Exam 11: Explorations in Inductive Reasoning: The Logic of Science

One of the hypotheses tested by Semmelweis was the hypothesis that childbed fever is caused by too much fat in the diet.

An empirical hypothesis is one that generates observable predictions.

In each case, which of Mill's Methods is being used? -A philosophy teacher has five students doing extremely poorly on tests. All five have different socioeconomic backgrounds, all have different religious beliefs, and so on. However, all the students had in common one thing: All are weak readers. The teacher concludes that an inadequate reading ability is part of the cause of the problem.

One of the hypotheses tested by Semmelweis was the hypothesis that lack of exercise causes childbed fever.

In each case, which of Mill's Methods is being used? -A chemist performs the following experiment. Every time she combines an acid and chemical X, the mixture explodes. But when chemical X is mixed with any other chemical, the mixture does not explode. She concludes that the acid is necessary for the explosion.

If a hypothesis is confirmed, then it must be true, with complete certainty.

One of the hypotheses tested by Semmelweis was the hypothesis that overcrowding causes childbed fever.

If a prediction is derived from a hypothesis and the prediction is not observed or does not come true, we say the hypothesis has been "disconfirmed."

The germ theory of disease has saved hundreds of millions of lives.

Semmelweis applied critical thinking to the study of disease.

Use Mill's Methods to draw a conclusion. -We bake a cherry pie, and it turns out lousy. So we do everything as before, except we change the brand of cherries. The next pie still turns out awful. Again we do everything as before, except we change the temperature. This time the pie comes out good.

The scientific method is infallible-when followed properly it cannot possibly result in error.

In each case, which of Mill's Methods is being used? -During the late 1980s, persons from different parts of the city developed the same ear problem. Investigators discovered that all had been using the same brand of ear plugs. The investigators concluded that the ear plugs caused the problem.

One of the hypotheses tested by Semmelweis was the hypothesis that foul air causes childbed fever.

Which of the following is not one of the criteria for evaluating scientific theories?

Einstein claimed that science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.

One of the hypotheses tested by Semmelweis was the hypothesis that mental illness causes childbed fever.

The first germ theories of disease originated in Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

If a hypothesis is disconfirmed, then it must be false, with complete certainty.

Semmelweis rejected the demon theory of disease on the grounds that it conflicted with his Catholic beliefs.