Chapter 1- The Functioning Human Body

Question 1

What are the two aspects of science?

Answer 1

1. As a process of inquiry- a way of finding out about human beings, and their living and non-living surroundings.
2. As a body of knowledge- gained through careful and systematic observation and testing of ideas.

Question 2

What is the pattern of scientific investigation?

Answer 2

A literature review, observation, classification and experimentation.

Question 3

What is an independent variable?

Answer 3

The factor being investigated, is plotted on the x axis, (always only one).

Question 4

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 4

The factor that changes due to the changes made to the dependent variable is plotted on the y axis, (can be multiple).

Question 5

What is a controlled variable?

Answer 5

Factors kept the same for both the control and experimental groups in an experiment, (should be multiple).

Question 6

What are the characteristics of a good hypothesis?

Answer 6

• Is a definite statement, not a question.
• Is short.
• Has a single idea that can be tested.
• Usually links the independent, and dependent variable.

Question 7

What is validity?

Answer 7

The extent to which an experiment tests what it is supposed to test.

Question 8

What is accuracy?

Answer 8

How correct or true the measurements are.

Question 9

What is reliability?

Answer 9

How consistent the results for trials of the same test are. Reliability can be increased through repetition, controlling variables and appropriate equipment use.

Question 10

What is human error?

Answer 10

mistakes such as miscalculation. With enough care and checking, they are avoidable.

Question 11

What is random error?

Answer 11

Unpredictable errors that occur in all experiments because no measurement can be made with absolute precision, (stopwatch).

Question 12

What is systematic error?

Answer 12

Error due to the way an experiment was designed or due to persistent equipment problems, (software).

Question 13

What are the five ethical principles?

Answer 13

Voluntary participation, informed consent, risk of harm, confidentiality and anonymity.

Question 14

Voluntary participation-

Answer 14

People should not be coerced into participation.

Question 15

Informed consent-

Answer 15

Participants should be fully informed about all aspects of the research.

Question 16

Risk of harm-

Answer 16

Possibility of harm should be minimised (if any exists) and the risk/ benefit situation should be carefully assessed.

Question 17

Confidentiality-

Answer 17

Procedures need to be adopted to ensure that the identities of the participants will not be revealed except those involved with the study directly.

Question 18

Anonymity-

Answer 18

A stronger guarantee of privacy where the participants are not known to the researcher.

Question 19

What is the placebo effect?

Answer 19

The placebo effect is a change or improvement in patients who are given a placebo. It is thought to occur because of the patient’s belief that the placebo is a real therapy that will bring about improvement.

Question 20

What is a blind experiment?

Answer 20

An experiment where the subjects do not know whether they are receiving the test treatment or the placebo.

Question 21

What is a double-blind experiment?

Answer 21

An experiment where neither the subject nor the experimenter knows who receives the test treatment of placebo.