OSAT Scientific Inquiry and Principles Flashcards

A study finds a strong positive correlation between ice cream sales and drowning rates. The BEST interpretation of this finding is:

Answer: A third variable (hot weather) likely explains both

Correlation does not imply causation; a confounding variable like hot weather can drive both trends simultaneously.

The process of converting a broad research question into a specific, measurable investigation is called:

Answer: Operationalization

Operationalization is the process of defining how abstract concepts will be specifically measured in a study.

Which of the following represents a valid use of a double-blind study design?

Answer: Neither participants nor researchers know who receives the treatment vs. placebo

In a double-blind study, neither participants nor researchers know group assignments, eliminating bias from both sides.

In scientific notation, 0.000345 is correctly written as:

Answer: 3.45 × 10⁻⁴

0.000345 = 3.45 × 10⁻⁴ because the decimal moves 4 places to the right to get 3.45.

A scientist reports a p-value of 0.03 in an experiment with a significance level of 0.05. This means the results are:

Answer: Statistically significant

A p-value of 0.03 is below the 0.05 threshold, meaning the results are statistically significant.

Which of the following BEST describes an evidence-based conclusion in science?

Answer: A conclusion supported by data collected through systematic observation

Evidence-based conclusions are grounded in systematically collected and analyzed data, not belief or single trials.

According to the nature of science, scientific knowledge is best characterized as:

Answer: Subject to revision when new evidence emerges

Scientific knowledge is tentative and can be revised or replaced when new evidence or better explanations emerge.