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Biology 1114H > Scientific Method, Interpreting Data, Specificity of Terminology > Flashcards

Scientific Method, Interpreting Data, Specificity of Terminology Flashcards

1
Q

Science is _________ or ________

A

cyclical, iterative

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2
Q

What does cyclical/iterative mean?

A

The process keeps going and going, it repeats, continually adding to our knowledge

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3
Q

A body of existing knowledge is based on 3 things:

A
  1. Verifiable observations or descriptions- data from the natural world
  2. Repeatable measurements
  3. Synthesis
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4
Q

What are the 5 steps of the scientific method in order?

A

Observation -> Question -> Hypothesis -> Prediction -> Test

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5
Q

What does the scientific method rely on?

A

Empiricism

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6
Q

What is empiricism?

A

Evidence

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7
Q

What are the two types of logical reasoning processes the scientific method uses?

A

Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

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8
Q

What is Inductive Reasoning?

A

Results in a general conclusion, broad generalizations, and/or theories based on a body of observations

A “bottoms-up” approach, beginning with observations

Probabilistic

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9
Q

What is Deductive Reasoning?

A

Goes from general concepts and/or specific observations to a focused conclusion

A “top-down” approach beginning with theory

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10
Q

A scientific hypothesis is what kind of explanation of an observation?

A

Tentative Mechanistic Explanation

Mechanistic explanation is when a phenomenon is explained by identifying the mechanisms that generate that phenomenon by specifying the underlying parts, their organization, and their interaction

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11
Q

A scientific hypothesis needs to be _______ and _______

A

Testable and falsifiable

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12
Q

A scientific hypothesis usually answers what question

A

Why?

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13
Q

What does a scientific hypothesis always include?

A

A because statement

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14
Q

What is circular logic?

A

Explaining that X will happen because X will happen

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15
Q

What is a prediction?

A

A statement of what will happen if your hypothesis is correct, given a specific set of experimental circumstances

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16
Q

A prediction outlines how to test a hypothesis by specifying what?

A

The independent and dependent variables

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17
Q

What is a variable?

A

A factor if interest to scientists that can change

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18
Q

What is an independent variable?

A

What the scientist changes to understand its effects on the system

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19
Q

What is a dependent variable?

A

How the scientist measures the system’s response to the independent variable

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20
Q

What is the template for beginning a prediction?

A

“If the hypothesis is correct, then…”

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21
Q

Why should a hypothesis be generalized?

A

If it’s not generalized, it limits the ability to test it to a single experiment

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22
Q

What is a control group?

A

A group that does NOT receive the treatment, but is identical in all other ways to the treatment groups and serves as a point of comparison

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23
Q

What is a confounding variable?

A

A factor that affects the result that was not controlled for

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24
Q

Why should experiments be repeated on many different test groups?

A

To ensure that results aren’t caused by random events and to represent a population mean (average) response

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24
Q

Why are confounding variables important?

A

Because you need to try to anticipate them and include them in experimental design.

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25
Q

What is pseudoreplication?

A

When treatments are either not replicated or not independent

Called pseudoreplication because the experiment appears replicated, but is not because the samples are not truly independent of each other

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26
Q

What is a replicate?

A

The smallest experimental unit to which a treatment can be applied

27
Q

How are statistical inferences made?

A

About the means of responses

Normal distribution is the most common

28
Q

How do you get more precise distribution?

A

By increasing the sample size (N)

29
Q

When does the strength of a conclusion increase?

A

When the number of observations used to form the conclusion increases

30
Q

What is a scientific conclusion based on?

A

Evidence

31
Q

What do figures and tables provide?

A

All the information needed to interpret the relationship between dependent and independent variables

32
Q

What does a conclusion result from?

A

1 study testing 1 hypothesis

33
Q

What does science never do?

A

Prove something

34
Q

Why does the scientific method not prove hypotheses? (3 reasons)

A
  1. Experimental data either supports or does not support hypothesis
  2. Hypotheses must be falsifiable
  3. Uses quantifiable and justifiable measurements to either support or reject (disprove) hypothesis
35
Q

What are the three properties of a theory?

A
  1. Unifies many ideas/hypotheses
  2. Broad in scope
  3. Extremely highly supported by evidence from many experiments
36
Q

What are the two properties of a conclusion?

A
  1. Results from a single experiment that tested a single hypothesis
  2. May support or refute the hypothesis
37
Q

What question is the Cell Theory answering?

A

What are organisms made of?

38
Q

What question does the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection answer?

A

Where do organisms come from?

39
Q

What question does the Chromosome Theory of Inheritance answer?

A

How is hereditary information transmitted from one generation to the next?

40
Q

What does Germ Theory describe?

A

How micro-organisms act as pathogens to cause disease

41
Q

Definition of hypothesis

A

A proposed general mechanistic explanation of an observation and its relationships that is testable and falsifiable

42
Q

Definition of theory

A

An accepted hypothesis or group of hypotheses that is falsifiable

43
Q

Definition of scientific law

A

A description of a generalized body of information that doesn’t answer “why”

44
Q

Definition of fact

A

An observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as “true”

Truth in science is never final

45
Q

What should a hypothesis contain? (2 things)

A
  1. A “because” statement that provides an explanation
  2. Information about the initial observation
46
Q

What should a hypothesis not contain? (2 things)

A
  1. Information about the specific experiment you will use to test it
  2. Circular logic as a part of the explanation
47
Q

What should a prediction include? (3 things)

A
  1. Information about the specific experiment you will use to test the hypothesis
  2. The independent and dependent variable(s)
  3. An “if the hypothesis is correct, then…” template
48
Q

What should a prediction not include? (1 thing)

A

A “because” statement that provides an explanation

49
Q

What happens after completing the scientific method?

A

Repeat the experiment (or one very close in design)

Report the results (publish in a scientific journal)

Other researchers then test the same hypothesis

New questions are formed and followed by new experiments

50
Q

What is important to maintain after the scientific method is complete?

A

Healthy skepticism

51
Q

How long should you maintain healthy skepticism?

A

Until enough data is generated to make a reasonable judgement or interpretation

52
Q

What are the three properties of a scientific journal article?

A
  1. Peer-reviewed
  2. Considered authoritative repository on information
  3. Archived in some form (usually paper)
53
Q

When three things should you consider when looking at an online scientific journal articled?

A
  1. It should be considered and cited as per paper version
  2. Check to make sure it’s from an accredited journal
  3. Consider the Impact Factor- the average number of citations of the article in the previous two years
54
Q

What is wrong with the statement “clinically proven”

A

Science does not “prove” hypotheses

If the trial is conducted according to proper scientific method, then the hypothesis is either supported or not supported by the data

55
Q

What are the reasons why it’s estimated that 90% of published medical research is wrong?

A

Sloppy statistics

Inadequate study sample size and duration

Bias (conscious and unconscious)

Inadequate replication (single study, statistical significance (chance something is due to a random event or something of significance), etc.)

56
Q

What is cherry picking data?

A

When data is selected/omitted to support hypothesis

57
Q

How can you defend against cherry picking data?

A
  1. Consider alternate hypotheses
  2. Consider who funded the study
  3. Consider context of observations
  4. Ask to see the data
58
Q

_______ results in _________, but __________ doesn’t imply _________

(correlation and causation)

A

Causation results in correlation, but correlation doesn’t imply causation

59
Q

What is the Fundamental Scientific Controversy?

A

When scientists disagree about a central theory

Considers the proportion of scientists and data supporting the theory

60
Q

What is the Secondary Scientific Controversy?

A

When scientists disagree, not about IF a central theorem is supported, but HOW mechanisms in a central theorem work

61
Q

What is false equivalency?

A

Putting a credible source up against a source that is clearly not credible and saying something like “we’re just hearing two different points of view”

62
Q

What impression can false equivalency give?

A

The false impression that some of the myths being presented are believed by a large portion of the scientific community

63
Q

What is the basal rate fallacy?

A

When relevant statistical information is ignored in favor of case-specific information

64
Q

What does one opinion or one study not do?

A

It neither defines nor disproves a theory or principle, but only adds to the body of information that it needs to be weighed against

Biology 1114H (12 decks)

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