Scientific Method and Experimental Design Practice Flashcards

These vocabulary flashcards cover key terms from the lecture on scientific methodology, experimental variables, and the differences between science and pseudoscience.

Control Group

The baseline group in an experiment where no manipulation or change occurs.

Experimental Treatment Group

The group in an experiment where one factor is manipulated to observe its effect on a response.

Independent Variable

The specific factor that is manipulated in an experiment ($e.g.$, fertilizer amount); it is typically found on the x-axis.

Dependent Variable

The response being measured in an experiment ($e.g.$, plant growth); it is typically found on the y-axis.

Placebo

A control used in human drug studies where subjects receive an inactive substance, such as a sugar pill, to control for the psychological effect of receiving treatment.

Sham Control Group

A control group that undergoes all aspects of a procedure except for the specific experimental manipulation, such as a mouse receiving anesthesia and surgery without having part of the intestine removed.

Replication

The practice of including multiple individuals or groups in an experiment to capture the variation within a population and ensure results are not due to random chance.

Blinded Study

An experimental design where the researcher does not know which treatment is being measured to avoid conscious or unconscious bias.

Blocking

A statistical method used to account for individuals that are grouped together, such as multiple fish being kept in the same tank.

Basic Science

Research conducted with the primary goal of generating knowledge and adding to the foundation of information about how natural systems function.

Applied Science

Research that builds on basic knowledge to solve specific problems, such as curing cancer or mitigating climate change.

Null Hypothesis

The requirement for a study to be falsifiable, stating that the independent variable has no effect on the dependent variable.

Significant P-value

A value from a statistical test that is typically less than $0.05$, indicating a significant difference between groups.

Cephalotes

A genus of ants, often called turtle ants, where the soldiers use their round heads to plug the holes of their nests for defense.

Dinoponera

A type of ant found at Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina, where an individual can be as large as a human thumb.

Pseudoscience

A set of claims or beliefs based on anecdotal evidence that are not testable or falsifiable and often shun criticism.

Falsifiable

A core requirement of science where the data collected must be able to objectively show whether a hypothesis is supported or not.