Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Preeti is a hardworking and sincere social worker, who is famous amongst the community she works with as ‘Sakhi Saheli’ because of her empathetic and warm personality. Her friends often call this phenomena ‘Preetism’, a label that denotes her loving generous and friendly nature. She is always seen in ethnic clothes and a khadi shoulder bag. For her self-less service towards the less privileged, Preeti was recognised by several organisations and the government.
‘Preetism’ as a label for Preeti’s generous, warm and empathetic personality could be called.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Cardinal trait
Option (1) Central trait — Incorrect. Central traits are less pervasive, though still quite generalised dispositions, such as warm, sincere and diligent. They describe a person but do not become her identity.
Option (2) Cardinal trait — Correct. Cardinal traits are highly generalised dispositions, the goal around which a person’s entire life seems to revolve. Such traits get associated with the name of the person so strongly that they derive identities such as ‘Gandhian’ or ‘Hitlerian’. ‘Preetism’, named after Preeti and standing for her whole loving, generous nature, is such a trait.
Option (3) Secondary trait — Incorrect. Secondary traits are the least generalised characteristics, such as ‘likes mangoes’ or ‘prefers ethnic clothes’. A label for one’s whole personality is the opposite of a narrow liking.
Option (4) Tamas guna — Incorrect. Tamas guna, from the Indian typology of the trigunas, characterises anger, arrogance, depression, laziness and helplessness. Preeti’s generosity and warmth are the reverse of these.
NCERT (2025-26): “Allport’s Trait Theory … Cardinal traits are highly generalised dispositions. They indicate the goal around which a person’s entire life seems to revolve. Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence and Hitler’s Nazism are examples of cardinal traits. Such traits often get associated with the name of the person so strongly that they derive such identities as the ‘Gandhian’ or ‘Hitlerian’ trait. Less pervasive in effect, but still quite generalised dispositions, are called central traits. These traits (e.g., warm, sincere, diligent, etc.) are often used in writing a testimonial or job recommendation for a person. The least generalised characteristics of a person are called secondary traits. Traits such as ‘likes mangoes’ or ‘prefers ethnic clothes’ are examples of secondary traits.…” “Type Approaches … Tamas guna characterises anger, arrogance, depression, laziness, feeling of helplessness, etc.…” |