Meera, a science teacher in a government school in Jaipur, has taught for twenty years. She returns every gift that parents bring at Diwali. When her own nephew joined her class, she marked his papers as strictly as everyone else's. She openly disapproves of colleagues who give extra marks to children of influential families, and says such teachers are failing in their duty. A school counsellor gives Meera a questionnaire to find out whether religious, social, economic or political concerns weigh most heavily in guiding her life.
Which psychological attribute is the counsellor trying to assess in Meera?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Values
Option (1) Values — Correct. Values are <strong>enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behaviour</strong>. Meera's rule of fairness guides her own actions and is also the measure she uses to judge her colleagues. Finding whether religious, social, economic or political concerns lead in her is <strong>value assessment</strong>.
Option (2) Personality — Incorrect. Personality means relatively enduring characteristics that make a person distinct, such as being dominant or submissive, outgoing or withdrawn. The counsellor is not studying such traits; she wants to know <strong>which ideals guide Meera's conduct</strong>.
Option (3) Interest — Incorrect. Interest is a preference for some activities over others, used to choose courses or jobs. The counsellor is asking <strong>what Meera believes is right</strong>.
Option (4) Aptitude — Incorrect. Aptitude is the underlying potential to acquire skills with training, as in mechanical or language aptitude. Nothing in the case concerns <strong>a skill Meera could learn</strong>.
NCERT (2026-27): “Some Domains of Psychological Attributes … “5. Values are enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behaviour. A person having a value sets a standard for guiding her/his actions in life and also for judging others. In value assessment, we try to determine the dominant values of a person (e.g., political, religious, social or economic).” |