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What is Psephology?

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Link “psephos” (pebble) to ballots — the ancient way of voting.
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
  • Statistical study of elections, voting, etc.
  • Study of rainfall pattern
  • Study of gene disorder
  • Study of female prisoners
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The Correct Option is A

Approach Solution - 1

Psephology is the statistical study of elections and voting behaviour, a term built from the Greek word psephos, or pebble, recalling how ancient Greeks cast pebbles as votes.

  1. Statistical study of elections, voting, etc.: The accurate meaning of psephology.
  2. Study of rainfall pattern: Belongs to meteorology, not psephology.
  3. Study of gene disorder: Falls under genetics instead.
  4. Study of female prisoners: Not a recognised field connected to this term.

The statistical study of elections and voting is therefore the right meaning.

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Approach Solution -2

Many English words ending in -logy name a field of study, and comparing psephology against its closest neighbouring terms in political science helps place it correctly among the options.

  1. Statistical study of elections, voting, etc.: Psephology sits alongside other social-science -logy terms as the specific branch dealing with elections, opinion polling and voting trends, analysed through statistical methods.
  2. Study of rainfall pattern: This area belongs to the earth and atmospheric sciences, under the term meteorology, a different branch entirely from anything political.
  3. Study of gene disorder: This belongs to the life sciences under genetics, again a separate branch from political or social studies.
  4. Study of female prisoners: No standard -logy term in criminology or social science corresponds to this description.

Positioned among political and social science terms, psephology is specifically the one concerned with elections and voting.

So the correct answer is Statistical study of elections, voting, etc.

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