BSc Home Science SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Theory Syllabus - Mumbai University 2026

This is the Semester 5 syllabus under NEP 2020, in force from the academic year 2026-27. The University still examines the earlier Choice Based papers alongside it: her third-year timetables name that scheme, so check which scheme your exam form names before you revise.

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Syllabus for SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Theory

Major elective · Semester 5 · Third Year - Human Development · 2 credits · 50 marks

MU sets two papers of this name in this semester and separates them only by her own "Type" row. The word Theory in the title above is that row, not part of the name she printed.

Module I: Foundations of Social Behaviour

1 Introduction to Social Behaviour
i Meaning and scope of social behaviour
ii Nature of social interaction in everyday life
iii Person–situation interaction (Why do we behave differently in different contexts?) Real-life examples from campus, workplace, and social media)
2 Social Perception and Cognition
i How we form first impressions
ii Basic attribution theory (internal versus external causes)
iii Common biases (fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias)
iv Stereotypes: how they form and how they affect behaviour
3 Attitudes and Attitude Change
i Components of attitudes (cognitive, affective, behavioural)
ii How attitudes are formed (family, peers, media)
iii When and why attitudes change
iv Persuasion in advertising and social media
4 Social Influence
i Conformity (peer pressure in daily life)
ii Compliance (foot-in-the-door, door-in-the-face techniques)
iii Obedience (authority in institutions)
iv Resisting unhealthy social pressure

Module II: Interpersonal, Group, and Societal Dynamics

1 Interpersonal Attraction and Relationships
i Why we like some people more than others (similarity, proximity, reciprocity)
ii Friendship and close relationships
iii Prosocial behaviour and helping
2 Aggression and Conflict
i Causes of aggression (biological, psychological, social)
ii Conflict in families, friendships, and workplaces
iii Healthy conflict resolution strategies
3 Group Behaviour
i Definition and Types of Groups
ii Effects of the Group on Individual Behaviour (Social Loafing, Social Facilitation and Deindividuation)
iii Effects of the Group on Individual Decision-Making (Group Polarization, Groupthink, Minority Influence)
iv Leadership styles (authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire)
4 Social Issues in Contemporary Society
i Prejudice and discrimination
ii Gender roles and social expectations
iii Social media influence on behaviour and identity

Reference Books

1 Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M., & Sommers, S. R. (2023). Social psychology (11th ed.). Pearson.
2 Baron, R. A., Branscombe, N. R., & Byrne, D. (2021). Social psychology (14th ed.). Pearson.
3 Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2020). Social psychology and human nature (5th ed.). Cengage Learning
4 Myers, D. G., & Twenge, J. M. (2022). Social psychology (14th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
5 Taylor, S. E., Peplau, L. A., & Sears, D. O. (2020). Social psychology (14th ed.). Pearson.

Reproduced from the University of Mumbai syllabus for B.Sc. (Home Science) under NEP 2020, in force from the academic year 2026-27. Wording is as printed in that syllabus. Module numbering is as printed there too.

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