Scientific Theory and Hypothesis Testing

Study Notes

The Scientific Method

A procedure used to provide scientific explanations for questions about the world, involving a series of steps to collect empirical data and answer a question.
Involves planning an experiment based on background research, forming a hypothesis, conducting the experiment, analyzing the data, and drawing a conclusion.

Key Concepts

Question: A problem the scientist is looking to solve.
Background: Information that is already available from other experiments, used to inform the scientist about the topic.
Hypothesis: A proposed explanation that can be empirically tested, often worded in the form of an "If, then" statement.
Experiment: A scientific test that provides empirical data for a specific hypothesis.
Empirical Data: Information that is verifiable by observation and/or experience.
Conclusion: An answer to the research question, suggested by the data, which may support or reject the hypothesis.

History of the Scientific Method

Has evolved and changed over the years, with contributions from various scientists and scholars.
Documented by Sir Francis Bacon in 1620, although others like Aristotle, Galileo, and Ibn al-Haytham also used empirical science and outlined similar procedures.
Isaac Newton refined the process in the later 1600s, emphasizing the importance of inductive and deductive reasoning.

Variations in Different Disciplines

The scientific method steps follow a general pattern, but there is some variation between disciplines (e.g., psychology, physics, geology) and even within each discipline depending on the topic.
Different tools and methods are used in different fields, such as surveys in psychology and observational studies in ecology.

The Six Steps of the Scientific Method

Ask a Question: Make an observation and ask a question about it.
Conduct Background Research: Research existing knowledge about the topic to inform the investigation.
Formulate a Hypothesis: Make an educated prediction that can be tested.
Design and Conduct an Experiment: Plan and execute a controlled experiment to test the hypothesis.
Analyze the Data: Examine the data to determine if it supports or rejects the hypothesis.
Draw a Conclusion: Answer the research question based on the data, and consider retesting or refining the hypothesis.

Importance of Avoiding Bias

Bias can lead to inaccurate and untrustworthy results if personal beliefs influence data collection and interpretation.
The scientific method is designed to minimize bias, but it is not perfect and can be compromised if scientists allow their beliefs to influence their data.
Peer review and repeat testing can help flag and correct errors due to bias.

Description

Learn about the process of scientific theory formation, hypothesis testing, and statistical analysis in this quiz. Understand how scientists approach hypothesis rejection and the importance of keeping an open mind.