Scientific Reasoning 2

The main problem with informal interviews is: a. getting comparable information from different respondents. b. the excessive amount of time required. c. the variety of topics that must be covered. d. getting respondents to cooperate.

a. getting comparable information from different respondents.

In a lab experiment designed to test the rate at which plants grow under artificial light, the kind of light used is which type of variable? a. dependent b. independent c. random d. control

b. independent

The amount of substrate left in the test tube is monitored and recorded at the end of the 24-hour period. The results of the experiment are below. Initial Amount of Substrate Final Amount of Substrate (15ºC) 100 ppm (15ºC) 90 ppm (35ºC) 100 ppm (35ºC) 50 ppm (55ºC) 100 ppm (55ºC) 75 ppm Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the data? a. the enzyme is defective b. the enzyme is non-functional at 55ºC c. the enzyme's optimal temperature is 35ºC d. not enough information to determine optimal temperature

d. not enough information to determine optimal temperature

A high school wanted to know what percent of its students smoke cigarettes. Counselors selected a random sample of students to take a survey on drug use. One of the questions reads, "If you are under the age of 18 years, do you illegally smoke cigarettes?" The data showed that 5%, percent of students smoked cigarettes. What is the most concerning source of bias in this scenario? a. Biased wording b. Convenience sampling c. Voluntary response d. Procedural bias

a. Biased wording

David hosts a podcast and he is curious how much his listeners like his show. He decides to poll the next 100 listeners who send him fan emails. They don't all respond, but 94 of the 97 listeners who responded said they "loved" his show. What is the most concerning source of bias in this scenario? a. Convenience sampling b. Nonresponse c. Voluntary response sampling d. Measurement bias

a. Convenience sampling

Observer effect describes: a. when a researcher identifies herself as a researcher but make no pretense of actually being a member of the group. b. the effect the presence of an observer has on the behavior of those being observed. c. when the researcher observes the activities of the group without in any way becoming a participant in those activities. The subjects may or may not realize they are being observed. d. when researchers do not participate in the activity being observed but sit on the sidelines and watch.

b. the effect the presence of an observer has on the behavior of those being observed.

What type of correlation is presented between price and quality? (see separate sheet) a. strong direct correlation b. weak direct correlation c. strong indirect correlation d. no correlation

b. weak direct correlation

Which of the following scenarios would NOT give a normal distribution? a. A distribution of the yearly income of families in the U.S. b. The distribution of heights in a large sample of people. c. The percentage of toxic wastes and pollution in the atmosphere vs. the lifespan of organisms in the location. d. A curve with 97% of the population within the first two standard deviations.

c. The percentage of toxic wastes and pollution in the atmosphere vs. the lifespan of organisms in the location.

David hosts a podcast and he is curious how much his listeners like his show. He decides to start with an online poll. He asks his listeners to visit his website and participate in the poll. The poll shows that 89%, percent of the 200 respondents "love" his show. What is the most concerning source of bias in this scenario? a. Response bias b. Omission bias c. Voluntary response sampling d. Measurement bias

c. Voluntary response sampling

A senator wanted to know about how people in her state felt about internet privacy issues. She conducted a poll by calling people using random digit dialing, where computers randomly generate phone numbers so unlisted and mobile numbers can still be reached. They called over 1,000 random phone numbers—most people didn't answer—until they had reached 100 respondents. The poll showed that 46% of respondents were "very concerned" about internet privacy. What is the most concerning source of bias in this scenario? a. Nonresponse b. Undercoverage c. Response bias d. No bias exists

a. Nonresponse

In which of the following roles is the researcher a covert observer? a. complete participant b. participant-as-observer c. observer-as-participant d. complete observer

a. complete participant

A scientist found that when an invasive species was introduced into a river, the population of salmon native to the region decreased. The type of correlation between these two populations could best be described as a. a direct relationship. b. an inverse relationship. c. a direct and indirect relationship. d. no decisive relationship.

b. an inverse relationship

Which of the following best describes a qualitative researcher's approach to observer bias? a. bias is eliminated and replaced with scientific objectivity b. awareness of biases are noted in documentation c. bias is countered by enlisting a researcher with the opposite bias d. detection of bias leads the researcher to terminate the study

b. awareness of biases are noted in documentation

In qualitative research, reliability and validity are: a. evaluated statistically. b. largely a matter of judgment. c. relatively unimportant. d. assured by structuring situations.

b. largely a matter of judgement

Which of the following is an example of deductive reasoning? a. Only 21% of a town's population have expressed a desire to ban all cars. Therefore, the new proposition banning cars in the state is not likely to pass. b. People who brush their teeth regularly have fewer instances of heart disease. Therefore, good dentistry can prevent heart attacks. c. All soccer players who play professionally can kick well. Therefore, any future soccer player who is recruited to play professionally will be able to kick well. d. All secretaries are good typists. Cynthia is a secretary. Therefore, Cynthia is a good typist.

d. All secretaries are good typists. Cynthia is a secretary. Therefore, Cynthia is a good typist.

A high school wanted to know what percent of its students smoke cigarettes. During the week when students visited the counselors to schedule classes, they asked every student in person if they smoked cigarettes or not. The data showed that 5% of students smoked cigarettes. What is the most concerning source of bias in this scenario? a. Procedural bias b. Biased wording c. Voluntary response d. Response bias

d. Response bias

A senator wanted to know about how people in her state felt about internet privacy issues. She conducted a poll by calling 100 people whose names were randomly sampled from the phone book (note that mobile phones and unlisted numbers aren't in phone books). The senator's office called those numbers until they got a response from all 100 people chosen. The poll showed that 42% of respondents were "very concerned" about internet privacy. What is the most concerning source of bias in this scenario? a. Nonresponse b. Undercoverage c. Voluntary response sampling d. No bias exists

d. Undercoverage

A scientist wants to write an equation using the variables X, Y, and Z. What is the proper relationship between the variables if X represents time, Y represents energy, and Z represents power? a. 2XY = Z b. XZ = 2Y c. Z = X/Y d. Z = Y/X

d. Z = Y/X