Ravi, a 35-year-old bank officer in Pune, survived a serious road accident last year. Many months later he still has flashbacks, disturbing dreams and intrusive thoughts about it, and his relationship with his wife has become strained. Under heavy pressure at work, he recently approved a faulty loan that caused the bank a financial loss. He now drinks several cups of coffee a day, skips proper meals for fast food and smokes more than before. He complains of chronic fatigue and low energy, and feels irritable, helpless and hopeless. His daughter Meera, a Class 12 student, feels so tense and uneasy before and during her board examinations that she performs far below the level she shows in class tests.
Ravi's faulty loan decision taken under heavy pressure is an example of which effect of stress?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (3) → Cognitive effect
| Option | Reason |
|---|---|
| Option (1): Emotional effect. Incorrect. | Emotional effects are changes in feelings under stress, such as mood swings, anxiety, depression and irritability. |
| Option (2): Physiological effect. Incorrect. | Physiological effects are bodily changes caused by stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, for example a faster heart rate. |
| Option (3): Cognitive effect. Correct. | Cognitive effects are the effects of stress on thinking. When pressure goes on, a person suffers mental overload and loses the ability to make sound decisions, and such faulty decisions at the workplace may bring financial loss. |
| Option (4): Behavioural effect. Incorrect. | Behavioural effects are changes in what a person does, such as eating less nutritional food and taking more caffeine or cigarettes. |
NCERT (2026-27): “EFFECTS OF STRESS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AND HEALTH … “Cognitive Effects : If pressures due to stress continue, one may suffer from mental overload. This suffering from high level of stress can rapidly cause individuals to lose their ability to make sound decisions. Faulty decisions made at home, in career, or at workplace may lead to arguments, failure, financial loss or even loss of job. Cognitive effects of stress are poor concentration, and reduced short-term memory capacity.” |