PSY376 SUSS ECA: Psychology of Trauma July Semester 2025, Singapore

Psychology of Trauma: Theories and Applications

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:

1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper contains TWO (2) questions and comprises FOUR (4) pages (including the cover page).
2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Course Code, Title of the ECA, SUSS PI No., Your Name, and Submission Date.
3. Ensure that you submit your final End-of-Course Assessment by the deadline. After the 12-hour grace period, the e-trailer for End-of-Course Assessment will be disabled for each 24-hour block (or part thereof) by which your submission is late. Submissions that are more than 36 hours after deadline will be treated as no-shows.
4. You are allowed multiple submissions to Turnitin before the deadline. After the deadline, only one submission is allowed, and only if you have not already made a prior submission.
5. If you fail to submit your final End-of-Course Assessment, you will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

ECA Submission Deadline: 30 October 2025 (Thursday) 12:00 Noon

Please read this information before you start working on your ECA.

This ECA carries 50% of the course marks and is a compulsory component. It is to be done individually and not collaboratively with other students. You must submit it on time.

Submission

You are to submit the end-of-course assignment (ECA) in exactly the same manner as your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs), i.e. using Canvas. Submissions sent by other modes such as hardcopy or email to the course team will not be accepted. Ensure that you submit your ECA by the deadline. After the 12-hour grace period by which Turnitin is not disabled, each additional delay every 24-hour block (or part thereof) by which your submission is late, will disable submission for an extra 24 hours which will be treated as no-show. You are allowed multiple submissions to Turnitin before the deadline, while only one submission is allowed, and only if you have not already made any submission. If you fail to submit your ECA, you will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course.

You are reminded that electronic transmission is not always immediate. It is possible that network traffic may particularly heavy and slow, and transfer may take up to an hour or more, especially near submission time. You are advised to submit your assignment early and not to wait until the last minute to make sure that the submission is accepted and on time.

Once you have submitted your ECA, the status is displayed on the computer screen. You will receive a digital acknowledgement message. Please also check that the digital receipt is correct. You are strongly advised to download and retain a copy of your submission for your records. In case a query is raised about how your ECA has reached us, you should therefore not repudiate your electronic submission.

Do not submit your ECA by email. For submission, strictly follow the instructions in this paper. You must keep your ECA templates and assignment for at least six months. All assignments are manually checked for irregularities and similarity by the university.

Plagiarism and Collusion

Students are reminded that all forms of plagiarism (i.e. passing off others’ work as one’s own, whether done intentionally or unintentionally) and collusion (i.e. working with another person or persons to complete the ECA and then submitting it as one’s own work) are serious offences and will be penalised accordingly.

To avoid plagiarism, you must acknowledge your sources of information and clearly indicate all quotations by quotation marks or indentation. Proper citations and referencing are required.

If you are found guilty of plagiarism, disciplinary action may be taken against you, including the award of a Fail grade for the course.

Students who are not sure what constitutes plagiarism should refer to Section 5.2, Chapter 5 of the Student Handbook for more details.

Penalties for Late Submission

Any student who fails to submit the ECA by the deadline will be deemed to have withdrawn from the course, unless the student is unable to do so due to medical or compassionate grounds (with documentary evidence). Students should email their evidence within three working days from the ECA deadline.

Late submission without valid reason will be treated as a “no-show” and will result in a Fail grade for the course.

Disciplinary action may be taken for failure to comply with any of the above instructions.

ECA Submission Guidelines

Please follow the submission instructions stated below:

Please upload this assignment to Turnitin by Thursday, 30 October 2025, 12:00 noon.
Resubmissions are allowed before the cut-off time.

Submit your essay together with your cover page, in a single file (saved as MS Word file), to the submission link titled ECA.

Answer ALL questions.

Read the case study to answer Question 1(a) and (b).

Case Study:

Amy is a 31-year-old single mother, raising her 9-year-old son, Jay. She currently works full-time, and has sole custody of Jay, who still sees his father occasionally.

Amy’s own childhood was marked by a volatile relationship between her parents. Her father had a history of alcohol dependence, often leading to arguments and occasionally physical abuse toward Amy and her mother. Once in her early teens, Amy ran away for a brief while, after which she struggled with substance abuse, and her relationship was marked by similar patterns of volatility and physical aggression between her and her partners.

Her son, Jay, has also exhibited aggressive behaviour at home and in school. He tends to act out when faced with frustration, rejects authority figures, and finds it difficult to build trust, intimacy, and socialise with his peers. He is also falling behind in his schoolwork. The school has given numerous warnings, and Amy feels deeply ashamed and worried. Amy’s relationship with her parents remains very tense. When Amy’s mother visits occasionally, they both end up in arguments. Amy’s father is not in contact with them.

Question 1(a)

(Word limit – 500)

From an attachment and neurobiological perspective of trauma, illustrate the impact adverse childhood experiences might have on Jay’s behaviours, and evaluate the relationship between Amy’s family history and his current functioning.

(40 marks)

Question 1(b)

(Word limit – 500)

As a trauma-informed counsellor, you are preparing for your first session with Jay and his mother, Amy. Analyse what key information you wish to gather from Amy and Jay during intake. Apply trauma-informed principles when developing your intervention plan for Jay and Amy’s case. Consider factors such as physical environment, verbal behaviour, and emotional safety.

(35 marks)

Question 2

(Word limit – 200)

Consider your role as a support person (e.g., a friend, family member, colleague, provider, etc.) and imagine you are assisting a child facing grief or trauma caused by loss of a loved one. Describe how you would show signs of trauma-sensitive care for his or her unique situation. Reflect and apply possible solutions that may help you overcome this challenge.

(20 marks)

References (5 marks)

The References list the full reference of all sources cited or referred to in your assignment. In-text citations also need to be presented accurately in APA format.

Note: Valid academic sources include peer-reviewed academic journal articles, academic books and book chapters. The study guides, student theses, and online websites, blogs, posts, or videos are NOT considered valid academic sources.

There will be a total of 1, 2, 3 marks as follows:

• 5 marks: Perfect use of APA style. Demonstrates a thorough understanding of APA format and referencing conventions. A minimum of 5 valid academic references are cited.
• 4 marks: Near perfect use of APA style. Demonstrates a very good understanding of APA format and referencing conventions. A minimum of 5 valid academic references are cited.
• 0 marks: Fails to meet the above requirements.

English competency

Marks are allocated to English competency, but a penalty of up to 5 marks will apply for errors:

• 1–2 mark penalty: Minor errors present, such as typos and spelling or punctuation mistakes.
• 3–5 mark penalty: Major errors or fair number of minor repeated errors, such as spelling and grammatical mistakes, misuse of colloquial and/or non-academic writing style.

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