BIO 151 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Statistical Significance, Scientific Control, Confounding
Document Summary
Scientific method: approach to learn about the natural world, observation- prompts question, hypothesis- possible explanation, prediction-based on hypothesis- if/then statements, test- using controlled experiment. Observation: (step one: collect information, medicine/medical journals, medical professionals. Hypothesis: (step two: possible explanation, educated guess. *requirements-must be testable, falsifiable: hypothesis cannot be proven true, confounding variables- factors that (cid:449)e ha(cid:448)en"t figured out or checked for that could influence the outcome. Prediction: (step three: based on hypothesis, if/then statements. Test: (step four: design- only one explanation for results, controlled experiments. Collect results: (step five: statistical significance. Theory: (step 7: goes with conclusion. Animals are used to test first: epidemiological studies. Patterns that occur in a large population. Is the drug safe: phase 2: Is the drug effective: phase 3: Looks like the drug: blind study. Patient doesn"t kno(cid:449: double blind study. Medical person doesn"t kno(cid:449: informed consent. Patient is given information of all possible harmful effects; source of funding; and is.
