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English Test 124

Directions for Questions from 1 to 3:

Any type of psychology that treats motives, thereby endeavoring to answer the question as to why men behave as they do, is called a dynamic
psychology. By its very nature it cannot be merely a descriptive psychology, content to depict the what and the how of human behavior. The
boldness of dynamic psychology in striking for causes stands in marked contrast to the timid, “more scientific,” view that seeks nothing else than
the establishment of a mathematical function for the relation between some artificially simple stimulus and some equally artificial and simple
response. If the psychology of personality is to be more than a matter of coefficients of correlation it too must be a dynamic psychology, and seek
first and foremost a sound and adequate theory of the nature of human dispositions.

The type of dynamic psychology almost universally held, though sufficient from the point of view of the
abstract motives of the generalized mind, fails to provide a foundation solid enough to bear the weight of any single full-bodied personality. The
reason is that prevailing dynamic doctrines refer every mature motive of personality to underlying original instincts, wishes, or needs, shared by all
men. Thus, the concert artist’s devotion to his music is sometimes ‘explained’ as an extension of his self-assertive instinct, of the need for
sentience, or as a symptom of some repressed striving of the libido. In McDougall’s hormic psychology, for example, it is explicitly stated that only
the instincts or propensities can be prime movers. Though capable of extension (on both the receptive and executive sides), they are always few in
number, common in all men, and established at birth. The enthusiastic collector of bric-a-brac derives his enthusiasm from the parental instinct; so
too does the kindly old philanthropist, as well as the mother of a brood. It does not matter how different these three interests may seem to be,
they derive their energy from the same source. The principle is that a very few basic motives suffice for explaining the endless varieties of human
interests. The psychoanalyst holds the same over-simplified theory. The number of human interests that he regards as so many canalizations of the
one basic sexual instinct is past computation

The authors of this type of dynamic psychology are concerning themselves only with mind-in-general. They seek a classification of the common and
basic motives by which to explain both normal or neurotic behavior of any individual case. (This is true even though they may regard their own list
as heuristic or even as fictional.) The plan really does not work. The very fact that the lists are so different in their composition suggests — what to
a naïve observer is plain enough — that motives are almost infinitely varied among men, not only in form but in substance. Not four wishes, nor
eighteen propensities, nor any and all combinations of these, even with their extensions and variations, seem adequate to account for the endless
variety of goals sought by an endless variety of mortals. Paradoxically enough, in many personalities the few simplified needs or instincts alleged to
be the common ground for all motivation, turn out to be completely lacking.

The second type of dynamic psychology, the one here defended, regards adult motives as infinitely varied, and as self-sustaining, contemporary
systems, growing out of antecedent systems, but functionally independent of them. Just as a child gradually repudiates his dependence on his
parents, develops a will of his own, becomes self-active and self-determining, and outlives his parents, so it is with motives. Each motive has a
definite point of origin which may possibly lie in instincts, or, more likely, in the organic tensions of infancy. Chronologically speaking, all adult
purposes can be traced back to these seed-forms in infancy, but as the individual matures the tie is broken. Whatever bond remains, is historical,
not functional.

Such a theory is obviously opposed to psychoanalysis and to all other genetic accounts that assume inflexibility in the root purposes and drives of
life. (Freud says that the structure of the Id never changes!) The theory declines to admit that the energies of adult personality are infantile or
archaic in nature. Motivation is always contemporary. The life of modern Athens is continuous with the life of the ancient city, but it in no sense
depends upon its present “go.” The life of a tree is continuous with that of its seed, but the seed no longer sustains and nourishes the full grown
tree. Earlier purposes lead into later purposes, and are abandoned in their favor. William James taught a curious doctrine that has been a matter
for incredulous amusement ever since, the doctrine of the transitoriness of instincts. According to this theory — not so quaint as sometimes thought
— an instinct appears but once in a lifetime, whereupon it promptly disappears through its transformation into habits. If there are instincts this is no
doubt of their fate, for no instinct can retain its motivational force unimpaired after it has been absorbed and recast under the transforming
influence of learning. Such is the reasoning of James, and such is the logic of functional autonomy. The psychology of personality must be a
psychology of post-instinctive behavior.

Woodworth has spoken of the transformation of “mechanisms” into “drives.” A mechanism Woodworth defines as any course of behavior that
brings about an adjustment. A drive is any neural process that releases mechanisms especially concerned with consummatory reactions. In the
course of learning, many preparatory mechanisms must be developed in order to lead to the consummation of an original purpose. These
mechanisms are the effective cause of activity in each succeeding mechanism, furnishing the drive for each stage following in the series. Originally
all these mechanisms were merely instrumental, only links in the long chain of processes involved in the achievement of an instinctive purpose;
with time and development, with integration and elaboration, many of these mechanisms become activated directly, setting up a state of desire and
tension for activities and objects no longer connected with the original impulse. Activities and objects that earlier in the game were means to an
end, now become ends in themselves.

Although Woodworth’s choice of quasi-neurological terminology is not the best, his doctrine, or one like it is indispensable in accounting for the
infinite number of effective motives possible in human life, and for their severance from the rudimentary desires of infancy.

1. According to the passage, the term “transitoriness of instincts” refers to

j The lingering nature of instincts.

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j The lone appearance of instinct.
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j The appearance and transformation of instinct.
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j The transitory nature of habits.
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j The transformational prowess of learning.
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2. Dynamic psychology refers to

 j The depiction of human behaviour.
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j The accepting of why people behave in a certain manner.
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j The understanding of human disposition vis-à-vis behaviour.
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j The classification of human behaviour.
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j The extension of the self.
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3. Which is the thematic highlight of this passage?

j The two kinds of dynamic psychology.

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j The psychology of post- instinctive behaviour.
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j The effective motives in human life.
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j The transforming influence of learning.
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j The logic of functional autonomy.
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Directions for Questions from 4 to 6:

In each of the following questions a paragraph is given followed by five summaries. Choose the option that best summarizes the paragraph

4. To forgive someone doesn’t mean condoning their actions. It just means absolving yourself of the hurt and pain and getting back control over your
own life and emotions. It means easing the burden of revenge and hatred from your shoulders and getting on with life. You don’t forgive for
another; you do it for yourself — to come to terms with your emotions and to attempt a closure on an episode that
refuses to let go of you. If you don’t do that, years later you would still be smarting from an action,
stuck in a painful time zone, while the perpetrator of all that pain has moved on and put the incident
behind him. So, rather than him, you are the one living out the consequences of his action!

j You forgive someone for yourself

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j You forgive someone to ease the burden of revenge from your shoulders.
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j There is no better way to get control over your life than forgiving someone.
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j You forgive someone to avoid a lot of pain later on.
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j The person whom you don’t forgive is least bothered about what you are going through.
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5. A Sense of Life differs from simple emotions. It is not an emotional evaluation of one’s metaphysical
views, whether implicit or explicit. A Sense of Life is not programmed by a single evaluation. It is an
integration of countless evaluations. Over the course of one’s life, it integrates emotions and valuejudgments related to all aspects of living. A
Sense of Life is the sum of these emotions and valuejudgments. This is the method by which it acts as an emotional evaluation of the world. Not
directly through a concept of the world and an appropriate judgment, but a complex summation of judgments
about every aspect of the world one has made.

j A sense of life differs from simple emotions as it is not just a single evaluation.
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j A Sense of life is a complex concept as opposed to simple emotions or a single evaluation or judgement about the world.
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j A sense of life is an integration of emotions and judgements about the world that one has made over the course of one’s life.
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j Emotions and value-judgements are part and parcel of a sense of life which can be attained only over the course of one’s life
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j A sense of life is not easy to attain as it is a complex integration of evaluations about the world.
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6. How many experts does it actually take to change a light bulb, specifically an eco light bulb? That has
been the question ever since Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) experienced a fall from sustainable grace. This happened when some bright spark
raised questions about their mercury content (admittedly a neurotoxin) which might - so the concern went - pose a grave threat to our personal
health. Previously, changing your light bulbs seemed like the ideal low-hanging fruit for all of us eager to diminish our hulking carbon footprint. Just
to recap: CFLs use around 60 per cent less electricity than their conventional incandescent counterparts; they last six to 15 times longer and save
you from emitting some 170lbs of CO2 emissions per bulb. So changing your bulbs can cut your CO2 burden by about 10 per cent. Indeed, by the
end of next year retailers will be banned (by law) from selling high-wattage incandescents.

j CFLs were the ideal environmentally-friendly solution to high wattage incandescents until recently
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j We can no longer say that CFLs are the ideal environmental-friendly solution to high wattage incandescents.
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j The mercury content of CFLs has made them hazardous and poses a grave threat to human health.
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j CFLs, which were considered an ideal eco-friendly solution to high wattage incandescents, have been questioned as regards their mercury
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content.
 j CFLs have experienced a fall from sustainable grace due to their high mercury content.
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Directions for Questions from 7 to 10:

There is a blank in each of the following sentences. From the choices given, choose the one that fills the blank most appropriately.

7. The few people left will be living in a ___________state - like Somalia or Sudan - and living conditions will be intolerable. One way to combat
global warming, Turner said, is to stabilize the population.

j civilized
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j cheerful
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j failed
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j secure
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j stable
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8. An Indian rocket successfully launched 10 satellites into orbit at one go on Monday, reaching a __________ in space technology and boosting
India's image as a major player in the multi-billiondollar satellite launching business.

j nadir
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j retrograde
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j orbit
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j milestone
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j completion
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9. The activists are now using their campaign against IP on medicines as a ___________ to continue theirassault on IP; and global warming has
become the new battleground.

j prologue
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j tendency
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j preference
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j precedent
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j policy
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10. “The ____________ of tobacco use and smoking amongst school children, especially girls, has been found to be alarmingly high in West Bengal
compared to other states,” said Saddichha Sahoo, a senior WHO consultant.

j prevailing
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j extravagance
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j prevalence
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j expenditure
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j inclination
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