Ritu, a Class 12 student in Pune, is doing a small survey for her psychology project. She talks to her friend, a friend of her parents and her neighbour. The neighbour describes a young man in the colony who has stayed in his room for weeks. He cannot do his daily work, feels upset all the time and once tried to hurt himself. The friend of her parents says a woman nearby is called 'abnormal' only because she dresses and behaves differently from what the community expects. Ritu also learns that the young man's family has not met a psychologist because they feel ashamed.
The neighbour's description shows the common features that most definitions of abnormality share. Which of the following are these 'four Ds'?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger
Option (1) Deviance, distress, delusion and danger — Incorrect. Delusion is a symptom of some disorders, a false belief held firmly. It is not one of the four Ds; the D that belongs in its place is dysfunction.
Option (2) Deviance, disorder, dysfunction and danger — Incorrect. Disorder is the condition being defined, so it cannot be one of its own features. The four Ds have distress in this place.
Option (3) Deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger — Correct. These are the four Ds. Disorders are deviant (unusual), distressing (upsetting), dysfunctional (they block daily activities) and possibly dangerous. The young man shows distress, dysfunction and danger.
Option (4) Distress, dependence, dysfunction and danger — Incorrect. Dependence is not one of the four Ds. The set starts with deviance, which is missing here.
NCERT (2026-27): “CONCEPTS OF ABNORMALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS |