A bank is choosing branch heads from 30 officers. Over two days, each officer first has a face-to-face talk with a panel. Trained staff then sit in on group tasks and write down how each officer acts and speaks. The staff also score every officer on a five-point scale for calmness and fairness. Each officer is asked to pick two colleagues he or she would most like to work under. Finally, an actor plays an angry customer at a mock counter, and the staff note how each officer handles him.
The bank's plan for assessing the personality of its officers is an example of which method?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Behavioural analysis
Option (1) Behavioural analysis — Correct. Behavioural analysis judges personality from a person's <strong>behaviour in a variety of situations</strong>, with observation as its basis. The bank uses all five sources of an observer's report: <strong>interview, observation, ratings, nomination and a situational test</strong>.
Option (2) Self-report measures — Incorrect. Self-report measures are structured tests, such as the MMPI, EPQ and 16 PF, in which people answer statements about themselves. Here the information comes from trained staff judging what the officers do.
Option (3) Projective techniques — Incorrect. Projective techniques give a less structured stimulus, such as an inkblot or a picture, so that a person projects unconscious feelings and needs on to it. The bank's tasks are real work situations, judged from open conduct.
Option (4) Case study — Incorrect. A case study is an in-depth study of one person's psychological attributes and history, built over a long time. The bank assesses 30 officers in two days on how they act in set situations.
NCERT (2026-27): “Behavioural Analysis |