire, a psychological test, or a personal diary.” |