Question 1

Which experimental scenario would likely produce the most trustworthy results?

Accepted Answer

A)  a double-blind study involving a new heart disease treatment 
B)  an unbiased investigation that shows a strong correlation between two variables 
C)  a single-blind experiment testing the effects of caffeine on blood pressure 
D)  an experiment that is slightly biased but does not use a model organism 
A)  a double-blind study involving a new heart disease treatment 
B)  an unbiased investigation that shows a strong correlation between two variables 
C)  a single-blind experiment testing the effects of caffeine on blood pressure 
D)  an experiment that is slightly biased but does not use a model organism

Question 2

Which hypothesis was tested by Warren and Marshall during their research involving Helicobacter pylori bacteria and stomach ulcers?

Accepted Answer

A)  Eating spicy food increases populations of H. pylori in the stomachs of people susceptible to ulcers. 
B)  The cause of many stomach ulcers is the bacterium H. pylori, not spicy food. 
C)  Stomach acid production is decreased by H. pylori bacteria in the stomachs of people with ulcers. 
D)  Acute stomach pain is often caused by H. pylori bacteria, not ulcers. 
A)  Eating spicy food increases populations of H. pylori in the stomachs of people susceptible to ulcers. 
B)  The cause of many stomach ulcers is the bacterium H. pylori, not spicy food. 
C)  Stomach acid production is decreased by H. pylori bacteria in the stomachs of people with ulcers. 
D)  Acute stomach pain is often caused by H. pylori bacteria, not ulcers.

Question 3

Which of the following is a testable hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  Taking zinc lozenges at the first sign of cold symptoms is wise. 
B)  Avoiding contact with other people reduces the chance of catching a cold. 
C)  Being a good driver makes you less likely to catch a cold. 
D)  Sleeping 8 hours a night makes you feel better when you have a cold. 
A)  Taking zinc lozenges at the first sign of cold symptoms is wise. 
B)  Avoiding contact with other people reduces the chance of catching a cold. 
C)  Being a good driver makes you less likely to catch a cold. 
D)  Sleeping 8 hours a night makes you feel better when you have a cold.

Question 4

What two-word phrase is an explanation of a set of related observations based on well-supported hypotheses from a number of different, independent lines of research?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What two-word phrase is an explanation of...

Question 5

The incidence of cancer in people living within 100 yards of overhead power lines is recorded. This would be an example of what type of epidemiological technique?

Accepted Answer

A)  ecological study 
B)  cross-sectional survey 
C)  cohort study 
D)  correlational experiment 
A)  ecological study 
B)  cross-sectional survey 
C)  cohort study 
D)  correlational experiment

Question 6

Which factor in an experiment can be manipulated?

Accepted Answer

A)  bias 
B)  control 
C)  placebo 
D)  variable 
A)  bias 
B)  control 
C)  placebo 
D)  variable

Question 7

Which feature is necessary for a scientific hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is able to be proven true. 
B)  It is falsifiable. 
C)  It is a theory about something. 
D)  It is not based on observations. 
A)  It is able to be proven true. 
B)  It is falsifiable. 
C)  It is a theory about something. 
D)  It is not based on observations.

Question 8

What does it mean to say that experimental results are peer reviewed?

Accepted Answer

A)  The results are analyzed by other scientists before they are published. 
B)  The results are obtained from double-blind experiments. 
C)  The results are obtained from experiments with a large sample size. 
D)  The results are obtained from experiments with a low sampling error. 
A)  The results are analyzed by other scientists before they are published. 
B)  The results are obtained from double-blind experiments. 
C)  The results are obtained from experiments with a large sample size. 
D)  The results are obtained from experiments with a low sampling error.

Question 9

In an experiment testing the prediction that a certain drug prevents cataracts in females over the age of 65, which control should be used?

Accepted Answer

A)  male subjects 
B)  female subjects younger than 65 
C)  alternative drugs that are suspected to prevent cataracts 
D)  female subjects over 65 that are given placebos 
A)  male subjects 
B)  female subjects younger than 65 
C)  alternative drugs that are suspected to prevent cataracts 
D)  female subjects over 65 that are given placebos

Question 10

A botanist conducted an experiment to test the effect of light on plants. Fifty plants of a flowering species were grown for 60 days under different lengths of artificial daylight. Flowers could be white or pink based on the parent plant genes. The amount of water and fertilizer provided was constant. At the end of the experiment, the size of each leaf for all plants is measured. What is the dependent variable in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)  duration of artificial daylight 
B)  flower's color 
C)  leaf's size 
D)  duration of the experiment 
A)  duration of artificial daylight 
B)  flower's color 
C)  leaf's size 
D)  duration of the experiment

Question 11

What is the scientific information collected from well-designed experiments that should allow researchers to either reject or support a hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the scientific information collected from...

Question 12

What does statistical analysis of experimental results determine?

Accepted Answer

A)  the amount of bias in the experimental design 
B)  the likelihood that the results are due to the experimental treatment 
C)  whether the experiment proves that the hypothesis being tested is correct 
D)  whether the proper controls were used in the experiment 
A)  the amount of bias in the experimental design 
B)  the likelihood that the results are due to the experimental treatment 
C)  whether the experiment proves that the hypothesis being tested is correct 
D)  whether the proper controls were used in the experiment

Question 13

Which of the following statements is an example of anecdotal evidence?

Accepted Answer

A)  Dr. Chowdury's research on bowel disorders, which was published in a scientific journal 
B)  Dr. Jackson's infomercial statement "I believe my personal cure for bowel disorders is more effective than any drug I've ever prescribed in 20 years of practicing medicine." 
C)  information about side effects on the label of a bowel disorder drug 
D)  an article on bowel disorders on a medical website 
A)  Dr. Chowdury's research on bowel disorders, which was published in a scientific journal 
B)  Dr. Jackson's infomercial statement "I believe my personal cure for bowel disorders is more effective than any drug I've ever prescribed in 20 years of practicing medicine." 
C)  information about side effects on the label of a bowel disorder drug 
D)  an article on bowel disorders on a medical website

Question 14

When graphing data, what scientific information do scientists plot on the x-axis?

Accepted Answer

A)  independent variable 
B)  dependent variable 
C)  control 
D)  sampling error 
A)  independent variable 
B)  dependent variable 
C)  control 
D)  sampling error

Question 15

What is a scientific theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  an explanation supported by large amounts of experimental evidence 
B)  an explanation that cannot be modified with new experimental evidence 
C)  little more than one person's educated guess 
D)  any testable explanation for a question or problem 
A)  an explanation supported by large amounts of experimental evidence 
B)  an explanation that cannot be modified with new experimental evidence 
C)  little more than one person's educated guess 
D)  any testable explanation for a question or problem

Question 16

Which type of study observes specific human populations for unusually high levels of a disease?

Accepted Answer

A)  a case-control study 
B)  a cross-sectional survey 
C)  an ecological study 
D)  a correlational experiment 
A)  a case-control study 
B)  a cross-sectional survey 
C)  an ecological study 
D)  a correlational experiment

Question 17

In which situation might observations be used to test a hypothesis rather than a laboratory experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)  to test the effects of caffeine on the behavior of adolescent males and females 
B)  to test the relationship between dinosaur fossils found in Canada and the United States 
C)  to test how antioxidants in vitamins will affect skin cancer cells in college students 
D)  to test the ability of Alzheimer's patients to identify the smell of specific odors 
A)  to test the effects of caffeine on the behavior of adolescent males and females 
B)  to test the relationship between dinosaur fossils found in Canada and the United States 
C)  to test how antioxidants in vitamins will affect skin cancer cells in college students 
D)  to test the ability of Alzheimer's patients to identify the smell of specific odors

Question 18

Certain researchers have published peer-reviewed reports that the use of zinc lozenges reduces the length and severity of cold symptoms. Why are some scientists still skeptical about the merits of using zinc lozenges during a cold?

Accepted Answer

A)  Most people get zinc in their diet so extra zinc lozenges may not affect a cold. 
B)  Ideas about vitamin C have been discredited, so zinc will also be ineffective. 
C)  There is no way of knowing if the original work was properly controlled. 
D)  There may be other reasons why the people taking zinc lozenges recovered faster. 
A)  Most people get zinc in their diet so extra zinc lozenges may not affect a cold. 
B)  Ideas about vitamin C have been discredited, so zinc will also be ineffective. 
C)  There is no way of knowing if the original work was properly controlled. 
D)  There may be other reasons why the people taking zinc lozenges recovered faster.

Question 19

Which of the following is an appropriate scientific hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  Bad people catch more colds than good people. 
B)  Cold viruses should be allowed to reproduce just like anything else. 
C)  It is unethical to go to school when you have a cold. 
D)  People catch colds because of exposure to cold temperature. 
A)  Bad people catch more colds than good people. 
B)  Cold viruses should be allowed to reproduce just like anything else. 
C)  It is unethical to go to school when you have a cold. 
D)  People catch colds because of exposure to cold temperature.

Question 20

Consider this hypothesis: "Drinking Echinacea tea reduces the duration and severity of colds." Which of the following statements is the best prediction based on this hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  If people with a cold drink Echinacea tea, then they will feel better sooner. 
B)  If people with a cold drink Echinacea tea, then a tea ingredient will destroy the cold viruses. 
C)  If people with a cold drink Echinacea tea, then the tea will reduce their stress. 
D)  If a person doesn't drink Echinacea tea, then he or she will catch a cold very easily. 
A)  If people with a cold drink Echinacea tea, then they will feel better sooner. 
B)  If people with a cold drink Echinacea tea, then a tea ingredient will destroy the cold viruses. 
C)  If people with a cold drink Echinacea tea, then the tea will reduce their stress. 
D)  If a person doesn't drink Echinacea tea, then he or she will catch a cold very easily.

Exam 1: Can Science Cure the Common Cold Introduction to the Scientific Method

Which experimental scenario would likely produce the most trustworthy results?

Which hypothesis was tested by Warren and Marshall during their research involving Helicobacter pylori bacteria and stomach ulcers?

Which of the following is a testable hypothesis?

What two-word phrase is an explanation of a set of related observations based on well-supported hypotheses from a number of different, independent lines of research?

The incidence of cancer in people living within 100 yards of overhead power lines is recorded. This would be an example of what type of epidemiological technique?

Which factor in an experiment can be manipulated?

Which feature is necessary for a scientific hypothesis?

What does it mean to say that experimental results are peer reviewed?

In an experiment testing the prediction that a certain drug prevents cataracts in females over the age of 65, which control should be used?

What is the scientific information collected from well-designed experiments that should allow researchers to either reject or support a hypothesis?

What does statistical analysis of experimental results determine?

Which of the following statements is an example of anecdotal evidence?

When graphing data, what scientific information do scientists plot on the x-axis?

What is a scientific theory?

Which type of study observes specific human populations for unusually high levels of a disease?

In which situation might observations be used to test a hypothesis rather than a laboratory experiment?

Certain researchers have published peer-reviewed reports that the use of zinc lozenges reduces the length and severity of cold symptoms. Why are some scientists still skeptical about the merits of using zinc lozenges during a cold?

Which of the following is an appropriate scientific hypothesis?

Consider this hypothesis: "Drinking Echinacea tea reduces the duration and severity of colds." Which of the following statements is the best prediction based on this hypothesis?

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