Chapter 1

Science

-method to answer questions -process of using observations and experiments to draw conclusions -a way of knowing

A magazine has published a short piece on a study evaluating the relationship between alcohol consumption and liver cancer. But evaluating the responses of 200 alcohol drinkers, the study determine that 20% (40 individuals) eventually develop liver cancer, where is the remaining 80% (160 individuals) did not. What was the sample size using the study?

200

Randomized Clinical Trial

A controlled medical experiment in which subjects are randomly chosen to receive either an experimental treatment or a standard treatment (or placebo).

Scientific Theory

A hypothesis that is supported by many years of rigorous testing and thousands of experiments.

Conclusive Evidence

A large body of evidence reveals the "hypothesis"

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory or observation

A scientific paper has demonstrated that a correlation exist between the occurrence of breast cancer and alcohol consumption in Japanese women. A journalist read this paper and write to our an article on alcohol consumption in breast cancer. To remain true to the original specific paper, the journalist should state that there is a correlation between __________.

Alcohol consumption and breast cancer in Japanese women

Factors that can contribute conflicting results in experiments

Amount, gender, age, health, eating, smoking, and drinking

Everyday Theory

An idea that explains an everyday event

An informal observation that has been systematically tested is _________.

Anecdotal evidence

Which of these occurs when caffeine is used in excess of the recommended safe dose?

Anxiety

Adenosine

Body's natural sleeping pill

T or F: Correlation proves Causation

False

What can be used as a placebo in an experiment designed to test whether caffeinated coffee improves memory?

Decaffeinated coffee

You have performed a thorough literature review and have found study supporting correlations between drug use and neurological diseases, weight gain, and brain cancer. Based on these correlations, what can you conclude regarding drug use?

Drug use may cause neurological diseases, weight gain, and brain cancer.

double-blind study

The experiment group, control group, and investigator don't know who is who

In an experiment, the only difference between the control group and experimental experimental group is the ________ variable.

Independent

Observation

Information obtained through anecdotal evidence

A study drew some inclusions about the health benefits of drinking coffee. With the same health benefits be expected for people who drink caffeinated tea?

Not necessarily, coffee and tea contain many different compounds, and it could depend on the study population.

Scientific Method Steps

Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analyze the Data, Conclusion

Dependent Varible

The measured result of an experiment, analyzed in both groups tested

The strengths of the conclusion of a scientific study depend on ________.

The type of study carried out and the sample size

T or F: conclusions can be modified

True

With the following experiment test the dependency hypothesis of caffeine? Used to groups; one group of regular coffee drinkers who had abstain from coffee for a short period, in another group of non-coffee drinkers. Does coffee give both groups a boost or only the regular coffee drinkers looking for their fix?

Yes; this would be a valid scientific experiment.

Experiment

a carefully designed test, the results of which will either support or rule out a hypothesis

Placebo

a fake treatment given to control groups to mimic the experience of the experimental groups

Testable

a hypothesis is testable if it can be supported or rejected by carefully designed experiments or observational studies

Statistical Significance

a measure of confidence that the results obtained are "real" and not due to chance

Peer Review

a review by people with similar professional qualification to ensure that the authors have appropriately designed and interpreted the study

Falsifiable

able to be disproven by experimental results

Scientific Theory

an explanation of the natural world that is supported by a large body of evidence and has never been disproved

Anecdotal Evidence

an informal observation that has not been systematically tested

The scientific process from beginning to end can be outlined as _________.

observe, hypothesize, test, analyze, and conclude

Epidemology

study of diseases

A good hypothesis is _______.

testable and falsifiable

Experimental Group

the group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested

Control Group

the group that does not receive the experimental treatment and receives the placebo

Sample Size

the number of times a measurement is replicated, number of subjects, number of participants

independent variable

variable that is manipulated