BIO_SC 1010 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Statistical Inference, Chi-Squared Distribution, Descriptive Statistics
2 May 2018
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Science: a body of knowledge
Theory: a unifying statement that describes how something happens and has been
repeatedly supported by evidence
Hypothesis: an educated guess that explains an observation and will be/is being tested
Peer Review: other scientists reviewing and giving feedback
Model Organisms: organisms from a diff species that are easier to work with when
experimenting, they cost less, and have a shorter life span
Primary literature: a science research journal that is written by researchers
Causation: 1 thing/event causes another in a predictable way
Controls: samples that are not exposed to treatment and are then compared to the
samples that are exposed
Statistics: organized data from experiments that help us draw conclusions
Inferential stats: statistics that help us det if the descriptive stats of a sample may apply
to a larger/diff population
Single-blind: the test subject doesn’t know which group they are in (treatment or
control)
Double-blind: neither the test subject nor the researchers know which group is which
Significant: the probability of something being real
Correlation: a relationship btwn 2+ things or events
Descriptive stats: statistics that summarize date
1. We discussed that “Science” means two things. What are they?
-a body of knowledge
-a method or process
2. What are the primary concepts we discussed in How Science is REALLY done?
Does a study have to have a hypothesis to be scientific or are there other ways
to “spark an idea”?
-an idea is sparked and a question is asked
-evidence is gathered and interpreted
-methods, results, conclusions, etc are shared w scientific community to ensure
accuracy
-the entire process is self-feeding and always changing--no particular order in the
process
3. What role does evidence play in the Scientific Process?
Evidence is used to support hypotheses and draw conclusions
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
4. Is anything ever "proven" true in science? How about “disproven”? Why or why
not?
Science neither proves nor disproves; it only supports and refutes
5. What is the difference between correlation and causation? Be able to identify
each if given an example.
Correlation helps us identify relationships between 2+ variables (ex: as A increases, B
increases)
Causation tells us what variable causes another is a predictable way (ex: A causes B)
6. Be able to identify inferential and descriptive statistics if given an example.
Descriptive: totals, averages, medians, standard deviations
Inferential: chi square, standard error, ANOVA
7. What 4 things can science NOT do?
-can’t make moral judgements
-can’t make aesthetic judgements
-doesn’t tell us what to do w certain findings
-doesn’t draw conclusions about supernatural explanations
8. How common are theories in biology? Can they be refuted?
Theories are RARE in Biology--they can even be refuted!
9. What are controls and why are controls important? Be able to create a control if
given the description of an experiment.
Controls are samples that are not exposed to treatment, which can then be compared to
the samples that were exposed
10. What is the difference between a single-blind and double-blind study? Why are
they a good scientific practice? Which is better?
Single-blind is when the test subjects don’t know which group they’re in, while double-
blind i when neither the subjects nor the researchers know which groups are which.
Double-blind is better because it is the most fair
11. What are “warning signs” of questionable sources for scientific information?
You must ask the question “is the research funded by someone selling something”
because the information could be biased
12. What are some of the more reliable sources of science news? Least reliable?
Primary literature → Textbook/review → News → Internet
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Theory: a unifying statement that describes how something happens and has been repeatedly supported by evidence. Hypothesis: an educated guess that explains an observation and will be/is being tested. Peer review: other scientists reviewing and giving feedback. Model organisms: organisms from a diff species that are easier to work with when experimenting, they cost less, and have a shorter life span. Primary literature: a science research journal that is written by researchers. Causation: 1 thing/event causes another in a predictable way. Controls: samples that are not exposed to treatment and are then compared to the samples that are exposed. Statistics: organized data from experiments that help us draw conclusions. Inferential stats: statistics that help us det if the descriptive stats of a sample may apply to a larger/diff population. Single-blind: the test subject doesn"t know which group they are in (treatment or control) Double-blind: neither the test subject nor the researchers know which group is which.
