Question 1

When a hypothesis is extensively tested and supported by a large number of studies conducted by many different scientists, then

Accepted Answer

A)  it is considered a scientific theory. 
B)  the hypothesis is referred to as a prediction. 
C)  further experimentation will not occur unless an alternative hypothesis is proposed. 
D)  it is a fact that cannot be refuted.

Question 2

Model organisms are used to test hypotheses

Accepted Answer

A)  that are likely to apply only to the model organism. 
B)  that are potentially too dangerous to perform on human subjects. 
C)  only after human subjects have been tested. 
D)  that have results that are always applicable to humans.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is the best prediction based on the hypothesis that bird species have decreased in number in a particular wetland because of construction traffic?

Accepted Answer

A)  If a wetland area is disturbed by construction vehicles, then the number of bird species will decrease. 
B)  If construction vehicles are in a wetland, then the birds will become too frightened to reproduce. 
C)  If bird numbers decrease in a wetland, then construction vehicles must have affected the environment. 
D)  If construction vehicles enter a wetland, then new predators will enter the area and reduce the size of bird populations.

Question 4

Which of the following situations has the greatest potential for observer bias in an experimental process?

Accepted Answer

A)  Dr. Jones is evaluating cancer patients for their responses to a new therapeutic drug. She knows which patients are receiving the placebo and which are receiving the drug. 
B)  Mr. Bromley is conducting a survey of weight loss for his professor. He asks each student in the study the same questions. 
C)  Ms. Bradley is an outside consultant who is conducting a health and wellness survey for a pharmaceutical company. She does not know the name of the company nor does she know the name of the drug being tested during the survey. 
D)  Dr. Postgate is analyzing biopsy samples from rats that have been given either a placebo or an experimental drug believed to reduce inflammation. Each sample is identified by a code number so that Dr. Postgate cannot tell which treatment the rats received.

Question 5

Mehran has heard from some of his teammates that drinking a high protein supplement after football training will improve his muscle mass. He decides to test this hypothesis by comparing the muscle mass of teammates who drink the high protein drink with a control group who drink only water. Which of the following would be the best control for his experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)  randomly selected teammates who are given only small amounts of a protein drink 
B)  randomly selected teammates in training who are given a placebo instead of a protein drink 
C)  volunteers from the general campus population who are not given any protein drink 
D)  volunteers from the football team who agree to take a placebo instead of a protein drink

Question 6

________ reasoning is used to make predictions based on a hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ reasoning is used to make predictions...

Question 7

Consider an experiment in which subjects are given a pill to test its effectiveness on reducing the duration of a cold. Which of the following is the best way to treat the control group?

Accepted Answer

A)  Do nothing with the control group. 
B)  Give the control group two pills instead of one. 
C)  Give the control group a pill that does not affect the duration of colds. 
D)  Let the control group choose whether or not to take any pills.

Question 8

Which of the following is a sign that scientific information on a website may be unreliable?

Accepted Answer

A)  The site avoids anecdotal evidence. 
B)  The site backs up its claims with references to primary sources. 
C)  A reputable medical establishment maintains the site. 
D)  The site is set up to allow you to buy the product being described.

Question 9

Experimental results with very high statistical significance mean that

Accepted Answer

A)  the hypothesis being tested is correct. 
B)  the experiment had no bias. 
C)  the experiment had proper controls. 
D)  a true difference between treatment and control groups likely exists.

Question 10

Sampling error refers to the

Accepted Answer

A)  difficulty in accurately measuring results that are incalculable. 
B)  differences between a group of experimental subjects and the population as a whole. 
C)  experimental results that do not support the hypothesis being tested. 
D)  intentional biases on the part of researchers.

Question 11

An experimental result is called statistically significant when

Accepted Answer

A)  the experiment is double blind. 
B)  experimental and control subjects are randomly assigned. 
C)  the result is unlikely to be due to chance alone. 
D)  the result supports the hypothesis being tested.

Question 12

In an ideal experiment, there is a

Accepted Answer

A)  high sampling error. 
B)  small treatment effect. 
C)  low standard error. 
D)  large confidence interval.

Question 13

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.

Question 14

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 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 15

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

Accepted Answer

A)  Because most people get zinc in their diet anyway, there's no reason to believe that zinc lozenges could affect a cold. 
B)  Previous ideas about vitamin C usage have been discredited, so there's no reason to believe new ideas about zinc lozenges. 
C)  There is no way of knowing if the original work was properly controlled or statistically significant. 
D)  There may be other reasons why the people taking zinc lozenges recovered faster, such as stress levels or differences in their immune systems.

Question 16

There is a strong correlation between stress and susceptibility to colds. This means that

Accepted Answer

A)  stress must directly cause susceptibility to colds. 
B)  a high susceptibility to colds must directly cause stress. 
C)  people with high stress must come into contact with more cold viruses. 
D)  stress might or might not affect susceptibility to colds.

Question 17

If an inductively reasoned hypothesis makes sense, based on all available and historical observations, then

Accepted Answer

A)  the hypothesis must be true. 
B)  the hypothesis cannot possibly be true. 
C)  the hypothesis might be false. 
D)  experimentation is not necessary.

Question 18

A(n)________ (two words)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 A(n)________ (two words)is an explanation of a...

Question 19

If the two means differ greatly between control and treatment groups, the difference is very likely to be statistically significant only if

Accepted Answer

A)  the hypothesis is false. 
B)  the sample size is large. 
C)  the experimental result is practically significant. 
D)  the experimental result is not practically significant.

Question 20

Which of the following is a true statement about experimentation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Variables in an experiment cannot be manipulated by the researcher. 
B)  Some hypotheses cannot be tested by experimentation. 
C)  Experimentation should test at least two or more hypotheses at the same time. 
D)  True randomization of subjects is impossible during experimentation.

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