FINAL PAPER ON THE “PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS” COURSE

The goal of this task is that you deliver a final reflexion on the contents seen in this course,
in order to demonstrate that you have (a) understood the concepts and (b) critically
reflected on their relationship and practical implications. The minimum total extension is
4.000 words, the maximum is 13.000. Papers with less or more words will not be marked.

This paper will provide 30% of your final course mark. It is recoverable through the
delivery of a new paper, with new questions, that would have to be presented orally on
the “extraordinary exam” date.

You can answer the questions of this final paper based on the exercises done during our
lectures, the PowerPoints provided, the textbook and other recommended text, as well as
the videos given as assignments and the complimentary videos that were suggested. You
can use the PowerPoints without citing them, but you must provide correct citations when
you use other sources (websites, articles). Please try to write in your own words as much
as possible.

This final test is a personal paper, that should be based on a personal reflection by each
student. Plagiarism will lead to a mark of 0.0 in the global course mark.

Please submit in Word format. In your submission, please do not copy all the instructions
and questions, but only the number (A.1., A.2, A.3, D.1.1., D.1.2. etc.).

This is not a final one-stand exam done without texts or other resources, but a personal
reflection that you can do relaxedly over to course of several days, using whatever
resources you wish. Therefore, it is not enough to give correct answers to 50% of the
questions. To pass this exam, you need to answer ALL questions, and to give correct and
well-reasoned answers to most of them. For further guidance on marking, please have a
look at the Rubric in “MiAulario” (the same as for the individual portfolio papers).

Estimated time to complete this task: 10-15 hours

A. SYNTHESIS

1.Extended summary of the “Psychological Foundations” course (minimum 2.000

words, maximum 5.000 words)

Write a summary of the contents covered during the course, as exhaustive but also as
personal as possible. It should not be a mere list of points, but a coherent account
(narrative) of the contents. For each of the broad topics, you should include a brief
discussion of how they relate to your future job as teachers/social workers /sociologists.

2. Brief personal synthesis of what you have found most relevant (minimum 50 words,
maximum 300 words)

3. Most useful contents. (minimum 300 words, maximum 1000 words)

Imagine that in 2025 you are working as a teacher /social worker/ sociologist (circle the
appropriate option). Which specific contents covered in the course do you think might
be more useful for you? In what specific way? Please list and discuss five, providing
examples of how you would use them.

1……….

In what way?

2. …….

In what way?

3. ……….

In what way?

4. ……….

In what way?

5. ……….

In what way?
B. PERSONAL QUESTIONS (they will not be marked, but have to be answered)

4. What have you liked best about the course? (maximum 200 words)

5. What contents/ideas/data have surprised you most? List at least five. (maximum 200
words)

C. BRIEF CONTROL QUESTIONS.

C.1. You have just read an excellent research done at Oxford University. A new,
computer-assisted method to improve reading was tested in a high-tech laboratory on 20
carefully selected 8-year olds who had learning difficulties. Students achieved a 40%
increase in their reading speed in only three weeks. (minimum 50 words, maximum
300).In principle, what would you say is higher in this study, internal validity or external
validity? What does this mean?

C.2. What is the difference between the primary, the secondary and the tertiary sensory
areas in our cerebral cortex? Describe how each of them acts in the following scene: “You
have a rose in your hand, are watching its beautiful colours and smelling its wonderful
scent.”(minimum 100 words, maximum 300).

C.3. “Our perceptions are the accurate imprint of external reality on us.” According to
what we have seen in the “Sensoperception module”, would you say this phrase is correct?
Why? Why not? . You might find it useful to review a TedTalk we watched –partially- in
one of our lectures: “Do we see reality as it is?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYp5XuGYqqY

(minimum 50 words, maximum 300).

C.4. From the point of view of what we have seen in the “Attention” module, why is it
not a good idea to text with a cell pone while you are listening to a presentation?
(minimum 50 words, maximum 100).
C.5.Invent an example of each of the following types of memory (minimum 50 words,
maximum 300):

• 1.Declarative semantic retrospective memory

• 2.Declarative topographical prospective memory
• 3. Declarative episodic retrospective memory
• 4.Non-declarative (implicit) procedural memory
• 5.Declarative autobiographical retrospective memory
• 6. Declarative semantic prospective memory
• 7.Declarative episodic prospective memory
•

C.6. Explain how attention affects memory, according to Atkinson and Shiffrin´s model.
(minimum 50 words, maximum 300).

C.7. Watch the video “Improving working memory through computer game training”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh2Z2hSgFIY) that we watched (partially) in one of
our lectures on memory.

C.7.1.What improves in the brain as a result of the computer-assisted working memory

training developed by the presenter?

C.7.2.To what percentage of increase in working memory does it lead?

C.7.3.What are the implications for daily life?

C.7.4.Of the three citations of feedback by children on their working memory training,
which sentence shows the link between memory and attention?

C.7.5. Are the studies described by the presenter correlational or experimental?

(Total minimum 50 words, maximum 300).

C.8. Kahneman and other others have demonstrated the differences between System 1
Thiking and System 2 Thinking. What kind of thinking would you like to promote in your
students? How? (minimum 50 words, maximum 300).

C.9.What positive effects does optimism have on a person? How could you promote
optimism in your students? (minimum 100 words, maximum 300).
C.10. What is the difference between empathy, compassion and altruism? Invent and
describe two exercises that you could use to promote them, in 5 or 6-year olds (minimum
300 words, maximum 500).

D. RELATIONSHIP QUESTIONS AND PRACTICAL CASES.

D.1. You are preparing a module on healthy nutrition for 6th grade primary students. You
wish to show that obesity is dangerous and should be avoided; one of the points you wish
to emphasize is that sugar is basically unhealthy. However, one of your colleagues tells
you she has read a recent research report that demonstrates that in fact eating chocolate
helps children to stay slim. You decide to read the report and reach you own conclusions.
The basic facts and results of the report are the following:
-It was done on a large and representative simple of 6th grade primary school children
(2.000 children from rural and urban areas in Spain, 50% males, 50% females).
-Children´s Body Mass Index (an index of obesity: a larger BMI means you are more
obese) was measured in January 2020.
-Chocolate consumption was measured in January 2020 by asking the participants and
their parents about their nutrition habits.
-It was found that children with a lower BMI (within the healthy range) do in fact eat
more chocolate than children with higher BMIs. The association was statistically
significant: children with a BMI below 22 ate 40% more chocolate than those with a BMI
of 22 or more.
The authors of the study concluded that eating more chocolate helps to keep a balanced
diet and therefore a lower BMI.
D.1.1.Is this conclusion really supported by the data? Why/Why not?
D.1.2. Could there be alternative interpretations of the data? If yes: which ones?
D.1.3. Therefore, what message on chocolate would you give to your students in your
healthy nutrition module?
(Total minimum 50 words, maximum 300).

D.2. Andoni and Noa, two five-year-olds, have gotten into a bitter fight over a toy.
Andony tries to take a toy Noa is playing with and Noa, in a rage, hits Andoni on the head
with the toy. The teacher separates the two kids and scolds Noa for attacking Andoni, and
asks her if she thinks it is alright to hit Andoni. In response, Noa gets even more agitated
and angry. What should the teacher have done instead? Support your proposal on the basis
of how Noa´s brain is probably working in this situation.
(minimum 50 words, maximum 300)
D.3. In Learning Psychology it is stated that “behavior is context dependent”. For
instance, it is a well-known fact that some kids misbehave in a given class with a given
teacher (for instance, Ms. Sara, the English teacher, who is very lenient), but behave
perfectly well with another teacher (for instance, Ms. Mary, the Science teacher, who is
rather strict).
D.3.1. How could you explain this from the point of view of operant conditioning?
D.3.2. How is the concept of “discriminant stimulus” useful as applied to this situation?
D.3.3. In the case of the example, not all students behave better with Ms. Mary than with
Ms. Sara. On the contrary, some students seem to do better with Ms. Sara than with Ms.
Mary. How could you explain this from the point of view of the Person/Situation
interaction?
(Toal minimum 100 words, maximum 300)

D.4.Two fifth-graders, Xavier and Gorka, have started to bully Unax, a shy fourth-grader,
during recess time. They ask him to give them the content of his lunch box. If he resists,
they hit him and take the lunch away from him. After some days in this situation, Unax
does not resist anymore: As soon as Xavier or Gorka ask him to give them his lunch, he
complies.
D.4.1.Explain, from the point of view of operant conditioning, what has lead to Unax´es
giving in, and why Xavier and Gorka continue to bully Unax.
D.4.2. After some weeks, Unax starts to feel sick as he hears the bell that announces
recess time comes. How could you explain this?
(minimum 200 words, maximum 500)

D.5. Can creativity be improved? If yes: explain how. If not: explain why not.
(minimum 50 words, maximum 300)

D.6. You (the teacher) and the school social worker are having an interview with María,
the single mother of Isar, a 6-year old student that is performing poorly in school. The
mother has another child, Julia, who was placed by Child Protection in a foster home
some years ago, due to the serous drinking problems María had then and to the fact that
some of her sexual partners were abusive towards Julia. The purpose of the meeting is to
conjointly decide on a course of action to support Isar academically, but María seems to
suspect that Isar may also be taken away: she is both anxious and very angry. “I know
you want to steal Isar, too” she says in a very bitter tone. You try to explain that this is
not the case, but the mother seems too upset to understand what you are saying.
D.6.1.How could you explain what might be happening to the mother, from the point of
view of how her nervous system might be working during this conversation?
D.6.2.From the point of view of “Motivation and Emotion”, what could you do to help
the mother understand what you are saying and to motivate her to join forces with you to
support Isar better?
D.6.3.How could the Self-determination Theory help you with this?
D.6.4.You would like the mother to spend more time doing homework with her daughter,
but she does not seem interesterd; in fact, she seems very reluctant to change anything.
How could the Transtheoretical Model of the Phases of Change help you with this?
(minimum 200 words, maximum 1.000)

D.7.Watch the 10-minute video “Brookes University Research: The Good Behavior
Game”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqrug7afH7A ).
D.7.1. How can you explain that the GBG is so effective?
D.7.2. Is the GBG an example of classical conditioning, of operant conditioning, or both?
D.7.3. Identify all the elements of conditioning in the GBG (if classical conditioning:
unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, etc; if operant conditioning:
discriminant stimulus, response, consequence).
D.7.4. The GBG is based on counting the trasgressions to the rules. How would you adapt
it to make it more constructive/positive?
D.7.5. How does the Power of the Situation show in the GBG?
(minimum 200 words, maximum 1000)

D. 8. You are a 3rd grade pre-school teacher. In your new group of students you have
Asier, the youngest brother of Pablo, Unai and Aitor, who are also attending the same
school. Pablo, Unai and Aitor are pretty problematic students: aggresive, moody, not
conscientious at all. A fellow teacher, who has algo taught these boys, warns you: “You
will see, Asier will be as difficult as his brothers, these things are in their genes”
What would you answer, on the basis of your knowledge of personality traits?
(minimum 50 words, maximum 300).