Riya, a Class 12 student in Jaipur, had worked for months to win a merit scholarship, but her pre-board marks fell below the cut-off and she can no longer get it. She is also unsure whether to join an engineering course, as she has planned for years, or to study classical music, which she loves. Every evening her aunt insists that Riya help in the family shop for three hours. Her parents say any fair score will please them, yet Riya keeps telling herself that every answer she writes must be perfect.
Riya's distress at losing the merit scholarship because of her pre-board marks is an example of which source of psychological stress?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Frustration
Option (1) Frustration — Correct. Frustration arises when something or someone blocks a need or motive and stops us reaching a desired goal. Riya's low pre-board marks blocked her goal of the scholarship, and low grades are a common cause of frustration.
Option (2) Conflict — Incorrect. Conflict occurs when two or more needs or motives cannot be met together. Riya's choice between engineering and music is a conflict, but losing the scholarship involves no such choice.
Option (3) Internal pressure — Incorrect. Internal pressure comes from expectations we set for ourselves, such as believing everything must be perfect. That fits her demand for perfect answers, not the lost scholarship.
Option (4) Social pressure — Incorrect. Social pressure comes from people who make excessive demands on us, like her aunt's demand for shop work. The lost scholarship is not a demand made by another person.
NCERT (2026-27): “Psychological Stress “Frustration results from the blocking of needs and motives by something or someone that hinders us from achieving a desired goal. There could be a number of causes of frustration such as social discrimination, interpersonal hurt, low grades in school, etc. Conflicts may occur between two or more incompatible needs or motives, e.g. whether to study dance or psychology. You may want to continue studies or take up a job. There may be a conflict of values when you are pressurised to take any action that may be against the values held by you. Internal pressures stem from beliefs based upon expectations from inside us to ourselves such as, ‘I must do everything perfectly’. Such expectations can only lead to disappointment. Many of us drive ourselves ruthlessly towards achieving unrealistically high standards in achieving our goals. Social pressures may be brought about from people who make excessive demands on us. …” |