Chapter 2

Question 1

What are the 7 basic steps of the scientific method?

Answer 1

1. Make observations and questions
2. Hypothesis
3. Research scientific literature
4. Do studies and tests to collect factual data
5. Analyze data and conclusions
6. Share results with peers
7. Do more research to create consensus

Question 2

Definition of evidence based?

Answer 2

Information that is based on results of scientific studies

Question 3

Definition of anecdotes (evidence informed)?

Answer 3

Reports of personal experiences

Question 4

What is a treatment group?

Answer 4

A group being studied that receives a treatment

Question 5

What is a control group?

Answer 5

A group being studied that does not receive a treatment

Question 6

What are variables?

Answer 6

Personal characteristics or other factor that change and influence an outcome. For example, age, sex/gender, income, genetics….

Question 7

What is an experiment (intervention)?

Answer 7

A systematic way of testing a hypothesis (question).

Question 8

What is in vitro?

Answer 8

Experiments or test tube experiments are conducted on cells or other components derived from living organisms

Question 9

What is in vivo?

Answer 9

Experiments conducted on living organisms

Question 10

What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)?

Answer 10

Members of a large group of human subjects are randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group

Question 11

What is double blind, and the Golden standard?

Answer 11

Neither participants nor research is know who is in what group. This is considered to be the Golden standard. RCTs are the only kind of study able to show cause and effect.

Question 12

What is epidemiology (observational)?

Answer 12

The study of the occurrence, distribution, and causes of health problems and populations.

Question 13

What is case-control study?

Answer 13

Individuals with the health condition are matched to persons with similar characteristics who are without the condition.

Question 14

What is a cohort study (epidemiological)?

Answer 14

Collect information and analyzes variables from a large group of people overtime.

Question 15

What is the difference between prospective cohort and retrospective cohort?

Answer 15

Prospective follows healthy people in the future and the changes in their health and retrospective researches information about a group past lifestyle practices.

Question 16

What is recall bias?

Answer 16

People likely to remember the stuff they did wrong and sometimes not remember exactly what they did.

Question 17

What are the limitations of epidemiological studies?

Answer 17

Population studies show relationships, but cannot establish causation (cause and affect). It shows correlation between variables through direct (positive) and inverse (negative) correlation.

Question 18

Placebo vs Nocebo effect?

Answer 18

Placebo is a positive reaction to a sham treatment. Nocebo is a negative reaction to a sham treatment.

Question 19

What is quackery?

Answer 19

The promotion of useless medical treatments.

Question 20

What is pseudoscience?

Answer 20

Presentation of information masquerading as factual and obtained by scientific methods.