A Sinterklaas poem on the happenings at the Psychology department – generated by ChatGPT
It is an old Dutch tradition on the 5th of December, when Sinterklaas returned to the Netherlands, to exchange gifts packaged as surprises with a personal poem. In a traditional Sinterklaas poem, the less favourable traits of the recipient are playfully teased. It’s a good occasion to take a moment for self-reflection and look back on the past year.
This year, Mindwise seizes the Sinterklaas occasion to reflect, in the form of a Sinterklaas poem, on the happenings at the Psychology department in the year 2023. Given the recent introduction of open AI, ChatGPT was employed in the creation of this reflection.
The following Sinterklaas poem demonstrates that even beautiful poetry is within the capabilities of ChatGPT.
Dear Mindwise reader,
In Groningen’s city, where minds entwine,
A tale of Psych minds, oh, how they shine.
In the heart of BSS, where wisdom grows,
Let’s rhyme the tales that Mindwise bestows.
Amidst the green heart, a garden serene,
A haven of peace, where thoughts convene.
With a photo exhibition, a stroll through time,
“Hortus: Then and Now,” a memory’s climb.
Diversity blooms in the BSS domain,
A theme embraced, not a moment in vain.
Sabine Otten and DIBSS, their mission clear,
A poster guerrilla, spreading acceptance near.
LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent too,
Inclusion’s the path that they continue.
Gerrit Breeuwsma, in Ukrant, did declare,
The university painted purple, a gesture rare.
Active classrooms rise, a counter to AI’s sway,
ChatGPT’s challenge met, in an educational display.
“Active Learning Classrooms,” the director cheers,
A response to passive learning, calming fears.
Now, let’s ponder the debates that took flight,
In Mindwise realms, where minds ignite.
“Truth’s Nature” debated, perspectives unfold,
In a world of knowledge, diverse and bold.
Psychedelics, a topic both trick and treat,
Doctors, dealers, and deities meet.
In a Western medical paradigm’s dance,
A Mindwise debate, a psychedelic trance.
But let’s not forget, in this Sinterklaas rhyme,
The leaders of Psych, navigating the time.
Barbara Wisse and Casper Albers, the helm they steer,
Through AI challenges, both far and near.
Guidelines drafted, in July they wrote,
For ChatGPT’s entry, a thought-provoking quote.
“Disruptive change,” the report did proclaim,
A new era in teaching, a generative AI game.
Plagiarism’s threat, a specter to face,
In well-crafted essays, AI’s stealthy grace.
Students equipped, with skills to evade,
A dance with detection, a shadowy masquerade.
In the Mindwise debates, truth’s inquiry,
In the garden’s peace, a visual history.
In classrooms active, learning’s new stride,
In BSS’s heart, where diversity abides.
So here’s to the Psych minds, in Groningen’s embrace,
Navigating the currents, with wisdom and grace.
In Mindwise’s haven, where thoughts intertwine,
Sinterklaas smiles on this tale, so fine.
Greetings from Sinterklaas
However, ChatGPT is only as smart as our inputs
Statement about the preparation of this Sint poem: During the preparation of this work the author used ChatGPT in order to write the text of this poem for Mindwise. It was not Chat GPT generating the ideas in this poem; the initiation of the idea and the ideas in the poem sparked in the mind of the author. Before generating text in ChatGPT, the author found herself in a contemplative moment reviewing the main highlights of the year 2023 in the Department of Psychology. The author engaged in a process called “text preparation”, collecting lived experiences from the mind and statements from newsletters and important documents that were published in the year 2023. The ideas were collected in the form a text (of approximately 2 pages) which were then used as a prompt for ChatGPT. The prompt contained a concrete assignment* for writing a poem in the tradition of a Dutch Sinterklaas poem. After using ChatGPT, the author reviewed the content and no changes were made to the result. The author takes full responsibility for the content of the publication. Without co-creating with ChatGPT the author (who is a non-native speaker of the English language) would not have been able to write such an astonishing poem with beautiful poetic words. However, a thoughtful preparation is key for the creation of a poem making sense, as is for the preparation of any text (“garbage in, is garbage out “ they say). What this poem tells us, is that the preparatory process is key to a fruitful co-creation with open AI; ChatGPT is only as smart as our inputs.
* The assignment for ChatGPT was “Please write a poem in the (British) English language in the tradition of a Dutch “Sinterklaas gedicht”. The poem may contain jokes and irony. It reflects on the past year and the highlights what happened to the people working at the department of Psychology of the University of Groningen. The department of Psychology is part of the faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences (BSS) and is located in the city centre of the city of Groningen in the Netherlands.” This assignment was followed by a collection of ideas put together by the author, which can be viewed on request with the author: y.groen@rug.nl.
Featured image credits: “Sint” downloaded from Flickr.com, owned by Gerard Stolk, license Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 2.0).
Dr. Yvonne Groen (she/her) is a bio/neuropsychologist with a clinical interest. She focuses on cognitive and emotional difficulties in people with the developmental disorders Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Specific areas of her studies are: social cognition and social skills, school neuropsychology, reward sensitivity and motivation.
Recent publications
Fuermaier, A. B. M., Groen, Y., Tucha, L., Weisbrod, M., Aschenbrenner, S., & Tucha, O. (2019). Everyday Life Attention Scale (ELAS): Normative data of n = 1,874 Dutch participants. Applied Neuropsychology. Adult. Doi:10.1080/23279095.2019.1605994
Sluiter, M. N., Groen, Y., de Jonge, P., & Tucha, O. (2019). Exploring neuropsychological effects of a self-monitoring intervention for ADHD-symptoms in school. Applied neuropsychology. Child. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2019.1575218
Groen, Y., Fuermaier, A.B.M., Tucha, L., Weisbrod, M., Aschenbrenner, S., & Tucha, O. (2019): A situation-specific approach to measure attention in adults with ADHD: The everyday life attention scale (ELAS), Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 26(5), 411-440. DOI 10.1080/23279095.2018.1437730
Groen, Y., Fuermaier, A.B.M., Tucha, L., Koerts, J., Tucha, O. (2018). How predictive are sex and empathizing–systemizing cognitive style for entry into the academic areas of social or physical sciences? Cognitive Processing, 19, 95–106. Doi:10.1007/s10339-017-0848-z
