CBSE Class 12 Psychology 2026 — Previous-Year Question Paper

Match the following: Column 1 — 1. Continued exposure to the same stressor or additional stressors drains the body of its resources. 2. The mental exhaustion appears in the form of irritability, anxiety, feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. 3. The presence of noxious stimulus or stressor leads to activation of the adrenal-pituitary-cortex system. This triggers the release of hormones producing the stress response. 4. The parasympathetic nervous system calls for more cautious use of the body's resources. The organism makes efforts to cope with the threat, as through confrontation. Column 2 — I. Resistance, II. Exhaustion, III. Burnout, IV. Alarm.

Use the correct option at the appropriate place. The white blood cells ( ____ ) within the immune system identify and destroy foreign bodies ( ____ ) such as viruses.

In the following question, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a Statement of Reason (R). Read the Statements and choose the appropriate option. Assertion (A): Creative visualisation helps in managing stress by using imagination and mental imagery. Reason (R): It is more effective when the mind is quiet, the body is relaxed, and the eyes are closed, as this minimizes distractions and enhances focus.

____ is characterised by widespread impairments in social interactions and communication skills, and stereotyped patterns of behaviours, interests and activities.

Your friend failed an important test. You sit with him/her, listen to his/her feelings, and try to understand the experience without judgement. Which quality are you demonstrating and why?

A therapist working with children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) gives them a star sticker each time they complete a task without distraction. After collecting five stars, they can exchange it with a small toy. What psychological technique is being used here?

According to the concept of balance proposed by Fritz Heider, imbalance is found when: (i) All three sides of the P-O-X triangle are negative. (ii) Two sides of the P-O-X triangle are negative and one side is positive. (iii) Two sides of the P-O-X triangle are positive and one side is negative. (iv) All three sides of the P-O-X triangle are positive.

In an attitude change, when the change is in the same direction as the existing attitude (for example, a positive attitude may become more positive, or a negative attitude may become more negative), this is called:

Identify two differences between Psychometric theories and Information processing theories of intelligence.

(a) Find out the IQ of a 14-year-old child with a mental age of 16. OR (b) Differentiate between a verbal and a non-verbal test.

Somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder are concerned with medical illness, yet they are different. Explain using relevant example.

Specify any two processes, that help in attitude formation and explain how it occurs.

Riya feels a strong sense of belonging and emotional attachment with her childhood family dance group, but when she joined the school council, she followed rules and communicated formally with its members. Identify the two types of groups Riya is part of and explain each with reference to the scenario.

Rohan, a 10-year-old diagnosed with intellectual deficiency as per AAMD guidelines, is supported with a special education plan. Based on his diagnosis, identify two common features he might display in his daily functioning.

Riya is on a strict diet because she wants to stay healthy and prepare for her upcoming school sports competition. One evening, she opens the fridge and sees a big, delicious chocolate cake that her mom made for a family dinner the next day. She immediately feels the urge to eat it, but plans to eat it after the sports competition. As per Freud's theory, explain Riya's behaviour in terms of id, ego and superego.

(a) Individuals show consistent individual differences in the coping strategies they use to handle stressful situations. These can include both overt and covert activities. Identify the three coping strategies given by Endler and Parker. OR (b) Ruchika is very stressed as she must prepare for her music competition and for medical examinations. Suggest Ruchika four techniques to manage her stress.

Reena constantly thinks, "I must succeed at everything, or I am a failure," which causes her distress when she makes small mistakes. How can Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) help Reena overcome her psychological distress? Mention three steps involved in the Rational Emotive Therapy (RET).

(a) Elaborate on the concept of buddhi and specify how intelligence in the Indian tradition lays emphasis on its connectivity with social and environmental world. OR (b) Individuals who are categorised as having intellectual disability show significant variation in their abilities, ranging from those who can be taught to work and function with special attention, to those who cannot be trained and require institutional care throughout their lives. Identify their categories according to IQ range and specify their potential functionalities.

Ritika has been feeling anxious, socially withdrawn and unable to manage her daily routine. She decides to see a psychotherapist. Over the course of several sessions, she begins to feel heard and supported. Based on this case, elaborate on the factors that contributed to Ritika's psychological healing through psychotherapy.

Prejudice can be difficult to change due to its deep-rooted sources. Imagine you are working on a community outreach programme aiming to reduce prejudice. How would you explain the main causes that lead to development of prejudice?

During an inter-school science exhibition, Riya, who usually works efficiently when alone, noticed a drop in her productivity while working with a team. Her friend Arjun, however performed much better during the final group presentation than he did during rehearsals. Meanwhile, during a debate on climate change, the group members who initially had mild views became more extreme after discussing their options together. While playing tug of war, only Riya's teammates contributed less efforts in the group task compared to working alone. Based on the above situation, identify and explain any four psychological concepts related to group influence on individual behaviour.

(a) Direct techniques of personality assessment come with their own drawbacks especially related to social desirability. In such a condition, suggest other methods of personality assessment which can tap the unconscious of the individual. Mention any four such effective techniques. OR (b) While simple and appealing, type theories truly capturing the uniqueness of every individual or oversimplifying the rich diversity of human personality are debatable. Type theories attempt to place individuals into distinct categories based on shared characteristics. Many types of theories have shaped how we view personality. Elaborate on the theories by Type Approach.

(a) Ravi has been showing signs of extreme social withdrawal and erratic mood swings. As a psychology student, how would you apply different approaches/models/factors to understand and explain any abnormal behaviour? OR (b) Psychological Disorders have come a long way in their journey of understanding and treatment of disorders. To understand psychological disorders, we would require a brief historical account of how these disorders have been viewed over the ages. When we study the history of abnormal psychology, we find that certain theories have occurred repeatedly. Trace the history of disorders to understand their origin and leading to the latest developments.

Case Study – 1: Ritu is a high school student preparing for her final board exams. She is an academically bright student and wants to secure a scholarship for college. However, over the past few weeks, Ritu has been feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. She is constantly comparing herself to her peers who seem to be doing better, which causes her to feel caught between her wishes and desires and hence feels inadequate. At home, her parents have high expectations and remind her frequently that she must top the class, adding to her own increasing self-demands. Ritu also finds herself in a conflict of being caught between choosing a career she is passionate about (art design) and what her parents want (engineering), leading to an intense dilemma. Additionally, she feels unspoken demands and a social pressure from her relatives and classmates, who keep asking about her future and ranks. As a result, Ritu has become irritable, experiences frequent headaches, has trouble sleeping and feels emotionally exhausted. Based on the symptoms described, identify the types of stress Ritu is experiencing.

Case Study – 2: Shreya's parents brought her to the school counsellor after noticing: Noticeable weight loss over the past eight months. Skipping meals and avoiding dinners. Constant complaints of feeling "too fat" despite appearing underweight. Loss of energy, irritability and frequent mood swings. Shreya herself insisted that "everything is fine," expressing frustration about being forced to discuss her eating habits. What is Shreya suffering from?

Mention one emotional and one psychological effects of stress, she may be going through.

Identify and explain the various other forms of this disorder.