Assignment 2: Custody Evaluation

Forensic professionals are often called upon to provide opinions about custody in cases of divorce, parental termination, and reestablishment of custody after a child has been removed from the custodial parent’s home. Specific ethical and legal parameters govern when and how a professional should offer such an opinion in a legal setting. For this assignment, you will be asked to provide an analysis of factors relevant to custody evaluations or evaluations for termination of parental rights.

Tasks:

In a 3-page paper, address the following:

• The best interests of the child, with a specific focus on how this is defined in the APA guidelines
• The manner in which the best-interest decisions are influenced by the wishes of the child
• The difference between a fact and an expert witness in the cases of child custody
• The specific procedures, including parent interviews, child interviews, observations, and objective tests, used in custody evaluations
• The issues surrounding confidentiality, privilege, and privacy in custody evaluations
• The court testimony in custody evaluations, with emphasis on the collective use of data and opinion versus fact in reporting the results

Use three additional resources from professional literature to support your response. Professional literature may include relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, and .gov).

Submission Details:

• Save your paper as M4_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc. By Wednesday, May 24, 2017, post it to the M4 Assignment 2 Dropbox.

1. Listen to the following podcasts (16 min) http://www.radiolab.org/story/91960-vanishing-words/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and then (13 min) http://www.radiolab.org/story/121385-bus-nowhere/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and then watch the following TED talk (6 minutes) https://www.ted.com/talks/alanna_shaikh_how_i_m_preparing_to_get_alzheimer_s?language=en (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and watch the TED talk (8 minutes) https://www.ted.com/talks/samuel_cohen_alzheimer_s_is_not_normal_aging_and_we_can_cure_it?language=en (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. .
2. Write a 1-2 page reaction summary describing your reaction and opinion regarding the two podcasts you just listened to AND the two TED talks you just listened to. Be sure to address each of the stories.
3. In your summary be sure to include an underlined term from the textbook that relates to the subject at hand. Be sure that you go beyond the very basic terms. Again you must underline the term that you select and then fully explain how it connects to the podcast that you listened to in order to receive full credit.

Module 2 – Case

Linear Regression and Simple Exponential Smoothing (SES) Forecasting

Assignment Overview

Scenario: You are a consultant who works for the
Diligent Consulting Group. Your client, the New Star Grocery Company,
believes that there may be a relationship between the number of
customers who visit the store during any given month (“customer
traffic”) and the total sales for that same month. In other words, the
greater the customer traffic, the greater the sales for that month. To
test this theory, the client has collected customer traffic data over
the past 12-month period, and monthly sales for that same 12-month
period (Year 1).

Case Assignment

Using the customer traffic data and matching sales for each month of
Year 1, create a Linear Regression (LR) equation in Excel, assuming all
assumptions for linear regression have been met. Use the Excel template
provided (see “Module 2 Case – LR –Year 1” spreadsheet tab), and be sure
to include your LR chart (with a trend line) where noted. Also, be sure
that you include the LR formula within your chart.

After you have developed the LR equation above, you will use the LR
equation to forecast sales for Year 2 (see the second Excel spreadsheet
tab labeled “Year 2 Forecast”). You will note that the customer has
collected customer traffic data for Year 2. Your role is to complete the
sales forecast using the LR equation from Step 1 above.

After you have forecast Year 2 sales, your Professor will provide you
with 12 months of actual sales data for Year 2. You will compare the
sales forecast with the actual sales for Year 2, noting the monthly and
average (total) variances from forecast to actual sales.

To complete the Module 2 Case, write a report for the client that
describes the process you used above, and that analyzes the results for
Year 2. (What is the difference between forecast vs. actual sales for
Year 2—by month and for the year as a whole?) Make a recommendation
concerning how the LR equation might be used by New Star Grocery Company
to forecast future sales.

Data: Download the Module 2 Case template here: Data chart for BUS520 Case 2. Use this template to complete your Excel analysis.

Assignment Expectations

Excel Analysis

Conduct accurate and complete Linear Regression analysis in Excel.
Use Excel support to find information on linear regression in Excel: https://support.office.com/en-us/Search/results?query=linear+regression

Written Report

• Length requirements: 4–5 pages minimum (not including Cover and Reference pages). NOTE: You must submit 4–5 pages of written discussion and analysis. This means that you should avoid use of tables and charts as “space fillers.”
• Provide a brief introduction to/background of the problem.
• Your written (in Word) analysis should discuss the logic and rationale used to develop the LR equation and chart.
• Provide complete, meaningful, and accurate recommendation(s)
  concerning how the New Star Grocery Company might use the LR equation to
  forecast future sales. (For example, how reliable is the LR equation in
  predicting future sales?) What other recommendations do you have for
  the client?
• Write clearly, simply, and logically. Use double-spaced, black Verdana or Times Roman font in 12 pt. type size.
• Have an introduction at the beginning to introduce the topics and use keywords as headings to organize the report.
• Avoid redundancy and general statements such as “All organizations exist to make a profit.” Make every sentence count.
• Paraphrase the facts using your own words and ideas, employing
  quotes sparingly. Quotes, if absolutely necessary, should rarely exceed
  five words.
• Upload both your written report and Excel file to the case 2 Dropbox.

Here are some guidelines on how to build critical thinking skills.

• Emerald Group Publishing. (n.d.). Developing Critical Thinking. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/learning/study_skill…

Answer each question from your experience, perspective, and opinion

As technology has become more widely used in the workplace, particularly automated technology, some workers have come to resent its impact on their lives. This concept is know as technological alienation. Gary Benson suggests that it encompasses powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness and mindlessness (p.173).

1. In your work experience, give examples where the use of technology has negatively impacted your work-related well-being. To approach this question, you have to provide the following information

• Your job description and responsibility
• What technology/automation was introduced
• How did it impact on your work performance as well as well-being

2. If you can give advice to your manager, to minimize the problems of automation in your organization, what would it be?

In you and your supervisor disagree about the relative importance and weights of your job duties, how would you reconcile your conflicting opinions?

For example, if you are a customer representative, your supervisor may emphasize the technical aspect of the job, while you think the interpersonal aspect of listening to customers and understanding their problems is more important. What would you do?

Draw on your own work experience