Meera, a Class 12 student in Pune, never raises her hand in class, even when she has many doubts in her mind. Her parents and teachers see her as a polite, obedient girl, and nobody in her school finds her quiet manner odd. Over the year, her unanswered doubts pile up, her marks drop and she begins to feel that she will never reach the goals she once set for herself. The school counsellor tells her parents that Meera's behaviour needs attention, even though it fits well with what the people around her expect of a good student.
Which view of abnormal behaviour is the counsellor most likely using to judge Meera's behaviour?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Abnormal behaviour as maladaptive behaviour
Option (1) Abnormal behaviour as a deviation from social norms — Incorrect. This view calls behaviour abnormal when it <strong>breaks the rules a society expects</strong>. Meera's silence fits what her parents and teachers expect, so by this view she would look normal.
Option (2) Abnormal behaviour as an expression of unconscious conflicts — Incorrect. This is the psychodynamic model of Freud. It sees abnormal symptoms as the result of hidden conflicts between id, ego and superego. Nothing in Meera's case points to such inner conflicts; the concern is how her behaviour harms her functioning.
Option (3) Abnormal behaviour as maladaptive behaviour — Correct. This view asks whether behaviour <strong>helps the well-being and growth of the person</strong>, not whether society accepts it. Meera's quiet manner is accepted, yet it <strong>blocks her learning and her goals</strong>, so the counsellor treats this conforming behaviour as a problem.
Option (4) Abnormal behaviour as the result of biological factors — Incorrect. The biological model links abnormal behaviour to faulty genes, hormones or neuro-transmitters. The counsellor judges Meera by the effect of her behaviour on her growth.
NCERT (2026-27): “CONCEPTS OF ABNORMALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS … |