I was sitting in teacher’s room. All of a sudden one girl entered the room. She was a student of BA (Final), psychology. She was perspiring and her breath was disturbed as if she had undergone some trauma. “Sir is there any relation between ‘neuroticism’ and heredity?” she asked excitedly.
I sensed the quarry must have some wider implications, therefore, I asked smilingly, “What is the matter?” She unfolded one sheet of paper. It was answered sheet of EPI (Eysenck Personality Inventory) duly filled-in and with a remark – ‘High Neurotic Tendencies’, written by Head, Dept. of Psychology. “Do you know the meaning behind?” I asked. She curiously answered, “No”.
“You think and plan too much. When it comes to action your planning is reduced to ‘zero’. This is indicative of negative thinking,” I explained. With my explanation, she cooled down. “Look you have to explore within yourself but I don’t think it has got some bearings with heredity,” I further explained because I was aware that Eysenck’s ‘neuroticism’ was equivalent to Cattell’s second order ‘anxiety’. I transferred my knowledge of ‘Anxiety’ to the interpretation of her results on EPI.
Now she came out with the real story. Her elder brother was admitted to Psychiatric ward of Rohtak Medical College for some neurotic disorder. After the interpretation given by Dr. Khumar, Head Psychology, as ‘high neurotic tendencies’ on the basis of the table given for “Description of the Scores” she could relate to her brother. As a result, she became apprehensive that she would also the developmental problem. As a professional, I felt that Cattell was more near to life. Eysenck was more systematic and methodological in his approach. I, personally feel that Cattell was not given his due.
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