Post RN BSN Psychology Course – Units VII and VIII Solved Answers
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| Solved model answers for Units VII-VIII of the Post RN BSN psychology course syllabus (Course No. 706). Use as a revision guide and verify with your course notes. |
Unit VII: Mental Ability
Course syllabus · Model exam answers
B.Sc NURSING (POST-RN), FIRST YEAR, SEMESTER-I
SOCIAL SCIENCES (PSYCHOLOGY) – COURSE NO. 706
UNIT VII: MENTAL ABILITY
Syllabus topics: Intelligence and IQ; IQ and aptitude/achievement testing; environmental effects on intelligence.
Q-1. Define intelligence. Describe the main theories of intelligence.
Intelligence is the general mental capacity to learn from experience, reason, solve problems, understand complex ideas and adapt to new situations.
| Theory | Proposed by | Main idea |
|---|---|---|
| Two-factor theory | Charles Spearman | A general factor (g) underlies all mental tasks, plus specific abilities (s) for particular tasks |
| Primary mental abilities | L. L. Thurstone | Intelligence consists of several separate abilities (e.g. verbal comprehension, word fluency, number, spatial, memory, reasoning, perceptual speed) |
| Fluid and crystallized intelligence | Raymond Cattell | Fluid = reasoning with new problems (declines with age); crystallized = accumulated knowledge and skills (can keep growing) |
| Multiple intelligences | Howard Gardner | Several relatively independent intelligences: linguistic, logical–mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily–kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic |
| Triarchic theory | Robert Sternberg | Three parts: analytical, creative and practical intelligence |
| Emotional intelligence | Salovey and Mayer; Goleman | Ability to perceive, understand and manage emotions in oneself and others |
Nursing relevance: nursing practice needs analytical (clinical reasoning), practical (skills and judgement) and emotional (empathy, communication) intelligence together.
Q-2. Define IQ. How is it calculated and classified?
Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a score obtained from a standardized intelligence test that compares a person’s performance with others of the same age.
Ratio IQ (older method)
IQ = (Mental Age ÷ Chronological Age) × 100
Example: a child of 8 years who performs at the level of a 10-year-old has IQ = (10 ÷ 8) × 100 = 125. This method does not suit adults, so it is no longer used.
Deviation IQ (modern method)
The score is compared with the average of the person’s age group. Scores are distributed in a normal (bell-shaped) curve with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15 (Wechsler scales).
| IQ range | Classification (Wechsler-type) |
|---|---|
| 130 and above | Very superior (gifted range) |
| 120–129 | Superior |
| 110–119 | High average |
| 90–109 | Average |
| 80–89 | Low average |
| 70–79 | Borderline |
| 69 and below | Extremely low (possible intellectual disability) |
Note: category names vary slightly between tests. IQ alone does not diagnose intellectual disability; a diagnosis also requires assessment of adaptive functioning (daily living, communication and social skills) and onset in the developmental period.
Q-3. Describe the main intelligence tests. What are the characteristics of a good psychological test?
| Test | Description |
|---|---|
| Binet–Simon / Stanford–Binet | First practical intelligence test (Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon, 1905); revised at Stanford University by Lewis Terman; suitable from early childhood to adulthood |
| Wechsler scales (WPPSI, WISC, WAIS) | Individually given tests for preschool children, school-age children and adults; give verbal and performance (non-verbal) scores and a full-scale IQ |
| Raven’s Progressive Matrices | Non-verbal test of reasoning using patterns; considered less dependent on language and culture |
| Group tests (e.g. Army Alpha and Beta) | Given to many people at the same time; economical but less detailed |
Characteristics of a good test
- Standardization: uniform instructions, scoring and conditions.
- Reliability: gives consistent results when repeated.
- Validity: measures what it claims to measure.
- Norms: scores can be compared with a suitable reference group.
- Objectivity: scoring is not influenced by the examiner’s opinion.
- Fairness and practicality: suitable for the language and culture of those tested and easy to administer.
Q-4. Differentiate between intelligence, aptitude and achievement tests.
| Point | Intelligence test | Aptitude test | Achievement test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measures | General mental ability | Potential to learn a specific skill in the future | What has already been learned |
| Looks | Forward and general | Forward and specific | Backward (past learning) |
| Examples | Stanford–Binet, Wechsler, Raven | Mechanical, clerical, musical, nursing-entry aptitude tests | School examinations, board examinations, university papers, licensing exams |
| Use | Diagnosis, placement, research | Selection and career guidance | Assessing learning and grading |
Use in nursing education: aptitude and entry tests assist student selection; achievement tests (examinations, OSCEs, licensing tests) assess competence; neither alone predicts clinical caring ability.
Q-5. Discuss the effects of environment on intelligence.
Intelligence is influenced by both heredity and environment. Twin and adoption studies suggest that heredity contributes substantially (estimates vary widely between studies), but the environment determines how far a person’s potential is realized. The genetic influence sets a range of possible outcomes (reaction range), and the environment determines where in that range a person falls.
Environmental factors that increase intelligence scores
- Good nutrition and health in pregnancy and early childhood.
- Stimulating home: talking, reading, play, books and learning materials.
- Quality education and early schooling.
- Responsive parenting and emotional security.
- Higher family income and parental education (access to resources).
- Enrichment programmes in early childhood.
Environmental factors that reduce intelligence scores
- Prenatal harm: maternal alcohol use (fetal alcohol syndrome), infections, malnutrition, smoking, some drugs.
- Birth complications: prematurity, low birth weight and birth asphyxia.
- Childhood malnutrition, iodine deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia.
- Lead and other toxins.
- Neglect, abuse and chronic stress.
- Poor schooling and lack of stimulation.
- Chronic illness and repeated absence from school.
Flynn effect: average IQ scores rose in many countries over the 20th century, which suggests that environmental changes (nutrition, health, schooling) influence test performance.
Conclusion: Intelligence results from the interaction of heredity and environment. Nurses can protect children’s mental development through antenatal care, nutrition, immunization, early stimulation and screening.
Q-6. Write short notes on the limitations and proper use of IQ tests.
- An IQ score is a single measure and does not capture creativity, practical skills, emotional intelligence or character.
- Tests may favour people from the culture and language in which they were developed (cultural bias).
- Performance is affected by anxiety, illness, motivation, vision or hearing problems and test-taking experience.
- Scores can change with age, schooling and health.
- Labels such as “low IQ” may lower expectations and affect self-esteem.
- Tests must be given and interpreted by trained professionals, and results kept confidential.
Q-7. Write short notes on intellectual disability and giftedness.
Intellectual disability
A condition beginning in childhood with significant limits in intellectual functioning (IQ roughly 70 or below) and in adaptive behaviour. It is described as mild, moderate, severe or profound according to the level of support needed.
- Causes: genetic (Down syndrome, fragile X), prenatal (alcohol, rubella, iodine deficiency), birth injury, brain infection (meningitis), malnutrition and head injury.
- Nursing care: early screening, use of simple communication, safety, promoting independence and self-care, family education and support, and referral for special education and therapy.
Giftedness
Very high ability, often IQ of about 130 or more, or exceptional talent in a specific field. Gifted children may need enriched education and emotional support because of boredom, perfectionism or social difficulty.
Unit VII: Emotions
Course syllabus · Model exam answers
B.Sc NURSING (POST-RN), FIRST YEAR, SEMESTER-I
SOCIAL SCIENCES (PSYCHOLOGY) – COURSE NO. 706
UNIT VII: EMOTIONS
Syllabus topics: Components of emotion; relationship between cognition and emotion; expression of emotion.
Q-1. Define emotion. Describe its components.
Emotion is a complex state that includes a subjective feeling, bodily (physiological) changes, thoughts (cognitive appraisal) and behavioural expression. Emotions prepare a person to respond to important events.
| Component | Description | Example: a student before an exam |
|---|---|---|
| Subjective (feeling) component | How the person experiences the emotion | “I feel afraid.” |
| Physiological component | Autonomic and hormonal changes | Fast heartbeat, sweating, dry mouth, trembling |
| Cognitive component | Thoughts and appraisal of the situation | “I will fail.” |
| Behavioural (expressive) component | Facial expression, posture, voice and actions | Tense face, restlessness, avoiding the topic |
Emotions are different from moods (longer-lasting and less intense, with no clear cause) and feelings (the personal experience of emotion).
Q-2. Classify emotions.
- Basic (primary) emotions: Paul Ekman described six that are recognized across cultures: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust (contempt is sometimes added).
- Plutchik’s model: eight primary emotions arranged in opposite pairs: joy–sadness, trust–disgust, fear–anger, surprise–anticipation; combinations create secondary emotions (e.g. joy + trust = love).
- Positive and negative emotions: pleasant (joy, love, hope, pride) and unpleasant (anger, fear, sadness, guilt, shame).
- Complex (secondary) emotions: guilt, shame, jealousy, pride, embarrassment; these depend on social learning.
Q-3. Describe the physiological basis of emotion.
- Amygdala: detects threat and produces fear and anger responses; important for emotional memory.
- Limbic system and hypothalamus: link emotions with bodily responses and hormones.
- Prefrontal cortex: evaluates and regulates (controls) emotional reactions.
- Autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic division produces the fight-or-flight response (raised heart rate and blood pressure, rapid breathing, dilated pupils, sweating, glucose release); the parasympathetic division restores calm.
- Hormones: adrenaline and noradrenaline (immediate response) and cortisol (longer stress response).
The polygraph (“lie detector”) measures arousal, but arousal occurs in many emotions, so it is not a reliable test of lying.
Q-4. Explain the main theories of emotion.
| Theory | Sequence | Main idea |
|---|---|---|
| James–Lange | Stimulus → body response → emotion | We feel afraid because we tremble and the heart races |
| Cannon–Bard | Stimulus → thalamus → body response and emotion at the same time | Body changes and emotion occur together; one does not cause the other |
| Schachter–Singer (two-factor) | Stimulus → arousal + cognitive label → emotion | Emotion = physiological arousal + the explanation we give for it |
| Lazarus (cognitive appraisal) | Stimulus → appraisal → emotion and body response | Emotion depends on how a person evaluates the event |
| Evolutionary view (Darwin, Plutchik) | Emotions evolved for survival | Emotions prepare the body for adaptive action |
Modern psychology accepts that emotion involves the brain, the body and thinking together, so no one theory explains everything.
Q-5. Discuss the relationship between cognition and emotion.
Cognition means thinking, perceiving, remembering and judging. Emotion and cognition influence each other.
How thinking affects emotion
- Emotion depends on appraisal: the same event can cause different emotions (a delayed result may cause anger in one student and worry in another).
- Negative automatic thoughts (“I always fail”) cause anxiety and low mood; changing thoughts changes emotions. This is the basis of cognitive behavioural therapy.
- Labelling arousal correctly reduces fear (Schachter–Singer).
How emotion affects thinking
- Emotion directs attention (threat captures attention).
- Strong emotion strengthens memory (flashbulb memories), but extreme stress can impair recall.
- Mood-congruent memory: in a low mood, sad memories come to mind more easily.
- Emotions affect decision-making and judgement; anger and fear may lead to quick, less careful decisions.
Debate: Lazarus argued that thinking always comes first; Zajonc argued that some emotional reactions can occur before conscious thought (for example, a quick fear response).
Nursing relevance: a patient who is very anxious may not remember instructions. Reduce anxiety, give information in small steps and repeat it.
Q-6. Explain the expression of emotion.
- Facial expression: Ekman found that happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust are recognized across cultures, which supports an inborn basis.
- Body language: posture, gestures, eye contact and touch.
- Voice: tone, pitch, loudness and pace of speech.
- Actions and words: crying, laughing, withdrawing or talking.
Cultural and personal influences
- Display rules are cultural rules for when and how emotions may be shown (e.g. restraint in public grief in some cultures).
- Gender roles, family upbringing and personality also affect how openly emotions are expressed.
- Facial feedback: forming an expression can slightly influence the feeling.
Nursing relevance
- Observe non-verbal cues: a patient who says “I am fine” while tearful may not be.
- Respect cultural differences in expressing pain, fear and grief.
- Use calm voice, open posture and eye contact suited to the culture.
Q-7. Write short notes on emotional intelligence and emotion regulation in nursing.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, use and manage emotions in oneself and in others.
| Component (Goleman) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Self-awareness | Recognizing one’s own emotions and their effects |
| Self-regulation | Managing impulses and moods |
| Motivation | Pursuing goals with energy and persistence |
| Empathy | Understanding others’ feelings |
| Social skills | Building relationships and working in teams |
Emotion regulation strategies for nurses
- Pause and breathe slowly; name the emotion.
- Reappraise the situation (“the patient is afraid, not attacking me”).
- Seek peer support and debrief after distressing events.
- Sleep, exercise and set boundaries to prevent burnout.
Conclusion: Emotional intelligence improves communication, teamwork, patient satisfaction and the nurse’s own well-being.
Q-8. Write a short note on emotions and health (stress response).
Emotions affect the body. Hans Selye described the general adaptation syndrome: alarm (fight-or-flight), resistance (the body tries to cope) and exhaustion (resources are depleted and illness may result).
- Chronic stress and anger are linked with hypertension, heart disease, weaker immunity, poor sleep and digestive problems.
- Anxiety and depression can increase pain and slow recovery.
- Positive emotions, social support and relaxation can improve coping and recovery.
Nursing relevance: teach relaxation, breathing exercises and healthy coping, and assess emotional needs together with physical needs.
Unit VIII: Personality and Testing
Course syllabus · Model exam answers
B.Sc NURSING (POST-RN), FIRST YEAR, SEMESTER-I
SOCIAL SCIENCES (PSYCHOLOGY) – COURSE NO. 706
UNIT VIII: PERSONALITY AND TESTING
Syllabus topics: Heredity and environment; consistency in personality; approaches to assessment.
Q-1. Define personality. Describe its characteristics.
Personality is the relatively stable and distinctive pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviour that characterizes an individual and shapes how they adjust to the world. (Allport: “the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment.”)
Characteristics
- Unique to every person.
- Relatively stable but can change with experience.
- Includes both inner (thoughts, motives) and outer (behaviour) aspects.
- Organized and integrated, not a random collection of traits.
- Developed through the interaction of heredity and environment.
- Affects relationships and adjustment.
Q-2. Discuss the roles of heredity and environment in personality development.
Heredity
- Temperament (inborn emotional tendencies such as activity level, sociability and emotional reactivity) is visible in infancy.
- Twin and adoption studies show that traits such as extraversion and neuroticism are partly heritable.
- Physical appearance, endocrine function and brain chemistry also influence personality.
Environment
- Family: parenting style, attachment and birth order.
- Culture and society: values, norms and gender roles.
- Peers and school: friends, teachers and learning experiences.
- Life experiences: trauma, illness, success, failure and role models.
- Media and socioeconomic conditions.
Conclusion: Heredity provides the raw material; environment shapes it. Neither works alone, and the two interact throughout life.
Q-3. Briefly describe the main approaches (theories) of personality.
| Approach | Key figures | Main ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Psychoanalytic | Sigmund Freud | Personality has three parts: id (instincts, pleasure principle), ego (reality principle, mediator) and superego (conscience, morals). Unconscious conflicts and childhood psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) shape personality |
| Trait | Allport, Cattell, Eysenck, Costa and McCrae | Personality is a combination of stable traits. Eysenck: extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism. Big Five: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism (OCEAN) |
| Humanistic | Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow | People are basically good and strive for growth and self-actualization; self-concept and unconditional positive regard are important |
| Social–cognitive | Albert Bandura | Learning by observation; reciprocal interaction among person, behaviour and environment; self-efficacy |
| Behavioural | Skinner | Personality is the sum of learned behaviours shaped by reinforcement |
| Type theories | Hippocrates, Sheldon, Friedman and Rosenman | People are grouped into types (e.g. Type A: competitive and hurried; Type B: relaxed) |
Q-4. Explain the Big Five personality traits.
| Trait | High scorers | Low scorers |
|---|---|---|
| Openness | Curious, imaginative, open to new ideas | Practical, conventional |
| Conscientiousness | Organized, careful, dependable | Careless, disorganized |
| Extraversion | Sociable, talkative, energetic | Reserved, quiet |
| Agreeableness | Kind, cooperative, trusting | Competitive, critical |
| Neuroticism | Anxious, moody, easily stressed | Calm, emotionally stable |
The Big Five are the most widely researched trait model and are measured with questionnaires such as the NEO Personality Inventory. Conscientiousness and emotional stability are often valued in nursing work, but all kinds of personalities can be successful nurses.
Q-5. Discuss consistency in personality.
Consistency asks whether a person behaves in similar ways over time and across situations.
- Stability over time: research shows that traits are fairly stable in adulthood, especially after about 30 years, but they can change gradually with maturity, major life events and therapy.
- Consistency across situations: Walter Mischel argued that behaviour depends strongly on the situation (the person–situation debate); a person may be talkative with friends but quiet in a meeting.
- Interactionist view (current view): behaviour results from the interaction of the person’s traits and the situation. Consistency is greater when behaviour is averaged over many situations, and traits show most when situations are weak or unstructured.
Nursing relevance: a patient’s behaviour in hospital (stressful) may differ from usual behaviour; nurses should not judge the whole personality from behaviour during illness.
Q-6. Describe the approaches to personality assessment.
Personality assessment is the systematic evaluation of a person’s personality traits, behaviour and adjustment.
| Method | Description | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Observation | Watching behaviour in natural or test situations | Direct, objective | Time-consuming; observer bias |
| Interview | Structured or unstructured conversation | Rich, flexible | Interviewer bias |
| Self-report inventories (objective tests) | Questionnaires answered by the person: MMPI-2, 16PF (Cattell), NEO-PI | Standardized and easy to score | Faking, social desirability, lack of insight |
| Projective tests | Ambiguous stimuli on which the person projects thoughts: Rorschach inkblot test, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), sentence completion, draw-a-person | Reveal unconscious or hidden themes | Subjective scoring; weaker reliability and validity |
| Rating scales and checklists | Others rate the person’s traits | Simple | Halo effect; rater bias |
| Behavioural assessment | Records specific behaviours and their triggers | Practical for planning treatment | Limited to observable behaviour |
Q-7. Write short notes on MMPI, Rorschach and TAT.
MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)
A widely used self-report inventory with 567 true/false items in the MMPI-2. It has clinical scales (depression, hypochondriasis, paranoia, schizophrenia and others) and validity scales that detect lying, defensiveness or random responding. It is used to screen for mental disorders and must be interpreted by trained professionals.
Rorschach inkblot test
Developed by Hermann Rorschach (1921). The person is shown ten symmetrical inkblots and says what they see. Responses are scored for location, content and determinants. It is a projective test, and its scientific validity is debated.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Developed by Henry Murray and Christiana Morgan. The person tells a story about each of a series of ambiguous pictures. The themes (needs, conflicts, relationships) are interpreted as reflecting the person’s own motives.
Q-8. What are defence mechanisms? Describe the common mechanisms with nursing examples.
Defence mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies (described by Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud) that protect the ego from anxiety and distressing thoughts.
| Mechanism | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Repression | Pushing painful thoughts out of awareness | Forgetting details of a traumatic accident |
| Denial | Refusing to accept reality | “The test result is wrong; I am not ill.” |
| Projection | Attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings to others | “The nurses dislike me” (when the patient is angry) |
| Displacement | Shifting feelings to a safer target | A patient angry at the doctor shouts at the nurse |
| Rationalization | Giving acceptable but false reasons | “I skipped my medicine because I was too busy.” |
| Regression | Returning to an earlier stage of behaviour | An ill child starts bed-wetting again |
| Reaction formation | Acting opposite to the true feeling | Being over-friendly to someone one dislikes |
| Sublimation | Channelling unacceptable impulses into acceptable activity | Aggression channelled into sport |
| Intellectualization | Focusing on facts to avoid feelings | A patient discusses the disease in detail without emotion |
| Compensation | Making up for a weakness in another area | Excelling in studies after a physical disability |
Nursing relevance: recognizing defence mechanisms helps nurses respond calmly, avoid taking behaviour personally and support healthy coping.
Q-9. What is the importance of understanding personality in nursing?
- Helps nurses understand why patients react differently to illness, pain and hospitalization.
- Guides individualized communication and health education.
- Supports the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship.
- Helps identify people at risk of stress and mental illness.
- Builds the nurse’s self-awareness and personal growth.
- Improves teamwork, leadership and conflict management.
- Helps understand personality disorders and maladaptive coping.
Caution: personality tests are tools for trained professionals. Nurses should not label or diagnose patients from personality descriptions.
Course references (as listed in the syllabus): Atkinson, R.L., Atkinson, R.C., Smith, E.E., Bem, D.J., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1996). Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology (12th ed.). Harcourt Brace. Feldman, R.S. (1993). Understanding Psychology (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Source syllabus: Post RN BSN Nursing Psychology Course (original post dated April 12, 2019).
Series: Part 3 of 4 – Units VII (mental ability), VII (emotions) and VIII. Part 1: Units I–III. Part 2: Units IV–VI. Part 4: Units IX–XII.
Independent educational resource: POST RN BSN Nursing Resources is not affiliated with, endorsed by or an official publication of LUMHS or PNMC. Model answers are study aids; verify against your course notes and textbooks.
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