Social and Behavioral Sciences Practice Questions

Q: Which of the following indicators is NOT included in the Human Development Index (HDI)?

Per capita income. The **Human Development Index (HDI)** is a composite statistical tool used by the UNDP to measure a country's overall achievement in its social and economic dimensions. It is based on three basic dimensions, each represented by specific indicators. ### Why "Per capita income" is the Correct Answer: While the HDI measures the "Standard of Living," it specifically uses **Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (PPP $)** as the indicator. **Per capita income** (based on GDP) is a different economic metric and is not the formal component used in the HDI calculation. This is a common "trap" in NEET-PG questions where a general economic term is substituted for the specific technical indicator. ### Explanation of Incorrect Options: * **A. Health:** This is a core dimension of HDI. It is measured by the indicator **Life expectancy at birth**. * **C. Education:** This is a core dimension. it is measured by two indicators: **Mean years of schooling** (for adults aged 25+) and **Expected years of schooling** (for children of school-entering age). * **D. Standard of living:** This is the third core dimension of HDI. As mentioned, it is technically measured via GNI per capita. ### High-Yield Facts for NEET-PG: * **HDI Components (The 3-3-4 Rule):** 3 Dimensions, 3 Indicators (Life expectancy, Education, GNI), but 4 actual data points (Life expectancy, Mean schooling, Expected schooling, GNI). * **Range:** HDI values range from **0 to 1**. * **Calculation:** It is the **Geometric Mean** of the three dimension indices. * **PQLI vs. HDI:** Do not confuse them. **PQLI** (Physical Quality of Life Index) includes Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Life Expectancy at age 1, and Literacy, but **excludes income**. * **India's Status:** Always check the latest HDR report; India typically falls in the "Medium Human Development" category.

Q: What is social mobility?

Movement within socio-economic stratas. ### Explanation **Social mobility** refers to the movement of individuals, families, or groups through a system of social hierarchy or stratification. In sociology and community medicine, this movement is defined by changes in **socio-economic status (SES)**, which is typically measured by occupation, education, and income. #### Why the Correct Answer is Right: **Option D** is correct because social mobility specifically describes the transition between different social strata. This can be **Vertical** (moving up or down the social ladder, e.g., a laborer’s child becoming a doctor) or **Horizontal** (moving between positions at the same prestige level, e.g., a doctor switching from one hospital to another). #### Why Other Options are Incorrect: * **Option A (Rural to Urban):** This is defined as **Migration** or **Urbanization**. While it may lead to social mobility, the physical movement itself is geographical, not social. * **Option B (Industrialization):** This is a socio-economic process where an agrarian society transforms into a manufacturing one. It is a driver of social change but not the definition of mobility. * **Option C (Interaction between cultures):** This refers to **Acculturation** or **Diffusion**, describing how cultural traits spread or merge between groups. #### NEET-PG High-Yield Pearls: * **Social Stratification:** The division of society into layers (strata) based on wealth, power, and status. * **Inter-generational Mobility:** Change in social status between different generations (e.g., son achieving higher status than father). * **Intra-generational Mobility:** Change in social status occurring within a single individual's lifetime. * **Relevance to Health:** Higher social mobility is often linked to better health outcomes, as lower socio-economic strata are traditionally associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates (Social Gradient in Health).

Q: Who proposed the hierarchy of needs theory?

Abraham Maslow. **Explanation:** **Abraham Maslow** (Option B) proposed the **Hierarchy of Needs** theory in 1943. This psychological framework suggests that human behavior is motivated by a series of five progressive needs, often depicted as a pyramid. According to Maslow, lower-level "deficiency" needs must be satisfied before an individual can focus on higher-level "growth" needs. The levels are: 1. **Physiological:** Food, water, sleep. 2. **Safety:** Security, health, financial stability. 3. **Love/Belonging:** Friendship, intimacy, family. 4. **Esteem:** Respect, status, recognition. 5. **Self-actualization:** Achieving one’s full potential. **Analysis of Incorrect Options:** * **Sigmund Freud (A):** The father of psychoanalysis; known for the structural model of the mind (Id, Ego, Superego) and psychosexual stages of development. * **Konrad Lorenz (C):** A founder of modern ethology; famous for his work on **imprinting** in animals (often tested in behavioral sciences). * **Martin Seligman (D):** Known for the theory of **"Learned Helplessness,"** which is a significant concept in the etiology of depression. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Self-actualization** is the pinnacle of Maslow’s pyramid; it is rarely fully achieved. * In Community Medicine, this hierarchy is used to understand patient compliance and health-seeking behavior (e.g., a patient struggling for food/physiological needs is unlikely to prioritize preventive health screenings). * **ERG Theory (Alderfer):** A simplified version of Maslow’s theory (Existence, Relatedness, Growth) sometimes asked in management-related questions.

Q: The study of human evolution falls under which branch of anthropology?

Physical Anthropology. **Explanation:** **Anthropology** is the holistic study of humankind, encompassing biological, social, and cultural aspects. **Why Physical Anthropology is correct:** **Physical Anthropology** (also known as Biological Anthropology) is the branch that deals with the biological development, genetic composition, and evolutionary history of humans. It focuses on how humans have adapted to different environments and how the species has evolved over millions of years. Key areas include **paleoanthropology** (fossil records), primatology, and human genetics. Therefore, the study of human evolution is fundamentally a physical/biological pursuit. **Why other options are incorrect:** * **Social Anthropology:** Focuses on the study of social structures, institutions, and relationships (e.g., family, kinship, religion) within a society. * **Cultural Anthropology:** Examines the learned behaviors, beliefs, customs, and traditions of human groups. While social and cultural anthropology are often grouped together, they focus on behavior rather than biological evolution. * **Medical Anthropology:** A specialized field that studies how health and illness are shaped, experienced, and understood in light of global, historical, and political-economic forces. **High-Yield Facts for NEET-PG:** * **Acculturation:** The process of cultural change that occurs when two different cultural groups come into continuous contact (often tested in PSM). * **Ethnocentrism:** The belief that one's own culture is superior to others. * **Cultural Relativism:** Understanding a culture on its own terms without judgment. * **Key Distinction:** Physical Anthropology = **Biological** evolution; Cultural Anthropology = **Behavioral** evolution.

Q: Which index measures the average achievement in basic dimensions of human development?

Human Development Index. ### Explanation **Correct Answer: B. Human Development Index (HDI)** The **Human Development Index (HDI)** is a composite statistical tool used to measure a country's overall achievement in its social and economic dimensions. It was introduced by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and is based on the philosophy that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing development, rather than economic growth alone. HDI is calculated using three basic dimensions: 1. **Longevity (Health):** Measured by Life Expectancy at Birth. 2. **Knowledge (Education):** Measured by Mean years of schooling and Expected years of schooling. 3. **Standard of Living (Income):** Measured by GNI (Gross National Income) per capita at PPP (Purchasing Power Parity). **Why other options are incorrect:** * **A. Human Poverty Index (HPI):** This measures the *deprivation* in the same three dimensions of HDI. It focuses on what a population lacks rather than what it has achieved. (Note: HPI has largely been replaced by the Multidimensional Poverty Index). * **C. Gender Empowerment Index (GEM):** This specifically measures gender inequality in economic and political decision-making, not general human development. * **D. Life Expectancy at Birth:** This is merely a single *component* (indicator) used to calculate the HDI, not the index itself. --- ### High-Yield Pearls for NEET-PG: * **HDI Range:** Values range from **0 to 1**. A value of 1 indicates the highest possible development. * **Calculation Method:** HDI is the **Geometric Mean** of the three dimension indices. * **Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI):** Often confused with HDI. PQLI includes: 1. Infant Mortality Rate, 2. Life Expectancy at Age 1, and 3. Literacy. (Note: Income is **not** a component of PQLI). * **India’s Status:** India typically falls in the "Medium Human Development" category.

Question 1

Which of the following indicators is NOT included in the Human Development Index (HDI)?

Accepted Answer

Per capita income

Answer

Health

Answer

Education

Answer

Standard of living

Question 2

What is meant by impairment?

Accepted Answer

Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function

Answer

Inability of a person to carry out certain activities normal for his age and sex

Answer

Limitation of an individual to fulfill the role that is normal for that individual

Answer

Inability of an individual to play the role expected of him in society

Question 3

What is social mobility?

Accepted Answer

Movement within socio-economic stratas

Answer

Movement from rural to urban areas for work

Answer

Industrialization

Answer

Interaction between cultures

Question 4

A medical student consistently achieves distinction in examinations, including their first-year exam. This pattern of academic success is best described as a result of what therapeutic principle?

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement

Answer

Omission

Answer

Punishment

Answer

Negative reinforcement

Question 5

Who proposed the hierarchy of needs theory?

Accepted Answer

Abraham Maslow

Answer

Sigmund Freud

Answer

Konrad Lorenz

Answer

Martin Seligman

Question 6

The modified Kuppuswamy scale includes all criteria for socioeconomic status except?

Accepted Answer

Income of the head

Answer

Income per capita

Answer

Education of the head of the family

Answer

Occupation of the head

Question 7

According to sociological theories, which perspective views putting profit ahead of health as a cause of disease?

Accepted Answer

Marxist theory

Answer

Feminist theory

Answer

Parsonian theory

Answer

Foucauldian theory

Question 8

The study of human evolution falls under which branch of anthropology?

Accepted Answer

Physical Anthropology

Answer

Social Anthropology

Answer

Cultural Anthropology

Answer

Medical Anthropology

Question 9

Which index measures the average achievement in basic dimensions of human development?

Accepted Answer

Human Development Index

Answer

Human Poverty Index

Answer

Gender Empowerment Index

Answer

Life Expectancy at Birth

Question 10

What is the definition of acculturation?

Accepted Answer

The process of cultural and psychological change that results following meeting between cultures

Answer

Loss of cultural identity

Answer

Segregation of cultures

Answer

Assimilation into another culture

Social and Behavioral Sciences — MCQs

Social and Behavioral Sciences — MCQs

On this page

Practice by Chapter

Want unlimited practice?