A researcher studies Sunita's attitude towards dowry in relation to her mother's views on it. Which case in the table correctly places the three parts of Heider's P-O-X triangle?
| Case | P | O | X |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dowry (topic) | Sunita | Sunita's mother |
| 2 | Sunita | Sunita's mother | Dowry (topic) |
| 3 | Sunita's mother | Dowry (topic) | Sunita |
| 4 | Sunita | Dowry (topic) | Sunita's mother |
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Case 2
Option (1) Case 1 — Incorrect. P must be the person whose attitude is studied, but here P is the topic. Sunita is placed as O.
Option (2) Case 2 — Correct. <strong>P is Sunita</strong>, whose attitude is studied; <strong>O is her mother</strong>, another person; <strong>X is dowry</strong>, the attitude object. All three are in their right places.
Option (3) Case 3 — Incorrect. Here the mother is P, but the attitude being studied is Sunita's. Dowry is also wrongly placed as O.
Option (4) Case 4 — Incorrect. P is right, but O must be another person. Dowry is the attitude object, so it belongs under X.
NCERT (2026-27): “Process of Attitude Change … |