Question 1

A scientific paper that combines results from several cohort studies and a case-control study would be considered a(n)

Accepted Answer

A) meta-analysis. 
B) beta-analysis. 
C) omega-analysis. 
D) pseudo-analysis. 
A) meta-analysis. 
B) beta-analysis. 
C) omega-analysis. 
D) pseudo-analysis. A

Question 2

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) primary literature. 
B) secondary literature. 
C) neither primary nor secondary literature because it has not yet undergone peer-review to be primary literature, and secondary literature follows primary literature. 
D) both primary and secondary literature because it does not need to undergo peer-review to be either primary or secondary literature. 
A) primary literature. 
B) secondary literature. 
C) neither primary nor secondary literature because it has not yet undergone peer-review to be primary literature, and secondary literature follows primary literature. 
D) both primary and secondary literature because it does not need to undergo peer-review to be either primary or secondary literature. C

Question 3

Sue has twin baby boys and is trying to decide whether or not to have them vaccinated against chickenpox or to take them to a "chickenpox party" where they can be naturally exposed to other children who currently have chickenpox. Which of the following would NOT be a relevant question for Sue to research before making her decision?

Accepted Answer

A) Are there any scientific studies of observable and quantifiable claims regarding the chickenpox vaccine and/or chickenpox parties? 
B) Do any relevant studies make testable and falsifiable predictions related to a clearly stated hypothesis? 
C) Are the relevant studies well designed and described with large sample sizes, minimization of bias, and have the results been reproducible? 
D) Are there lots of parents on the Internet endorsing the chickenpox parties? 
A) Are there any scientific studies of observable and quantifiable claims regarding the chickenpox vaccine and/or chickenpox parties? 
B) Do any relevant studies make testable and falsifiable predictions related to a clearly stated hypothesis? 
C) Are the relevant studies well designed and described with large sample sizes, minimization of bias, and have the results been reproducible? 
D) Are there lots of parents on the Internet endorsing the chickenpox parties? D

Question 4

A popular meme on the Internet states that hugs "transfer energy" between participants, giving them an "emotional lift." Which of the following is a scientific approach to evaluating the claim of "energy transfer" during hugs? The hypothesis for the experiment would be: If one person hugs another, the person receiving the hug will have more measureable energy after the hug.

Accepted Answer

A) First, develop a method of physically measuring the amount of energy available in a human being. Divide hundreds of subjects randomly into two groups, huggers and nonhuggers. The available energy in the individuals of each group would be measured, the individuals would then hug (or not), then the energy levels are measured again. The experimenter should not know which group is the hugging or nonhugging group to avoid expectation bias. The experiment should be repeated numerous times before analyzing the data. 
B) The researcher would need some people willing to hug someone else and fill out a survey stating how they felt before and after the hug. This should be repeated several times. 
C) The researcher would need some people willing to keep a daily log of how they feel during the day, how many hugs they get, and which days they feel the best at the end of the day. 
D) The researcher would need some people willing to complete a scientifically developed life history hugging survey. Through the survey, participants will document their own life histories of hugs (average number of hugs per day and how long they lasted) and emotional well-being. Once the survey is completed, the researcher will collate and evaluate the evidence. He/she should repeat this with a few different groups of people. 
A) First, develop a method of physically measuring the amount of energy available in a human being. Divide hundreds of subjects randomly into two groups, huggers and nonhuggers. The available energy in the individuals of each group would be measured, the individuals would then hug (or not), then the energy levels are measured again. The experimenter should not know which group is the hugging or nonhugging group to avoid expectation bias. The experiment should be repeated numerous times before analyzing the data. 
B) The researcher would need some people willing to hug someone else and fill out a survey stating how they felt before and after the hug. This should be repeated several times. 
C) The researcher would need some people willing to keep a daily log of how they feel during the day, how many hugs they get, and which days they feel the best at the end of the day. 
D) The researcher would need some people willing to complete a scientifically developed life history hugging survey. Through the survey, participants will document their own life histories of hugs (average number of hugs per day and how long they lasted) and emotional well-being. Once the survey is completed, the researcher will collate and evaluate the evidence. He/she should repeat this with a few different groups of people.

Question 5

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), by the end of September 2014, roughly 8,000 cases of whooping cough had been reported in California for that year; more than 250 patients (mostly infants and young children) were hospitalized with 58 of them requiring intensive care. Several other childhood diseases that were once common but then eradicated through high vaccination rates have returned since the antivaccination movement grew in the 1990s. The epidemiological data collected by CDC indicates this resurgence of childhood diseases is most likely the result of

Accepted Answer

A) reduced herd/community immunity. 
B) reduced vaccine effectiveness. 
C) increased virulence of the pathogens causing these diseases. 
D) simply the increased number of people present in the United States. 
A) reduced herd/community immunity. 
B) reduced vaccine effectiveness. 
C) increased virulence of the pathogens causing these diseases. 
D) simply the increased number of people present in the United States.

Question 6

What happens when the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) recommended vaccination schedule is delayed?

Accepted Answer

A) Children are just as well protected from diseases as they would be if they were on schedule. 
B) Children experience a decreased risk of contracting disease than they would experience if they were on schedule. 
C) Children experience no change in protection from diseases as they would experience if they were ahead of schedule. 
D) Children experience an increased risk of disease if they are behind schedule. 
A) Children are just as well protected from diseases as they would be if they were on schedule. 
B) Children experience a decreased risk of contracting disease than they would experience if they were on schedule. 
C) Children experience no change in protection from diseases as they would experience if they were ahead of schedule. 
D) Children experience an increased risk of disease if they are behind schedule.

Question 7

You are reading an article in the National Geographic about Tiktaalik (believed to be the evolutionary transition from fish to terrestrial tetrapods). This article is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) primary literature. 
B) secondary literature. 
C) tertiary literature. 
D) quaternary literature. 
A) primary literature. 
B) secondary literature. 
C) tertiary literature. 
D) quaternary literature.

Question 8

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature.
-Popular Science, a popular magazine about science

Accepted Answer

A) primary 
B) secondary 
A) primary 
B) secondary

Question 9

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature.
-Journal of the American Medical Association, a peer-reviewed scientific journal

Accepted Answer

A) primary 
B) secondary 
A) primary 
B) secondary

Question 10

Rick has high blood pressure and decides to try an herbal supplement recommended by his friend. Which of the following questions would NOT have helped Rick scientifically evaluate his friend's recommendation before he began taking the herbal supplement?

Accepted Answer

A) Has this herbal supplement been studied in a clinical trial by trained medical professionals? 
B) If this supplement was studied, who paid for the study? 
C) If this supplement was studied, how many people were included as patients in the study? 
D) Is this supplement all natural? 
A) Has this herbal supplement been studied in a clinical trial by trained medical professionals? 
B) If this supplement was studied, who paid for the study? 
C) If this supplement was studied, how many people were included as patients in the study? 
D) Is this supplement all natural?

Question 11

You are reading a paper in the journal Vaccine that analyzed and combined the results from five observational studies involving over one million children and another five studies that compared children with autism to children without autism (a total of nearly 10,000 children). The paper you are reading is best recognized as a

Accepted Answer

A) secondary literature source. 
B) meta-analysis and primary literature source. 
C) cohort study. 
D) case-control study. 
A) secondary literature source. 
B) meta-analysis and primary literature source. 
C) cohort study. 
D) case-control study.

Question 12

A scientist publishes a paper in a peer-reviewed journal; this paper is later retracted. Which of the following (if found to be true) is NOT a legitimate reason for the retraction?

Accepted Answer

A) The study involved only 12 participants, but sweeping conclusions were made by the author. These participants were not randomly sampled; they were picked specifically for their symptoms. Furthermore, there was no control group. 
B) The findings could not be replicated, and there were many peer-reviewed studies including millions of participants that found no evidence for the claims of the original paper. 
C) The primary author of the paper received large amounts of money as a paid expert for lawyers who were suing companies based on the author's claim. The author would also benefit financially in other ways, such as patents on alternative products. 
D) Although the findings were not replicated by other researchers, some studies indicated that the original paper might suggest a valid line of reasoning and warrants further investigation. 
A) The study involved only 12 participants, but sweeping conclusions were made by the author. These participants were not randomly sampled; they were picked specifically for their symptoms. Furthermore, there was no control group. 
B) The findings could not be replicated, and there were many peer-reviewed studies including millions of participants that found no evidence for the claims of the original paper. 
C) The primary author of the paper received large amounts of money as a paid expert for lawyers who were suing companies based on the author's claim. The author would also benefit financially in other ways, such as patents on alternative products. 
D) Although the findings were not replicated by other researchers, some studies indicated that the original paper might suggest a valid line of reasoning and warrants further investigation.

Question 13

Thomas's foot began to swell after he was stung by a scorpion. Thomas's friend said his mom had an old, trusted herbal poultice remedy that would absorb the venom from the foot, reduce the swelling, and heal the foot. Thomas allowed his friend to place the herbal poultice on his foot before going to bed that night, and the swelling was gone in the morning. Which of the following can be concluded about the herbal poultice remedy?

Accepted Answer

A) The poultice definitely worked because the swelling went down. 
B) The poultice definitely did not cause the swelling to go down. 
C) It is very likely that the poultice caused the swelling to go down. 
D) There is not anything that can be concluded about the effectiveness of the poultice remedy. 
A) The poultice definitely worked because the swelling went down. 
B) The poultice definitely did not cause the swelling to go down. 
C) It is very likely that the poultice caused the swelling to go down. 
D) There is not anything that can be concluded about the effectiveness of the poultice remedy.

Question 14

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal

Accepted Answer

A) suggests there may be reason to question the validity of the results or conclusions. 
B) suggests that the results were too ground-breaking to wait for or need peer-review. 
C) suggests there is no reason to question the validity of the results. 
D) suggests that the media has scientifically determined the results to be valid and repeatable. 
A) suggests there may be reason to question the validity of the results or conclusions. 
B) suggests that the results were too ground-breaking to wait for or need peer-review. 
C) suggests there is no reason to question the validity of the results. 
D) suggests that the media has scientifically determined the results to be valid and repeatable.

Question 15

Scientists working for a major cosmetics company are attempting to determine if a new face cream can reduce the number of fine lines and wrinkles on a person's face. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) applied research. 
B) basic research. 
C) meta-analysis. 
D) cohort study. 
A) applied research. 
B) basic research. 
C) meta-analysis. 
D) cohort study.

Question 16

The U.S. federal government funds the vast majority of scientific research intended to expand the fundamental knowledge base of sciences such as the life sciences, biomedicine, and agriculture. Since the funding comes from taxpayers, this ________ research is not considered biased.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The U.S. federal government funds the vast...

Question 17

The reliability of primary scientific literature is strengthened by the ________ in which the work is examined by other leaders in the same field. For instance, a scientific paper examining the evolution of tetrapods would be reviewed by other evolutionary biologists and paleontologists.

Accepted Answer

A) peer-review process 
B) basic research process 
C) applied research process 
D) random research process 
A) peer-review process 
B) basic research process 
C) applied research process 
D) random research process

Question 18

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature.
-Discover, a popular magazine about science

Accepted Answer

A) primary 
B) secondary 
A) primary 
B) secondary

Question 19

Which of the following would NOT be a situation where your own scientific literacy would be helpful in decision-making?

Accepted Answer

A) Should I send my child to a school that requires my child be vaccinated according to the vaccination schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control? 
B) Should I pay to store umbilical cord blood when my baby is born? 
C) Should I vote to support a new oil pipeline through a sensitive natural area? 
D) Is the space travel in Star Wars really possible? 
A) Should I send my child to a school that requires my child be vaccinated according to the vaccination schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control? 
B) Should I pay to store umbilical cord blood when my baby is born? 
C) Should I vote to support a new oil pipeline through a sensitive natural area? 
D) Is the space travel in Star Wars really possible?

Question 20

In the fall of 2012, a veterinarian from Texas issued a press release stating that her team of scientists had completed a 5-year DNA study confirming the existence of "Sasquatch" or "Bigfoot." Which of the following statements, if true, would lend support to her claims?

Accepted Answer

A) She released her findings in a press conference prior to any peer-review of her findings. 
B) There are no corresponding lines of documented physical evidence (fossil record, historic record, undisputed clear picture or video, or evidence that the environment could support a breeding population of large primates in the areas where they have been reported) to support her claims. 
C) The paper is published in an online source that consists of one issue with only this one paper (the full paper is for sale) and this new online publication is owned by the veterinarian. 
D) She consulted experts in the field of human genomics and made her DNA samples available to them for analysis. 
A) She released her findings in a press conference prior to any peer-review of her findings. 
B) There are no corresponding lines of documented physical evidence (fossil record, historic record, undisputed clear picture or video, or evidence that the environment could support a breeding population of large primates in the areas where they have been reported) to support her claims. 
C) The paper is published in an online source that consists of one issue with only this one paper (the full paper is for sale) and this new online publication is owned by the veterinarian. 
D) She consulted experts in the field of human genomics and made her DNA samples available to them for analysis.

A scientific paper that combines results from several cohort studies and a case-control study would be considered a(n)

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal is an example of

What happens when the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) recommended vaccination schedule is delayed?

You are reading an article in the National Geographic about Tiktaalik (believed to be the evolutionary transition from fish to terrestrial tetrapods). This article is an example of

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature. -Popular Science, a popular magazine about science

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature. -Journal of the American Medical Association, a peer-reviewed scientific journal

Rick has high blood pressure and decides to try an herbal supplement recommended by his friend. Which of the following questions would NOT have helped Rick scientifically evaluate his friend's recommendation before he began taking the herbal supplement?

A scientist publishes a paper in a peer-reviewed journal; this paper is later retracted. Which of the following (if found to be true) is NOT a legitimate reason for the retraction?

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal

Scientists working for a major cosmetics company are attempting to determine if a new face cream can reduce the number of fine lines and wrinkles on a person's face. This is an example of

The U.S. federal government funds the vast majority of scientific research intended to expand the fundamental knowledge base of sciences such as the life sciences, biomedicine, and agriculture. Since the funding comes from taxpayers, this ________ research is not considered biased.

The reliability of primary scientific literature is strengthened by the ________ in which the work is examined by other leaders in the same field. For instance, a scientific paper examining the evolution of tetrapods would be reviewed by other evolutionary biologists and paleontologists.

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature. -Discover, a popular magazine about science

Which of the following would NOT be a situation where your own scientific literacy would be helpful in decision-making?

In the fall of 2012, a veterinarian from Texas issued a press release stating that her team of scientists had completed a 5-year DNA study confirming the existence of "Sasquatch" or "Bigfoot." Which of the following statements, if true, would lend support to her claims?

The Nature of Science

Chemistry of Life

Life Is Cellular

How Cells Work

Cell Division

Patterns of Inheritance

Chromosomes and Human Genetics

What Genes Are

How Genes Work

Evidence for Evolution

Mechanisms of Evolution

Adaptation and Species

The History of Life

Human Evolution

General Principles of Ecology

Growth of Populations

Communities of Organisms

Ecosystems

Homeostasis, Reproduction, and Development

Digestive, Muscular, and Skeletal Systems

Circulatory, Respiratory, Urinary, and Nervous Systems

Endocrine and Immune Systems

Plant Physiology

Filters

Exam 24: Applying the Science

A scientific paper that combines results from several cohort studies and a case-control study would be considered a(n)

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal is an example of

What happens when the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) recommended vaccination schedule is delayed?

You are reading an article in the National Geographic about Tiktaalik (believed to be the evolutionary transition from fish to terrestrial tetrapods). This article is an example of

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature. -Popular Science, a popular magazine about science

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature. -Journal of the American Medical Association, a peer-reviewed scientific journal

Rick has high blood pressure and decides to try an herbal supplement recommended by his friend. Which of the following questions would NOT have helped Rick scientifically evaluate his friend's recommendation before he began taking the herbal supplement?

A scientist publishes a paper in a peer-reviewed journal; this paper is later retracted. Which of the following (if found to be true) is NOT a legitimate reason for the retraction?

Announcing "scientific" findings in a press conference before they have been published in an established scientific journal

Scientists working for a major cosmetics company are attempting to determine if a new face cream can reduce the number of fine lines and wrinkles on a person's face. This is an example of

The U.S. federal government funds the vast majority of scientific research intended to expand the fundamental knowledge base of sciences such as the life sciences, biomedicine, and agriculture. Since the funding comes from taxpayers, this ________ research is not considered biased.

The reliability of primary scientific literature is strengthened by the ________ in which the work is examined by other leaders in the same field. For instance, a scientific paper examining the evolution of tetrapods would be reviewed by other evolutionary biologists and paleontologists.

Indicate below which texts are examples of primary literature and which are examples of secondary literature. -Discover, a popular magazine about science

Which of the following would NOT be a situation where your own scientific literacy would be helpful in decision-making?

In the fall of 2012, a veterinarian from Texas issued a press release stating that her team of scientists had completed a 5-year DNA study confirming the existence of "Sasquatch" or "Bigfoot." Which of the following statements, if true, would lend support to her claims?

The Nature of Science

Chemistry of Life

Life Is Cellular

How Cells Work

Cell Division

Patterns of Inheritance

Chromosomes and Human Genetics

What Genes Are

How Genes Work

Evidence for Evolution

Mechanisms of Evolution

Adaptation and Species

The History of Life

Human Evolution

General Principles of Ecology

Growth of Populations

Communities of Organisms

Ecosystems

Homeostasis, Reproduction, and Development

Digestive, Muscular, and Skeletal Systems

Circulatory, Respiratory, Urinary, and Nervous Systems

Endocrine and Immune Systems

Plant Physiology

Filters