Unit 1 Chapter 1

Front 1

How do humans try to understand the world?

Back 1

Religion, aesthetics, ethics, and science

Front 2

Scientific Method's Process

Back 2

Testable, falsifiable, and repeatable

Front 3

What does science refer to?

Back 3

A body of knowledge

Front 4

Scientific method solves problems and answers questions

Back 4

observations, proposing ideas (hypotheses), testing the ideas, discarding or modifying ideas based on results

Front 5

Hypothesis propose explanations for a set of observations. What do hypotheses need to be?

Back 5

Testable, and falsifiable

Front 6

Where do hypotheses come from?

Back 6

Logical and creative influences

Front 7

What is inductive reasoning?

Back 7

combining a series of specific observations into a generalization to create a hypothesis

(are dinosaurs extinct?)

Front 8

What is deductive reasoning?

Back 8

Used to test hypothesis. Uses general principle to predict an expected observation using if/then statements

Front 9

Inductive reasoning

Back 9

Begins with observations that are used to generate a hypothesis confirm or reject hypothesis.

Front 10

Deductive Reasoning

Back 10

Beings with a hypothesis which is supported by initial observations reject or fail to reject hypothesis.

General Hypotheses to specific predictions

Attempts to falseify

Front 11

Problems with Inductive Reasoning

Back 11

May not consider equally likely alternatives. Often used to find evidence in support of hypothesis. Only used to formulate a hypothesis not proving if the hypothesis is true.

Front 12

Logic of Hypothesis Tests

Back 12

If it fails, it is rejected and considered disproven

If it passes, it is supported but not proven

An altemative hypothesis might be the real explanation

Front 13

Scientific Method Steps

Back 13

Observation/Question, hypothesis, prediction (if/then), experiment, analysis, conclusion

Front 14

What is the most powerful way to test hypotheses?

Back 14

do experiments

Front 15

What are experiments designed to do?

Back 15

Collect data to test specific hypotheses

Front 16

Variables?

Back 16

Factors that can change in value under different conditions

Front 17

Independent variable

Back 17

Factor being manipulated by the scientist

Front 18

Dependent Variable

Back 18

The factor resulting from the experiment. (not changing)

Front 19

Standardized variables

Back 19

All variables kept the same across all treatments (controlled)

Front 20

Control Group

Back 20

Not exposed to the experimental treatment has all other (standard) variables the same

Front 21

How to minimize biases in experimental design

Back 21

Blind experiment- where subject doesn't know treatment they have received

Double blind experiment- Person administering treatments and the subjects don't know who is in each group until after the experiment is over

Front 22

What is the best way to obtain credible results?

Back 22

Double-blind, placebo controlled, and randomized experiments (gold standard)

Front 23

Model system

Back 23

Can be used in experiments when it is too dangerous or unethical to test on humans (mice, rats)

Front 24

What is a correlation?

Back 24

Relationship between two variables that can be used to test hypotheses. can be done by looking for relationships between factors. correlation not always due to causation! May be due to other factors.

Front 25

What is necessary to perform a sound experiment and get "good data"?

Back 25

Sample size, random assignment of treatments, controlled factors, method of measurement, experimenter bias, statistics.

Front 26

Statistics

Back 26

Used to evaluate and compare data. Used to extrapolate information from an experiment to an entire population. Only as valid as the experiment! Looks for variability within/between groups to determine if it occurred by chance alone. (hairstyles in past and present)

Front 27

Inductive and Deductive reasoning leads to...

Back 27

Additional observations and/or experiments, a well-supported hypothesis may become a SCIENTIFIC THEORY

Front 28

Scientific Theory

Back 28

Powerful, broad explanation of a large set of observations, based on well supported hypotheses, supported by research from several independent sources

Hypotheses to experiments to scientific theory

Front 29

Scientific hypotheses

Back 29

Explanation for observable phenomenon based on some evidence. Must be testable or refutable.

Front 30

Scientific theory

Back 30

represents a hypothesis, confirmed through repeated experimental tests

Front 31

Scientific law

Back 31

a scientific theory that can be represented mathematically

Front 32

Model

Back 32

Anything used in any way to represent anything else. Reduces complexity to increase understanding of a particular set of components and/or predictive power.

Front 33

Scientific law example

Back 33

Newton's law of universal gravitation

Front 34

scientific theory example

Back 34

The disruptive coloration of zebras reduces predation because predators can't pick out one target

Front 35

Non-science

Back 35

any system of knowledge that cannot be addressed by the scientific method. (aesthetics, cultural norms, ethics, religion)

Front 36

Pseudoscience

Back 36

attempt to portray non-science as science in order to falsely acquire legitimacy ("false science")

Front 37

Primary Source

Back 37

undergo peer review by other experts

Front 38

Secondary Source

Back 38

books, news reports, the internet, advertisements

Front 39

Anecdotal evidence

Back 39

based on one person's experience, not on experimental data. (testimonial from a celebrity)

Front 40

Is there a cure for the common cold?

Back 40

No, but prevention methods are known, wash hands. No effect on cold susceptibility is vitamin C, exposure to cold temps, and exercise, no vaccine for common cold