Which of the given below alternatives is considered as a more recent approach in understanding disorders?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Interactional
Three perspectives on abnormal behaviour, the supernatural, the biological or organic, and the psychological, have recurred through history. In recent years, there has been a convergence of these approaches, which has resulted in an interactional approach.
Option (1) Interactional — Correct. The interactional, or bio-psycho-social, approach holds that all three factors, biological, psychological and social, play important roles in the expression and outcome of psychological disorders. It is the most recent of the approaches.
Option (2) Organismic — Incorrect. The organismic approach is one of the oldest: philosopher-physicians of ancient Greece such as Hippocrates, Socrates and Plato developed it, and saw disturbed behaviour as arising out of conflicts between emotion and reason.
Option (3) Psychological — Incorrect. The psychological approach says that problems are caused by inadequacies in the way a person thinks, feels or perceives the world. It is one of the three old perspectives that the interactional approach brings together.
Option (4) Biological — Incorrect. The biological or organic approach holds that individuals behave strangely because their bodies and brains are not working properly. It too is one of the old perspectives, not the recent one.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 18-06-2023 (Slot 2).
NCERT (2025-26): “Historical Background … A recurring theme in the history of abnormal psychology is the belief that individuals behave strangely because their bodies and their brains are not working properly. This is the biological or organic approach. In the modern era, there is evidence that body and brain processes have been linked to many types of maladaptive behaviour. For certain types of disorders, correcting these defective biological processes results in improved functioning. Another approach is the psychological approach. According to this point of view, psychological problems are caused by inadequacies in the way an individual thinks, feels, or perceives the world. All three of these perspectives — supernatural, biological or organic, and psychological — have recurred throughout the history of Western civilisation. In the ancient Western world, it was philosopher-physicians of ancient Greece such as Hippocrates, Socrates, and in particular Plato who developed the organismic approach and viewed disturbed behaviour as arising out of conflicts between emotion and reason.…” “…In recent years, there has been a convergence of these approaches, which has resulted in an interactional, or bio-psycho-social approach. From this perspective, all three factors, i.e. biological, psychological and social play important roles in influencing the expression and outcome of psychological disorders.” |