OSAT OSAT Scientific Inquiry and Principles 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A study finds a strong positive correlation between ice cream sales and drowning rates. The BEST interpretation of this finding is:
- Ice cream causes drowning
- Drowning causes increased ice cream sales
- A third variable (hot weather) likely explains both (Correct answer)
- The data must contain errors
Correct 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.
Question 2: The process of converting a broad research question into a specific, measurable investigation is called:
- Peer review
- Triangulation
- Operationalization (Correct answer)
- Deduction
Correct answer: Operationalization
Operationalization is the process of defining how abstract concepts will be specifically measured in a study.
Question 3: Which of the following represents a valid use of a double-blind study design?
- Neither participants nor researchers know who receives the treatment vs. placebo (Correct answer)
- Only the participants know which group they are in
- Only the researchers know which group participants are in
- All participants receive both the treatment and placebo simultaneously
Correct 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.
Question 4: In scientific notation, 0.000345 is correctly written as:
- 3.45 × 10⁻³
- 3.45 × 10⁻⁴ (Correct answer)
- 34.5 × 10⁻⁵
- 0.345 × 10⁻³
Correct answer: 3.45 × 10⁻⁴
0.000345 = 3.45 × 10⁻⁴ because the decimal moves 4 places to the right to get 3.45.
Question 5: A scientist reports a p-value of 0.03 in an experiment with a significance level of 0.05. This means the results are:
- Not statistically significant
- Statistically significant (Correct answer)
- Caused by sampling error
- Due to a confounding variable
Correct answer: Statistically significant
A p-value of 0.03 is below the 0.05 threshold, meaning the results are statistically significant.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes an evidence-based conclusion in science?
- A conclusion based on personal belief and tradition
- A conclusion supported by data collected through systematic observation (Correct answer)
- A conclusion that is universally accepted without question
- A conclusion drawn from a single experiment
Correct 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.
Question 7: According to the nature of science, scientific knowledge is best characterized as:
- Absolute and unchanging
- Subject to revision when new evidence emerges (Correct answer)
- Based solely on authority of expert scientists
- Proven beyond all possible doubt
Correct 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.
OSAT OSAT Scientific Inquiry and Principles 5
A study finds a strong positive correlation between ice cream sales and drowning rates.
The BEST interpretation of this finding is: