(a) Explain with suitable examples the psychosocial consequences of prolonged deprivation. (10 marks) (b) What are the measures…

(a) Psychosocial consequences of prolonged deprivation

Deprivation means a long-term lack of stimulation, affection or resources needed for development. Spitz (1945) found that infants in impersonal institutions showed "hospitalism": apathy, illness and developmental decline. Harlow (1958) showed that monkeys raised without a mother later had severe social and sexual deficits. Bowlby (1951) linked maternal deprivation to affectionless character and attachment problems. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project (Nelson, Zeanah and Fox) found lower IQ and attachment disorders in institutionalised Romanian children, with better outcomes when they were placed in foster care early. Cognitive: low IQ, language delay, poor school achievement. Emotional: anxiety, depression, learned helplessness, low self-esteem. Social: aggression or withdrawal, difficulty trusting others. Indian example: children in overcrowded orphanages or street children often show poor schooling and weak self-concept, a cycle of poverty that early stimulation through Anganwadis (ICDS) and foster care can interrupt.

(b) Measures to achieve social integration

Social integration is the building of unity among groups divided by caste, religion, language or class. Contact: Allport (1954) held that contact lowers prejudice under equal status, common goals, cooperation and institutional support. Mixed-caste and mixed-religion schools and neighbourhoods apply this. Superordinate goals: in Sherif's Robbers Cave study (1954), rival groups became friendly when they worked on shared goals. Joint community projects and sports serve this role. Cooperative learning: Aronson's jigsaw classroom (1971) makes children depend on each other. Equity: reservation, scholarships and equal access to services reduce deprivation-based resentment. Law and policy: Constitutional guarantees against discrimination (Articles 14-17), the National Integration Council (1961), the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (1992) and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (2015), which pairs states for cultural exchange. Who acts: schools, Panchayats and civil society, with the state ensuring fairness.

(c) Role of mass media in fostering societal values

Mass media shapes values through several processes. Bandura's social learning shows that viewers imitate admired models and are vicariously reinforced. Gerbner's cultivation theory (1976) holds that heavy viewing shapes one's view of social reality. Agenda-setting (McCombs and Shaw, 1972) tells people what to think about. Entertainment-education combines message and story. Indian example: Doordarshan's Hum Log (1984-85), the first Indian serial built around a social message, promoted women's education and small-family norms. Swachh Bharat (2014) used film stars, jingles and ads to make sanitation a civic norm. Radio and street theatre carry values to areas without television. Limit: media can also spread stereotypes, violence, consumerism and fake news, so media literacy and regulation are needed.

(d) Psychological interventions to improve athletes' performance

Sports psychologists build a mental skills programme, planned in the order below. Step 1: Assessment of anxiety, motivation and attention using inventories such as the CSAI-2. Step 2: Goal setting. Specific, challenging goals improve effort (Locke and Latham). Step 3: Imagery. Mentally rehearsing the skill improves execution and confidence. Step 4: Arousal regulation. Relaxation, breathing and biofeedback keep athletes within their optimal zone (Yerkes-Dodson law; Hanin's zone of optimal functioning). Step 5: Attention control and routines. Pre-performance routines and cue words reduce distraction. Step 6: Cognitive restructuring and positive self-talk against choking, plus mindfulness. Step 7: Team cohesion work in team sports. Who acts: sports psychologists attached to Sports Authority of India centres and NSNIS Patiala, with coaches.

(e) Self-fulfilling prophecy and traditional Indian women

Merton (1948) described a self-fulfilling prophecy as a false definition of a situation that evokes behaviour that makes it come true. Rosenthal and Jacobson's Pygmalion study (1968) showed that teacher expectations raise or lower pupils' performance. Step 1: Traditional belief defines women as suited to domestic roles and less able in careers. Step 2: Families and institutions act on this, giving girls fewer resources, less schooling and early marriage. Step 3: Girls internalise the belief, lower their aspirations and under-prepare. Stereotype threat (Steele and Aronson, 1995; Spencer, Steele and Quinn, 1999, on women and mathematics) lowers performance. Step 4: Low achievement is then cited as proof of the original belief. The cycle can be broken: Beaman, Duflo, Pande and Topalova (2012) found that in West Bengal villages with women Pradhans, girls' aspirations and schooling rose.