Personality is-

The correct answer is Option (1) → Characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations

Option (1) Characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations — Correct. In psychological terms, personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations. It refers to unique and relatively stable qualities that characterise an individual’s behaviour across different situations over a period of time, which is why people can describe someone as shy, sensitive or warm.

Option (2) Special ways of behaving and feeling — Incorrect. Personality is not about special or unusual ways of behaving; it is about the consistency in a person’s behaviour, thought and emotion across situations and over time.

Option (3) It is a part of our life style — Incorrect. A life style is the way a person lives, such as habits of eating, work and rest. Personality is the enduring pattern of responses that shows up in all of these, not one part of them.

Option (4) Characteristic ways of spiritual and cultural life — Incorrect. Personality covers responses to all individuals and situations, not only to spiritual and cultural life.

NCERT: Psychology — Chapter 2: Self and Personality, Concept of Personality (2025-26)