The course of illness can be influenced by biological, psychological, and/or social factors covering a broad range of topics that include stress, coping, and behaviors that either promote health and prevent illness, or contribute to the development of clinical problems. Health and wellness are important to our daily lives and this is true even in the context of being diagnosed with a chronic illness such as diabetes mellitus. The interplay between emotions, cognitive, and behavioral/physical factors can affect all aspects of health and illness. Individual differences such as culture, ethnicity, lifestyle, religion, gender, identity development, financial status, and social support should be considered when analyzing the individual’s response to a chronic illness. Numerous research studies have investigated the impact of one or more of these factors in terms of the effect on chronic disease outcomes. These outcomes can include symptom management and/or progression of the severity of the disease.

Explanatory theories often describe factors that contribute to health problems, or interfere with prevention activities, and thus provide targets for change. One such theory is the Health Belief Model (HBM) which addresses perceptions of the health problem. These perceptions include the degree of threat in terms of susceptibility and severity, any benefits to be obtained by avoiding the perceived threat, and various internal (e.g., self-efficacy) and external (e.g., barriers to care) factors that influence the individual’s decision to act. Other theories emphasize motivations that influence a continuum of stages of behavioral change. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change is a theory of this type. The response to chronic illness and the illness experience itself can be described by these models. In managing chronic disease, there are coping strategies and behavior changes that support optimal outcomes and therapeutic interventions can be designed for greater effectiveness by using these two models. For your paper you will choose from the two options below. The option you choose will provide the focus and title for your paper.

• Option A:  Diabetes      Mellitus and the Transtheoretical      Model of Behavior Change????
• Option B:  Diabetes      Mellitus and the Health      Belief Model????

To support your work, you will perform research using the University Library and/or other search methods to provide references to support your work. You must include a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources, published within the past five years relating to diabetes mellitus and to either the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (Option A) or the Health Belief Model (Option B). The use of additional scholarly and/or peer-reviewed references is highly recommended. These may be obtained from academic, professional, or governmental agency sources. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, non-academic websites, and media outlet sites or publications are not appropriate resources for academic writing and are not appropriate for inclusion in this paper. You may reference your textbook and other required or recommended materials from the course but these will not fulfill the minimum reference requirement.

In your paper you will provide an analysis of your research by addressing the following elements:

• Personal      impact of chronic illness
• Impact      of chronic illness on friends and family
• Methods      of coping
• Interventions      to encourage healthy lifestyle choices
• Motivations      for adhering to recommended self-care guidelines
• Beliefs      about illness that support or reduce self-efficacy and the ability to take      action.

Use the following headings to organize your paper into four sections as follows:

• Introduction:  Explain      how the TTM or HBM can be used to explain the individual’s response to      chronic illness
• Body: Analyze the impact of      chronic illness on friends and families, coping strategies used in chronic      illness, social and psychological factors involved in the illness      experience, long-term social and psychological implications of chronic      illness, and therapeutic interventions based on your model
• Conclusion: Summarize how      the TTM or HBM explains the individual’s approach to illness and behavior      change
• Appendix: Complete the      provided TTM table (Option A) or the HBM table (Option B), thinking of the      diabetic individual’s adherence to self-care recommendations. Copy and      paste your completed table into the Appendix of your paper.

This paper must include the biopsychosocial aspect of your research with emphasis on biological, psychological, and social factors. Be sure to elaborate on these factors using information drawn from your research and text readings.

Throughout your paper, include in-text citations for all statements of facts obtained through your research. Remember that direct quotes (identical phrases or sentences taken from a source) require in-text citations with appropriate formatting. Statements of opinion should be clearly stated as such, and include a rationale to support why you hold this opinion (e.g., personal or professional experience, your research findings).

Writing the Paper

The Paper:

1. Must be five to seven      double-spaced pages in length not including the title and references      pages, and formatted according to APA style.
2. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
3. Must include paragraphs of a minimum of three sentences.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
6. Must use at least three peer-reviewed sources.
7. Must document all sources in APA style.
8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style

Final Analysis of a Selected Test

Resources

Final Analysis of a Selected Test Scoring Guide.

The Meaning of Synthesis.

APA Writing Feedback Rubric [PDF].

Academic Integrity and Honesty [PDF].

PSY7610 Library Research Guide.

Annotated Bibliography.

APA Style and Format.

Plagiarism in Coursework.

Learner Guide to APA Writing Feedback Rubric [PDF].

Turnitin.

This assignment is a culmination of the previous assignments you have completed during this course. In this assignment, you will synthesize your previous research as well as conduct research on the final element in the Code, Element 9. Element 9 states that a test user, “evaluate(s) the available evidence on the performance of test takers of diverse subgroups . . . determine(s) to the extent feasible which performance differences may have been caused by factors unrelated to the skills being assessed.” Together, the previous course assignments and this current one involving Element 9 will provide you with the data, research, and literature reviews across all nine elements of the Code to assist your decision-making process about the appropriate selection of a test.

For this final assignment:

Locate reviews or research related to how Element 9 applies to your selected test. If the research or reviews do not address this element in any way, then you will need to cite the references your reviewed and note that they were lacking in in addressing this element, drawing appropriate conclusions for when a test is lacking such evidence.

Synthesize all of the data and information you gathered on your selected test throughout the course and identify highlights, both positive and negative, both advantages and disadvantages, according to all nine elements of the Code.

Evaluate your selected test based on these data and draw a conclusion about whether or not it is a test that you would select, recommend, or even defend, if necessary in practice. Note: You should not merely copy and paste your earlier assignments for the final paper. Instead you will be synthesizing the research you completed for each element into a summary of that element that you will offer in support of your final evaluation. (For example, note that the technical quality element (that is, Element 5) will be only a synthesis and evaluation and not a repeat of the annotated bibliography you completed in Unit 5.)

Identify the strengths or weaknesses for each element, and determine if the information about that element supports (or opposes) the use of your selected test in the field and population to be served.

Incorporate recommendations about ways to improve the selected test.

Review all of your evaluations for each element and recommended improvements to the test, and write an overall evaluation and determination about the use of your selected test. Would you recommend this test to a school district or business that you are employed as a consultant? Would you be able to defend the use of this test in a court proceeding?

Organize your paper using the following headings:

Title page (required) (one page).

Abstract (required) (one page).

The Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education (a minimum of four pages). (For each element, identify strengths and weaknesses, evaluate the selected test for the element, and make recommendations, if any for improvement, citing appropriate standards of practice.)

Element 1. Purpose: Define the purpose for testing, the content, and skills tested (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 2. Appropriateness: Evaluate appropriateness of test content, skills tested, and content covered (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 3. Materials: Evaluate materials for which clear, accurate, and complete information is provided (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 4. Training: Test users have appropriate knowledge, skills, and training (see Unit 2 assignment).

Element 5. Technical Quality:

Synthesis of evidence of reliability (see Unit 5 assignment).

Synthesis of evidence of validity (see Unit 5 assignment).

Element 6. Test Items and Format: Evaluate test items, test format, directions, manuals and scores (see Unit 7 assignment).

Element 7. Test Procedures and Materials: Evaluate test procedures and materials to ensure that potentially offensive content or language is avoided (see Unit 7 assignment).

Element 8. Modifications and Accommodations: Evaluate if tests provide appropriately modified forms or procedures for test takers with disabilities (see Unit 7 assignment).

Element 9. Group Differences: Evaluate evidence on performance of test takers of diverse subgroups.

Summary (two pages).

Overall recommendation to use the selected test in the field and with populations to be served.

If recommending the use of the selected test, identify the greatest strengths you discovered and determined in its use. Additionally, identify any limitations or concerns that may still exist with its use regardless of the recommendation. Are there still concerns for the test in certain situations?

If not recommending the use of the selected test, identify the greatest weaknesses you discovered and determined in its use. Additionally, identify any strengths that may still exist with its use regardless of the opposition. Are there still uses for the test within set parameters?

References (required, use current APA format and style).

Submit your draft to Turnitin prior to uploading it to the assignment area.

Additional Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

References: A minimum of nine references. These may include journal articles, literature reviews, Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) reviews, and publisher Web sites. At least five of the nine references must be from professional journals. It is likely and appropriate that many of these references and citations were included in one or more of your previous assignments. Alternatively, you may want to supplement your paper with current, peer-viewed journal articles you located after completing an earlier assignment. Those inclusions would also be acceptable.

Length of paper: At least six pages (not including title page, abstract, or references).

Note: The articles you need to complete this assignment should be available inside the library collection. In future courses, you may use the library’s Interlibrary Loan service to obtain articles outside of the collection, but you should not have to use the service for PSY7610. In the event that you cannot find articles covering a newer test edition, please refer to the List of Tests by Type in the Resources area. Note which tests have been designated as acceptable for searching prior test editions.

Reference

Joint Committee on Testing Practices. (2004). Code of fair testing practices in education. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/science/programs/testing/fair-testing.pdf

Note: Your instructor may also use the APA Writing Feedback Rubric to provide additional feedback on your academic writing. The writing feedback rubric does not affect your assignment grade, but its feedback may factor into the grading criteria, if professional communication and writing is a course competency. Evaluate your own work using this rubric. Refer to the Learner Guide for instructions on viewing instructor feedback.