Read the passage and answer the following questions:
Rajan, a grade XII student, has been aspiring for medicine as a career. He has gone through a lot of challenges on the family- front, like moving into a new house, serious health issues, financial setbacks etc. Suddenly, a week before his entrance examination, he experienced numbness on the left side of his body and within the next few days he was unable to move entirely. He was hospitalized and couldn't appear for the entrance exam. Doctors did not find any physiological anomalies in his medical reports but identified psychological causes of the problem. Later, he recovered and is now pursuing his graduation.
Which one of the following factors underlies Rajan's behaviour?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Stress
Option (1) Unhealthy life style — Incorrect. An unhealthy life style, such as a poor diet, no exercise or smoking, harms health over a long time. The passage says nothing about Rajan’s habits; his trouble came suddenly, a week before the examination.
Option (2) Malnutrition — Incorrect. Malnutrition is one of the biological factors, with faulty genes, endocrine imbalances and injuries, that can interfere with the normal functioning of the body. But the doctors did not find any physiological anomalies in Rajan, so a biological cause is ruled out.
Option (3) Stress — Correct. Rajan faced one stressor after another: moving into a new house, serious health issues in the family, financial setbacks, and then the pressure of the entrance examination. The doctors found psychological causes. Symptoms such as numbness and paralysis without a physical cause are those of conversion disorder, and these often occur after a stressful experience.
Option (4) Injuries — Incorrect. Injuries are also a biological factor. Rajan had no injury, and his medical reports were normal.
NCERT (2025-26): “Factors Underlying Abnormal Behaviour … Biological factors influence all aspects of our behaviour. A wide range of biological factors such as faulty genes, endocrine imbalances, malnutrition, injuries and other conditions may interfere with normal development and functioning of the human body. These factors may be potential causes of abnormal behaviour.…” “Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders … The symptoms of conversion disorders are the reported loss of part or all of some basic body functions. Paralysis, blindness, deafness and difficulty in walking are generally among the symptoms reported. These symptoms often occur after a stressful experience and may be quite sudden.…” |