Based on the symptoms described, identify the types of stress Ritu is experiencing.
Based on the symptoms described, identify the types of stress Ritu is experiencing.
Ritu is experiencing frustration, conflict and pressure, three of the major sources of stress.
- Frustration arises from comparing herself unfavourably to peers who seem to be doing better, making her feel inadequate.
- Conflict (specifically an approach-approach conflict) arises from having to choose between her passion (art & design) and her parents' preference (engineering).
- Pressure arises from her parents' high expectations, her own rising self-demands, and unspoken social expectations from relatives and classmates about her rank and future.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: Correctly identifies at least two of the three sources of stress (frustration, conflict, pressure) evident in the case, with a one-line justification each.
Hint
Scan the case for three separate cues: comparison with peers (frustration), career dilemma (conflict), and parental/social expectations (pressure).
Quick Oral Answer
Ritu is experiencing frustration from comparing herself to peers, an approach-approach conflict over her career choice, and pressure from her parents' and society's high expectations.
Analysis & Explanation
This 1-mark identification question maps directly onto NCERT's four sources of stress: frustration, conflict, pressure and change.
Concept
Ritu's case cleanly demonstrates three of the four: comparing herself to peers and feeling inadequate is frustration (blocked goal attainment); being torn between two desirable but incompatible options (art & design vs. engineering) is an approach-approach conflict; and the cumulative demands from parents, self and society constitute pressure.
Exam Trap
Students sometimes only name 'stress' generically instead of the specific sources (frustration/conflict/pressure) that the question is testing, or mislabel the career dilemma as an approach-avoidance conflict rather than the approach-approach conflict it actually is (both options are desirable, not one desirable and one undesirable).
Real-world relevance
This case mirrors a very common real-life adolescent situation in India — academic comparison, parental academic pressure, and career-choice conflict together — which is precisely why NCERT frames stress sources through relatable student scenarios.
Common Mistakes
- 1Answering with only the word 'stress' without naming the specific sources (frustration, conflict, pressure) the question requires.
- 2Misclassifying the career dilemma as an approach-avoidance conflict instead of the correct approach-approach conflict, since both career options are desirable to Ritu.
Interesting Facts
NCERT's four broad sources of stress — frustration, conflict, pressure and change — were popularised in stress research by Richard Lazarus and colleagues studying everyday 'hassles' as much as major life events.
Approach-approach conflicts, though involving two positive options, are still genuinely stressful because choosing one means giving up the other desirable option entirely.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What type of conflict does Ritu face regarding her career choice?
Ritu faces an approach-approach conflict — she must choose between two desirable options, art & design (her passion) and engineering (her parents' preference), where selecting one means forgoing the other.
What are the four major sources of stress in NCERT Class 12 Psychology?
The four major sources are frustration (blocked goals), conflict (approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, approach-avoidance), pressure (from within or from external expectations), and change (any significant life alteration requiring adjustment).