BPCG 173 Solved Question Paper for the June 2026 term-end exam gives you complete, exam-length answers to all 8 questions IGNOU set on Psychology for Health and Well-being. Two answers are open on this page so you can judge our quality first, and the other six are in the full PDF we share on WhatsApp 9899436384.
BPCG 173 key facts for the June 2026 solved question paper
- Course code: BPCG 173
- Subject: Psychology for Health and Wellbeing (printed on the paper as Psychology for Health and Well-being)
- Programmes: BAG and BSCG, also chosen as a Generic Elective in some BA (Honours) streams
- Credits: 6
- Blocks and units: 4 blocks, 12 units
- Maximum marks: 100 (term-end exam 70% weightage, assignments 30%)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Questions in the paper: 8 (attempt any 5, at least 2 from each section)
- Samples shown on this page: 2 (Q2 and Q8)
- Questions in the paid file: All 8 (6 of them not shown on this page)
What the BPCG 173 Solved Question Paper June 2026 Covers
BPCG 173 Psychology for Health and Wellbeing is a 6-credit Generic Elective of IGNOU's School of Social Sciences, studied mainly in the BAG and BSCG programmes.
The June 2026 paper kept the usual format: 8 questions split into Section A and Section B, any five to be attempted with at least two from each section, and every question worth 20 marks at about 400 words. Section A stayed with health models, stress and coping, while Section B moved to food and obesity, pain, anxiety disorders and hope.
What makes this paper worth practising is how closely it tracks earlier exams. Stress management techniques appeared in all nine papers we checked from December 2021 to December 2025, and models of health in seven. The one genuinely new demand is the five components of food in Question 6, which no paper in that window had asked directly.
Two BPCG 173 Answers You Can Read Before You Order
Questions 2 and 8 of the June 2026 BPCG 173 paper are solved in full below, one from each section; the remaining six questions are answered only in the full file.
Question 2 (Section A, 20 marks)
2. Compare the medical model of health and illness with holistic model of health. (20)
Introduction
How we define health decides how we treat illness. Health psychology sets two broad approaches side by side: the medical (biomedical) model, which has shaped Western medicine since the nineteenth century, and the holistic model, which looks at the person as a whole rather than as a collection of organs.
The medical model of health and illness
The medical model sees health as the absence of disease. Illness is explained by biological causes alone, such as pathogens, injury, genetic faults or biochemical imbalance. It grew out of Descartes' separation of mind and body and was strengthened by the germ theory of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch.
The model is reductionist, because it traces complex illness back to a single physical cause. The doctor is the expert, the patient is a passive recipient, and treatment means drugs, surgery or other physical intervention aimed at cure. Its successes are real: vaccines, antibiotics and modern surgery all came from this way of thinking.
Its weakness is what it leaves out. It cannot explain why two people exposed to the same infection react differently, or why stress, poverty and lifestyle shape conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. It also has little to say about the wellbeing of people who have no diagnosable disease at all.
The holistic model of health
The holistic model treats health as a positive state of balance between body, mind, spirit and the social and physical environment. It echoes the WHO's 1948 definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
Illness is read as a sign of imbalance in the whole person, so its causes may be emotional, social or spiritual as well as physical. The individual is an active partner who takes responsibility for diet, exercise, rest and relationships, and prevention matters as much as cure.
Treatment combines conventional medicine with lifestyle change and practices such as Yoga, meditation, counselling and Ayurveda. Its limitation is that some holistic therapies are harder to test scientifically, so their claims need careful evaluation.
Comparison of the two models
| Basis | Medical model | Holistic model |
|---|---|---|
| View of health | Absence of disease | Positive balance of body, mind, spirit and environment |
| Cause of illness | Biological factors only | Physical, psychological, social and spiritual factors |
| Approach | Reductionist, one cause at a time | Whole-person and integrative |
| Role of the patient | Passive recipient of treatment | Active partner responsible for lifestyle |
| Main focus | Diagnosis and cure | Prevention, wellbeing and cure |
| Methods | Drugs, surgery, physical procedures | Medicine plus lifestyle change, Yoga, meditation, counselling |
Conclusion
The two models are not rivals so much as partners. The medical model is indispensable for infection and acute illness, while the holistic model explains long-term wellbeing better. George Engel's biopsychosocial model (1977) joined the strengths of both, and it is the approach health psychology follows today.
Question 8 (Section B, 20 marks)
8. Elucidate the concept of hope and optimism. (20)
Introduction
Hope and optimism are positive expectations about the future. Both sit at the centre of positive psychology and health psychology, because the way a person expects things to turn out shapes how they cope with stress, illness and setbacks. The two ideas are related, but they are not the same.
The concept of hope
The most widely used account is C. R. Snyder's hope theory (1991). Snyder described hope as a positive motivational state built on three parts:
- Goals: the targets a person wants to reach, which give hope its direction.
- Pathways thinking: the ability to see one or more routes to a goal and to find another route when one is blocked, often called waypower.
- Agency thinking: the belief that one can start along those routes and keep going, often called willpower.
High-hope people produce more routes, stay motivated when blocked and treat obstacles as challenges. Hope is therefore goal-directed and rests on personal planning and effort.
The concept of optimism
Michael Scheier and Charles Carver (1985) described dispositional optimism as a generalised expectation that good outcomes will occur. It is a fairly stable trait and is measured with the Life Orientation Test (LOT), later revised as the LOT-R.
Martin Seligman offered a second view through explanatory style. Optimists explain bad events as temporary, limited to one situation and not wholly their own fault, while pessimists see them as permanent, pervasive and personal. In Learned Optimism (1990) Seligman argued that this style can be learned.
How hope differs from optimism
Optimism expects good things to happen whatever the cause; hope expects good outcomes specifically through one's own plans and effort. An optimist may trust that things will work out through luck or other people's help, whereas a hopeful person has a route in mind and the will to follow it.
Role in health and wellbeing
- Better coping: optimists rely more on problem-focused coping and positive reappraisal, and less on denial and avoidance.
- Physical recovery: Scheier and colleagues (1989) found that optimistic coronary bypass patients recovered faster and returned to normal activity sooner.
- Health behaviour: hopeful people are more likely to follow treatment, exercise and give up harmful habits, because they can see a route to the goal.
- Mental health: both qualities go with lower depression and greater life satisfaction.
Conclusion
Optimism has to stay realistic. Neil Weinstein (1980) described unrealistic optimism, where people believe they are less at risk than others and may ignore warning signs. Balanced hope and optimism, joined to sensible action, work as protective resources for health and wellbeing throughout life.
Liked the depth of these two answers? The other six are written to the same standard and are waiting in the full PDF.
Questions answered only in the full file
- Q1 (Section A, 8+12 marks): Explain the concept of health and describe the cross cultural perspectives on health.
- Q3 (Section A, 10+10 marks): Write short notes on the following in about 200 words each : (a) Sources of stress (b) Effect of stress on relationships
- Q4 (Section A, 8+12 marks): Define coping and describe its styles.
- Q5 (Section B, 10+10 marks): Describe any two stress management techniques.
- Q6 (Section B, 10+10 marks): Describe the five components of food. Explain the factors associated with obesity.
- Q7 (Section B, 10+10 marks): Write short notes on the following in about 200 words each : (a) Acute and chronic pain (b) Anxiety disorders
Each of these six is answered in the full file at the length its marks demand, and the two short-note questions are written as four separate notes of about 200 words.
BPCG 173 Block and Unit Map: Four Blocks, Twelve Units
BPCG 173 runs across 4 blocks and 12 units, moving from what health means, to stress, to managing stress, and finally to the experience of physical and mental illness.
| Block | Unit | Key topics in this unit |
|---|---|---|
| Block 1: Introduction | Unit 1: Introduction to Health and Wellbeing | Concept and definition of health; cross-cultural perspectives on health; health-illness continuum |
| Block 1: Introduction | Unit 2: Models of Health and Illness | Medical model; holistic and social models; biopsychosocial model |
| Block 2: Introduction to Stress | Unit 3: Stress: An Introduction | Nature, types and symptoms of stress; sources of stress; measurement of stress |
| Block 2: Introduction to Stress | Unit 4: Factors Contributing to Stress Proneness | Type A personality and hostility; moderators of stress |
| Block 2: Introduction to Stress | Unit 5: Effect of Stress | Effect on health; performance, productivity and the inverted-U; effect on relationships |
| Block 3: Stress Management | Unit 6: Coping with Stress | Goals of coping; problem-focused and emotion-focused coping; proactive and avoidant coping |
| Block 3: Stress Management | Unit 7: Stress Management Techniques-I | Relaxation techniques; meditation and mindfulness; biofeedback |
| Block 3: Stress Management | Unit 8: Stress Management Techniques-II | Cognitive restructuring; Yoga and asanas; time management and the time management matrix |
| Block 4: Promotion of Physical and Mental Health | Unit 9: Physical Illness Experience-I | Food, diet and obesity; sexual health problems; acute and chronic pain |
| Block 4: Promotion of Physical and Mental Health | Unit 10: Physical Illness Experience-II | Coronary heart disease and cancer; diabetes; AIDS and epilepsy |
| Block 4: Promotion of Physical and Mental Health | Unit 11: Mental Illness Experiences | Anxiety disorders and depression; somatic symptom disorders under DSM-5; substance use |
| Block 4: Promotion of Physical and Mental Health | Unit 12: Prevention, Management and Intervention | Hope and optimism; gainful employment and work-life balance; diagnosis and treatment |
Block 3 is the heaviest scorer in practice, because at least one stress management question has appeared in every recent paper. If you want unit-wise notes to read alongside the solved paper, our BPCG 173 Study Material follows the same block order.
The official self-learning material for all four blocks is on the IGNOU eGyanKosh BPCG-173 page, which is the source we checked our answers against.
How the June 2026 BPCG 173 Question Paper Is Structured
The June 2026 BPCG 173 Question Paper had 8 questions of 20 marks each; you answer any five, at least two from each section, for 100 marks in 3 hours.
| Part | Topics asked | Marks split | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A (Q1 to Q4) | Health concept and cross-cultural views, health models, stress, coping | Q2 (20); Q1 and Q4 (8+12); Q3 short notes (10+10) | One 20-mark essay, two split essays, one pair of short notes |
| Section B (Q5 to Q8) | Stress management, food and obesity, pain, anxiety disorders, hope | Q8 (20); Q5 and Q6 (10+10); Q7 short notes (10+10) | One 20-mark essay, two two-part essays, one pair of short notes |
| Attempt rule | Any five questions overall | At least two from each section | Leaves one open choice across sections |
| Word limit | About 400 words per question | About 200 words per short note | Matches 20 marks per answer |
Notice that four of the eight questions carry a split, so an examiner looks for two clearly separated parts. An IGNOU BPCG 173 Question Paper rarely asks a one-line definition; even the short notes expect a full 200-word explanation.
To see how the format has held steady across years, compare this paper with the earlier ones in our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper collection.
Psychology for Health and Wellbeing Topics IGNOU Repeats Most
Across nine official BPCG 173 papers from December 2021 to December 2025, stress management techniques appeared every time, and models of health in seven papers.
| Topic | Unit | Times asked | Exams where it appeared | In June 2026? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stress management techniques (relaxation, meditation, Yoga, mindfulness, time management) | Units 7 and 8 | 9 of 9 | Every paper from Dec 2021 to Dec 2025 | Yes, Q5 |
| Models of health and illness | Unit 2 | 7 of 9 | Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025 | Yes, Q2 |
| Coping and coping styles | Unit 6 | 6 of 9 | Dec 2021, Jun 2022, Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Jun 2025 | Yes, Q4 |
| Food, diet and obesity | Unit 9 | 6 of 9 | Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Dec 2023, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | Yes, Q6 |
| Gainful employment and work-life balance | Unit 12 | 6 of 9 | Dec 2021, Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | No |
| Concept and definition of health | Unit 1 | 5 of 9 | Dec 2021, Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Jun 2024 | Yes, Q1 |
| Sources of stress | Unit 3 | 5 of 9 | Dec 2021, Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | Yes, Q3(a) |
| Hope and optimism | Unit 12 | 5 of 9 | Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | Yes, Q8 |
| Chronic illnesses (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, AIDS) | Unit 10 | 5 of 9 | Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | No |
| Psychosomatic illness and somatic symptom disorders | Unit 11 | 5 of 9 | Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | No |
| Substance use and addiction | Unit 11 | 4 of 9 | Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | No |
| Cross-cultural perspectives on health | Unit 1 | 3 of 9 | Dec 2021, Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | Yes, Q1 |
| Effect of stress on relationships | Unit 5 | 2 of 9 | Dec 2021, Dec 2024 | Yes, Q3(b) |
| Acute and chronic pain | Unit 9 | 2 of 9 | Dec 2021, Dec 2022 | Yes, Q7(a) |
| Anxiety and anxiety disorders | Unit 11 | 2 of 9 | Jun 2024, Dec 2025 | Yes, Q7(b) |
| Five components of food | Unit 9 | 0 of 9 | Not asked directly before | Yes, Q6 (new) |
The papers counted are the official BPCG 173 term-end papers for December 2021, June 2022, December 2022, June 2023, December 2023, June 2024, December 2024, June 2025 and December 2025, all taken from ignou.ac.in and webservices.ignou.ac.in.
Topics marked No did not appear in June 2026, which makes chronic illnesses, gainful employment and substance use strong candidates for December 2026. Our IGNOU Important Questions file builds on exactly this kind of count.
How Our BPCG 173 Answers Are Written and Checked
Every BPCG 173 answer in the file is written to the marks split printed beside the question and checked against the IGNOU unit it comes from.
Where a question carries an 8+12 or 10+10 split, the answer is divided into two labelled parts whose length follows the marks. A 20-mark single question gets an introduction, headed sections and a conclusion, which is the structure IGNOU evaluators reward in this course.
Names, dates and terms are taken from the BPCG 173 blocks and standard health psychology sources, so you will see Engel, Snyder, Scheier and Carver cited correctly, and DSM-5 labels used exactly as the units use them. Comparison questions get a table, because a table is quick for an examiner to mark.
Prateek Talwar writes the answers and Sheetal Kirola reviews them for accuracy, word limit and language before the file is released. Before writing, we studied the nine earlier BPCG 173 papers so that recurring themes are explained in the way IGNOU tends to ask them.
BPCG 173 Solved File Index: All 8 Questions Mapped to Units
The full BPCG 173 file answers all 8 questions; 2 are on this page and 6 are in the full file only.
| Q | Section | Question | Course unit | Marks | Answer available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Section A | Explain the concept of health and describe the cross cultural perspectives on health. | Unit 1 | 8+12 | Full file only |
| Q2 | Section A | Compare the medical model of health and illness with holistic model of health. | Unit 2 | 20 | On this page |
| Q3 | Section A | Short notes: (a) Sources of stress (b) Effect of stress on relationships | Units 3 and 5 | 10+10 | Full file only |
| Q4 | Section A | Define coping and describe its styles. | Unit 6 | 8+12 | Full file only |
| Q5 | Section B | Describe any two stress management techniques. | Units 7 and 8 | 10+10 | Full file only |
| Q6 | Section B | Five components of food; factors associated with obesity | Unit 9 | 10+10 | Full file only |
| Q7 | Section B | Short notes: (a) Acute and chronic pain (b) Anxiety disorders | Units 9 and 11 | 10+10 | Full file only |
| Q8 | Section B | Elucidate the concept of hope and optimism. | Unit 12 | 20 | On this page |
Total: 8 questions, with 2 answers on this page and the remaining 6 in the full file. Studying more than one course this term? Our BAG Question Paper collection lists the other BAG papers solved in the same format.
Programmes That Carry BPCG 173 Psychology for Health and Wellbeing
BPCG 173 is a Generic Elective, so learners in IGNOU's BAG and BSCG programmes, and in some BA (Honours) streams, sit the same paper and can use the same solved file.
| Programme | Code | How BPCG 173 fits |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (General) | BAG | Generic Elective from the Discipline of Psychology |
| Bachelor of Science (General) | BSCG | Generic Elective outside the science core |
| Bachelor of Arts (Honours), selected streams | Varies by stream | Generic Elective option for honours learners outside psychology |
Because science and honours learners from other subjects often meet psychology terms for the first time here, our answers define each term before using it. Arts students can find their full course list on our IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (General) page.
Get the Full BPCG 173 Solved Question Paper on WhatsApp
Send the message BPCG 173 June 2026 on WhatsApp to 9899436384 and our team will share the full solved PDF with all 8 questions answered.
- Open WhatsApp and message 9899436384.
- Type the course code BPCG 173 and the exam June 2026.
- Our team confirms the details and shares the PDF with all 8 answers.
The IGNOU BPCG 173 Solved Question Paper you receive contains the 2 answers shown above plus the 6 answers that appear here only as question text, so you have a model answer for every question on the June 2026 paper.
BPCG 173 Psychology for Health and Wellbeing FAQs
Quick answers to what students ask most about the BPCG 173 June 2026 solved paper.
What is in the BPCG 173 Solved Question Paper for June 2026?
It contains complete answers to all 8 questions of the June 2026 BPCG 173 term-end paper, including the four short notes inside Questions 3 and 7. Answers follow the marks split printed on the paper, run to about 400 words for full questions and 200 words for each short note, and use the terms and theorists from the IGNOU blocks.
How do I get the full BPCG 173 Psychology for Health and Wellbeing solved paper on WhatsApp?
Message 9899436384 on WhatsApp with the code BPCG 173 and the session June 2026. Our team will confirm the details and share the full PDF, which answers all 8 questions: the 2 you can read on this page plus the 6 that appear here as question text only. The same number handles queries about other IGNOU courses too.
Which BPCG 173 answers can I read on this page?
Question 2, which compares the medical model of health and illness with the holistic model, and Question 8, which explains hope and optimism, are solved in full on this page. We chose one question from each section so you can check our depth and structure before ordering. The other six questions are answered only in the full file.
How many questions must I attempt in the BPCG 173 exam?
You attempt any five of the 8 questions in the BPCG 173 paper, with at least two from Section A and two from Section B. Every question carries 20 marks and expects about 400 words, so the paper totals 100 marks in 3 hours. The term-end exam carries 70 per cent weightage and assignments carry the remaining 30 per cent.
Which BPCG 173 topics repeat most often in IGNOU papers?
Stress management techniques appeared in all nine BPCG 173 papers we checked from December 2021 to December 2025. Models of health came up seven times; coping, food and obesity, and gainful employment six times each; and hope and optimism five times. Revising these areas first gives the best return before any Psychology for Health and Wellbeing exam.
How many blocks and units does BPCG 173 Psychology for Health and Wellbeing have?
BPCG 173 has 4 blocks and 12 units. Block 1 introduces health, wellbeing and models of health; Block 2 covers stress, stress proneness and its effects; Block 3 deals with coping and stress management techniques; and Block 4 covers physical and mental illness experiences along with their prevention and management. The whole course carries 6 credits.
Is the BPCG 173 solved paper useful for the December 2026 exam?
Yes. BPCG 173 papers reuse the same core themes, so practising the June 2026 answers prepares you for the next term-end exam as well. Models of health, stress management and hope and optimism have each come up five or more times since December 2021. Use the solved paper alongside the IGNOU blocks and your assignments rather than as a replacement for them.
Who writes and reviews the BPCG 173 answers?
The BPCG 173 answers are written by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola at Unnati Educations in Vikaspuri, Delhi. Each answer is checked against the IGNOU block it comes from, the marks split printed on the paper and the word limit, and any error in names, dates or DSM-5 terms is corrected before the file reaches students.