BPCC 132 key facts
- Course code: BPCC 132
- Subject: Introduction to Social Psychology
- Programme: Bachelor of Arts (General), BAG, also printed for BAM
- Credits: 6 (4 theory + 2 tutorial)
- Blocks and units: 5 blocks
- Maximum marks: 50
- Duration: 2 hours
- Questions in the paper: 8 (Q3 and Q8 have two short-note parts, so 10 answers)
- Answers shown on this page: 2 (Q1 and Q2)
- Questions in the paid file: All 8, of which 6 (Q3 to Q8) are not answered on this page
What the BPCC 132 Solved Question Paper June 2026 covers
BPCC 132 Solved Question Paper for June 2026 gives you complete, exam-length answers to every question in the IGNOU term-end paper for BPCC 132 Introduction to Social Psychology, a 6-credit psychology course in the Bachelor of Arts (General) programme, BAG.
The file answers all 8 questions of the June 2026 paper, which works out to 10 written answers once the two short-note questions are split. Our subject experts started from the official question paper and wrote each answer to the length the paper asks for: about 300 words for long questions and about 150 words for each short note.
This year's paper leaned heavily on attitudes. Q2 asked about attitude formation and Q3 asked short notes on cognitive dissonance theory and functions of attitude, so one block carries three answers. Section B turned to aggression theories, groups, Solomon Asch's conformity research, culture and conflict resolution.
If you are revising from the official course books as well, our BPCC 132 Study Material page sits alongside this paper so you can read the theory and then see how it is framed in an exam answer.
BPCC 132 sample answers from the June 2026 paper
Two questions from Section A, Q1 and Q2, are answered in full below exactly as they appear in the June 2026 BPCC 132 Question Paper; the other six are answered only in the paid file. Read them to judge the depth, structure and language before you order.
Question 1 Section A 3+7 marks
1. Define Social Psychology and describe the theoretical approaches to Social Psychology. 3+7
Definition of social psychology (3 marks)
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think about, influence and relate to one another. Gordon Allport described it as an attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others.
Baron and Byrne describe it as the field that tries to understand the nature and causes of individual behaviour and thought in social situations. So the focus stays on the individual, but always inside a social setting, and the discipline relies on scientific methods such as experiments, surveys and field observation.
Theoretical approaches to social psychology (7 marks)
1. Sociocultural approach: This approach holds that behaviour is shaped by the groups we belong to, such as nationality, social class, religion and family. Social norms tell us what is acceptable, which is why ways of greeting elders or expressing anger differ from one culture to another.
2. Evolutionary approach: Drawing on Darwin's idea of natural selection, this view argues that some social tendencies survived because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce. Helping close relatives more readily than strangers, known as kin selection, is a common example. Critics note that such claims are hard to test directly.
3. Social learning approach: Here social behaviour is learnt through reinforcement and by watching others. Albert Bandura's Bobo doll studies in the early 1960s showed that children who watched an adult hit a doll later copied that aggression. The approach stresses a person's past learning history.
4. Social cognitive approach: This approach looks at what people notice, how they interpret it and what they remember. Schemas, attributions and attitudes sit at its centre. Fritz Heider's work on attribution (1958) and Leon Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory (1957) are key landmarks.
5. Field theory of Kurt Lewin: Lewin proposed that behaviour is a function of the person and the environment, often written as B = f(P, E). Neither personal traits nor the situation alone can explain behaviour; both must be studied together.
Conclusion: These approaches are complementary rather than rival. Aggression, for example, can be traced to evolved tendencies, learnt models, biased thinking and cultural norms at the same time, which is why modern social psychology combines them.
Question 2 Section A 3+7 marks
2. Explain the meaning of attitude. Describe the processes in attitude formation. 3+7
Meaning of attitude (3 marks)
Gordon Allport (1935) defined attitude as a mental and neural state of readiness, organised through experience, that exerts a directive or dynamic influence on the individual's response to all objects and situations with which it is related.
Put simply, an attitude is our evaluation of a person, group, object or idea along a favourable to unfavourable scale. It has three components, often called the ABC model: affective (feelings), behavioural (tendency to act) and cognitive (beliefs). A student's attitude towards online classes, for instance, mixes all three.
Processes in attitude formation (7 marks)
1. Classical conditioning: When a neutral object is repeatedly paired with something that already arouses emotion, the object starts to arouse the same emotion. A child who often hears a parent speak angrily about a group may come to dislike that group. Such pairing can work even when the stimulus is too brief to be noticed, which is called subliminal conditioning.
2. Instrumental conditioning: Views that are rewarded get stronger, and views that bring disapproval are dropped. Parents who praise a child for voicing their own opinions slowly shape the child's attitudes in the same direction.
3. Observational learning: People pick up attitudes by watching what others say and do, even without any reward. Children copy the attitudes of parents, teachers and media figures, and they often follow what adults do rather than what adults tell them.
4. Social comparison: Leon Festinger (1954) proposed that we compare our views with those of others to check whether they are correct. We tend to adopt the attitudes of groups we like and identify with, and distance ourselves from those of groups we dislike.
5. Direct experience and mere exposure: Attitudes built from personal experience are usually stronger and come to mind faster. Robert Zajonc (1968) showed that simply seeing an object again and again tends to raise liking for it, called the mere exposure effect.
6. Genetic factors: Twin studies suggest that some attitudes have a partial genetic basis, since identical twins agree on them more often than fraternal twins do. Such attitudes also appear harder to change.
Conclusion: Attitudes are not inborn in full, nor purely learnt. They grow through conditioning, observation, comparison and experience, on top of some inherited tendencies, and this is why changing them takes sustained effort.
Questions answered only in the full file
The questions below are printed exactly as they appear in the IGNOU BPCC 132 Question Paper for June 2026. Their answers are not shown on this page.
- Write short notes on the following in about 150 words each : 5+5 (a) Cognitive dissonance theory (b) Functions of attitude
- Describe the internal and external factors affecting attraction. 5+5
- Explain aggression with a focus on its theories. 3+7
- Describe the types and components of groups. 4+6
- Explain conformity with a focus on research by Solomon Asch. Describe the factors affecting conformity. 6+4
- Write short notes on the following in about 150 words each : 5+5 (a) Components of culture (b) Strategies of conflict resolution
BPCC 132 Introduction to Social Psychology blocks and units
BPCC 132 is divided into five blocks on eGyanKosh, moving from how individuals think about others to how groups and cultures shape behaviour. The June 2026 paper drew questions from all five blocks, so skipping any one of them is risky.
| Block | Units | Topics examined |
|---|---|---|
| Block 1: Introduction to Social Psychology | Unit 1: Social Psychology: Nature, Scope and Approaches | Definition and nature; levels of analysis and links with sociology and anthropology; theoretical approaches asked as Q1 in June 2026 |
| Block 2: Individual Level Process | Units 2 and 3: Social Cognition I and II; Units 4 and 5: attitude units | Schemas, heuristics and errors in social cognition; attribution theories and biases; attitude formation, functions and cognitive dissonance |
| Block 3: Interpersonal Processes | Unit 6: attraction and prosocial behaviour; Unit 7: Human Aggression | Internal and external factors in attraction such as proximity; bystander effect; aggression theories and the General Aggression Model |
| Block 4: Group Dynamics | Unit 8: Group Dynamics; Unit 9: Social Influence | Group types, components and stages of formation; group conflict; conformity, compliance and Milgram's obedience study |
| Block 5: Culture, Self and Social Behaviour | Unit 10 | Components of culture; agents of enculturation; self and social behaviour across cultures |
Block and unit titles were checked against the official eGyanKosh BPCC-132 course page. Unit titles we could not confirm directly are marked for verification.
BPCC 132 question paper pattern and marks split
The BPCC 132 paper is a 2-hour, 50-mark test where you answer any five of eight questions, taking at least two from each section. Every question carries 10 marks, but the internal split changes from question to question, and that split decides how many words each part deserves.
| Element | June 2026 paper | What to note |
|---|---|---|
| Duration and marks | 2 hours, 50 marks | Same in every BPCC 132 paper from December 2021 onwards |
| Questions printed | 8, four in Section A and four in Section B | Q3 and Q8 are short-note questions with two parts each |
| Questions to attempt | Any 5, at least 2 from each section | A sixth answer is not marked, so pick carefully |
| Marks per question | 10 | Splits in June 2026: 3+7 (Q1, Q2, Q5), 5+5 (Q3, Q4, Q8), 4+6 (Q6), 6+4 (Q7) |
| Word length | About 300 words; about 150 per short note | December 2023 and June 2024 had asked for about 400 words |
| Weightage in result | Term-end exam 70 percent, assignments 30 percent | As stated in the official BPCC 132 assignment booklet |
The 6+4 split on Q7 is unusual for this course. It means the Asch research part deserves noticeably more space than the factors part, and our full-file answer is balanced accordingly.
The same pattern runs across your other BAG papers, so our BAG Question Paper page is useful if you are preparing several June 2026 subjects together.
Topics IGNOU keeps asking in BPCC 132
Approaches to social psychology and aggression are the safest BPCC 132 topics: each appeared in eight of the nine official papers we checked, and both came again in June 2026. The counts below come from IGNOU's own question papers, December 2021 to December 2025.
| Topic | Sessions asked | Times asked (of 9) | In June 2026? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature, scope, history or approaches of social psychology | Dec 2021, Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025 | 8 | Yes, Q1 |
| Aggression: meaning, causes, theories, GAM or reduction | Dec 2021, Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 8 | Yes, Q5 |
| Schemas, heuristics and errors in social cognition | Dec 2021, Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 7 | No |
| Attribution theories, errors and biases | Dec 2021, Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | 7 | No |
| Attitude: meaning, structure, functions, formation or dissonance | Dec 2021, Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Dec 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025 | 7 | Yes, Q2 and Q3 |
| Obedience, compliance and conformity | Jun 2022, Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 6 | Yes, Q7 |
| Culture, enculturation and behaviour across cultures | Dec 2021, Jun 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Dec 2023 | 5 | Yes, Q8(a) |
| Prosocial behaviour and the bystander effect | Dec 2022, Jun 2024, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 5 | No |
| Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination | Dec 2023, Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 4 | No |
| Communication styles and barriers | Dec 2021, Jun 2022, Dec 2023, Jun 2025 | 4 | No |
| Persuasion and the dual process model | Jun 2023, Jun 2024, Dec 2025 | 3 | No |
| Internal and external factors in attraction | Dec 2021, Dec 2022, Dec 2023 | 3 | Yes, Q4 |
| Group types, components, formation and processes | Jun 2023, Dec 2023, Jun 2024 | 3 | Yes, Q6 |
| Group conflict and conflict resolution | Dec 2021, Dec 2022 | 2 | Yes, Q8(b) |
One gap to note: only the first seven questions of the December 2025 paper were readable in the official file we used, so its Q8 short notes are not counted here.
For a wider list of predicted topics across other courses, see our IGNOU Important Questions collection, which is built the same way from official papers.
How our BPCC 132 social psychology answers are prepared
Every BPCC 132 answer is written from the IGNOU course material first, then checked against the exact wording and marks split of the June 2026 paper. That keeps definitions, scholar names and dates in line with what examiners expect to see.
In the two samples above you can see the method at work. Q1 opens with Allport's definition before the 7-mark approaches section, and Q2 quotes Allport's 1935 definition of attitude before listing six formation processes with named studies, such as Festinger on social comparison and Zajonc on mere exposure.
Each answer was then reviewed by Sheetal Kirola for accuracy, length and British spelling. Where the paper asks for 150-word short notes, the answer stops at that length rather than padding, because examiners in BPCC 132 mark relevance, not volume.
Because the same topics return, we also compared every June 2026 question with the older papers in our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper archive, so the full file tells you which answers you are likely to reuse.
BPCC 132 June 2026 solved file index
The BPCC 132 June 2026 solved file holds 8 questions and 10 answers: Q1 and Q2 are on this page, and Q3 to Q8 are in the full file only. BPCC 132 has no laboratory practical, so this index maps each question to its block instead.
| Question | Question as printed | Course block and unit | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Define Social Psychology and describe the theoretical approaches to Social Psychology. | Block 1, Unit 1 | On this page |
| Q2 | Explain the meaning of attitude. Describe the processes in attitude formation. | Block 2, attitude units | On this page |
| Q3 | Write short notes on the following: | Block 2, attitude units | Full file only |
| Q4 | Describe the internal and external factors affecting attraction. | Block 3, Unit 6 | Full file only |
| Q5 | Explain aggression with a focus on its theories. | Block 3, Unit 7 | Full file only |
| Q6 | Describe the types and components of groups. | Block 4, Unit 8 | Full file only |
| Q7 | Explain conformity with a focus on research by Solomon Asch. Describe the factors affecting conformity. | Block 4, Unit 9 | Full file only |
| Q8 | Write short notes on the following: | Block 5 (a) and Block 4 (b) | Full file only |
The 2 tutorial credits of BPCC 132 are assessed through Part II of the assignment, a handwritten A4 file, which is separate from this term-end solved paper.
Programmes that study BPCC 132 Introduction to Social Psychology
BPCC 132 Introduction to Social Psychology is taken by Bachelor of Arts (General) and Bachelor of Arts (Multidisciplinary) learners, both printed as BAG and BAM on the June 2026 paper. All of them sit the same term-end exam.
In the IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (General) programme, BPCC 132 is a 6-credit psychology course with 4 theory and 2 tutorial credits. IGNOU also issues the BPCC 132 assignment under BAFPC, the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) four-year route.
How to get the full BPCC 132 Solved Question Paper
Send a WhatsApp message to 9899436384 with the words BPCC 132 June 2026, and you receive the full file with all 8 questions solved, 10 answers in total. Our team replies with the price and payment options, then shares the PDF on the same chat.
The IGNOU BPCC 132 Solved Question Paper file is laid out for phone reading, with each answer starting on a fresh heading and each mark split shown, so you can revise Q5 on aggression or Q7 on Asch on your way to the exam centre.
BPCC 132 Social Psychology FAQs
These are the questions BPCC 132 students ask us most often before ordering the June 2026 solved paper.
What is inside the BPCC 132 Solved Question Paper for June 2026?
The BPCC 132 Solved Question Paper for June 2026 contains complete answers to all 8 questions of the IGNOU term-end paper, including both parts of the two short-note questions, so you get 10 written answers in total. Long answers run to about 300 words and short notes to about 150 words, exactly as the paper instructs. Two answers are shown on this page and six questions are answered only in the full file.
How many BPCC 132 answers can I read on this page before ordering?
You can read two full BPCC 132 answers on this page: Question 1 on the definition and theoretical approaches of social psychology, and Question 2 on the meaning of attitude and the processes of attitude formation. The remaining six questions, Q3 to Q8, are listed with their printed wording only. Their answers are kept for the paid file so that students who order get the complete set.
How do I get the full BPCC 132 Introduction to Social Psychology file on WhatsApp?
Send a WhatsApp message to 9899436384 with the words BPCC 132 June 2026 solved paper. Our team replies with the price and payment options, and after payment you receive the full PDF with answers to all 8 questions, which means 10 answers once the short notes are counted. It opens easily on a phone, and you can ask doubts about any BPCC 132 answer on the same number.
Which BPCC 132 Social Psychology topics repeat most in IGNOU papers?
In the nine BPCC 132 papers from December 2021 to December 2025, the nature, scope and approaches of social psychology came in eight sessions, and aggression also came in eight. Schemas and errors in social cognition, attribution and attitudes each came in seven. Obedience, compliance and conformity together came in six. June 2026 again asked approaches, attitude formation, aggression theories and conformity.
What is the BPCC 132 exam pattern and word limit?
The BPCC 132 term-end paper runs for 2 hours and carries 50 marks. It prints eight questions in two sections, and you answer any five, with at least two from each section. Every question carries 10 marks. The June 2026 paper asked for about 300 words per answer and about 150 words per short note, while the December 2023 and June 2024 papers had asked for about 400 words.
Which programmes study BPCC 132 Introduction to Social Psychology?
BPCC 132 Introduction to Social Psychology is printed on the June 2026 paper for the Bachelor of Arts (General), BAG, and the Bachelor of Arts (Multidisciplinary), BAM. IGNOU also issues a BPCC 132 assignment under BAFPC, the Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) four-year route. Students on all these routes sit the same term-end paper, so this solved file suits each of them equally well.
How many credits and blocks does BPCC 132 have?
BPCC 132 is a 6-credit course made up of 4 theory credits and 2 tutorial credits, as stated in the official IGNOU assignment booklet. The eGyanKosh course page shows five blocks: Introduction to Social Psychology, Individual Level Process, Interpersonal Processes, Group Dynamics, and Culture, Self and Social Behaviour. The term-end exam carries 70 percent of the final result and assignments carry 30 percent.
Does the BPCC 132 solved file include the tutorial handwritten file?
No, the BPCC 132 solved file covers only the June 2026 term-end paper. The tutorial is Part II of the BPCC 132 assignment, a handwritten A4 file built around an interview schedule and a small sample of participants, and IGNOU wants it in your own handwriting. If you need help planning that tutorial file, message us on WhatsApp at 9899436384 and we will tell you what we can offer.