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Ch. 1 - Can Science Cure the Common Cold?
Belk, Maier - Biology: Science for Life 6th Edition
Belk, Maier6th EditionBiology: Science for LifeISBN: 9780135214084Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksBelk, Maier 6th EditionCh. 1 - Can Science Cure the Common Cold?Problem 5
Chapter 1, Problem 5

One hypothesis states that eating chicken noodle soup is an effective treatment for colds. Which of the following results does this hypothesis predict?
a. People who eat chicken noodle soup have shorter colds than do people who do not eat chicken noodle soup.
b. People who do not eat chicken noodle soup experience unusually long and severe colds.
c. Cold viruses cannot live in chicken noodle soup.
d. People who eat chicken noodle soup feel healthier than do people who do not eat chicken noodle soup.
e. Consuming chicken noodle soup causes people to sneeze.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts a relationship between variables. In this case, the hypothesis is that eating chicken noodle soup is an effective treatment for colds.
Step 2: Analyze the options provided. Each option represents a potential prediction that could be derived from the hypothesis. The correct prediction should align with the idea that chicken noodle soup helps treat colds.
Step 3: Evaluate each option: - Option a suggests that people who eat chicken noodle soup recover faster, which directly supports the hypothesis. - Option b implies unusually severe colds for those who do not eat soup, which is not a direct prediction of the hypothesis. - Option c states that cold viruses cannot survive in soup, which is unrelated to the treatment aspect. - Option d suggests feeling healthier, which is subjective and not necessarily tied to the treatment of colds. - Option e mentions sneezing, which is unrelated to the hypothesis.
Step 4: Determine which option best aligns with the hypothesis. The hypothesis predicts an effective treatment, so the correct answer should focus on measurable improvement in cold symptoms or duration.
Step 5: Conclude that the most logical prediction is the one that directly supports the hypothesis by showing a measurable benefit of eating chicken noodle soup in treating colds.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a statistical method used to determine the validity of a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. In this context, the hypothesis suggests that chicken noodle soup has a beneficial effect on the duration or severity of colds. To evaluate this hypothesis, one would look for evidence that supports or contradicts the predicted outcomes based on the consumption of chicken noodle soup.
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Causation vs. Correlation

Causation refers to a direct cause-and-effect relationship between two variables, while correlation indicates a relationship without implying direct causation. In the context of the hypothesis, it is important to distinguish whether eating chicken noodle soup directly causes shorter colds or if there is merely a correlation between soup consumption and cold duration due to other factors.
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Control Groups

Control groups are essential in experimental design as they provide a baseline for comparison against the experimental group. In testing the hypothesis about chicken noodle soup, a control group that does not consume the soup would help determine if any observed differences in cold duration or severity are indeed due to the soup or other variables, ensuring the reliability of the results.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning?

a. All cows eat grass.

b. My cow eats grass and my neighbor's cow eats grass; therefore, all cows probably eat grass.

c. If all cows eat grass, when I examine a random sample of all the cows in Minnesota, I will find that all of them eat grass.

d. Cows may or may not eat grass, depending on the type of farm where they live.

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Textbook Question

A scientific hypothesis is ________.

a. An opinion

b. A proposed explanation for an observation

c. A fact

d. Easily proved true

e. An idea proposed by a scientist

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Textbook Question

How is a scientific theory different from a scientific hypothesis?

a. It is based on weaker evidence

b. It has not been proved true

c. It is not falsifiable

d. It can explain a large number of observations

e. It must be proposed by a professional scientist

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Textbook Question

If I perform a hypothesis test in which I demonstrate that the prediction I made in question 5 is true, I have ________.

a. Proved the hypothesis

b. Supported the hypothesis

c. Not falsified the hypothesis

d. B and C are correct

e. A, B, and C are correct

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Textbook Question

Control subjects in an experiment _________.

a. Should be similar in most ways to the experimental subjects.

b. Should not know whether they are in the control or experimental group.

c. Should have essentially the same interactions with the researchers as the experimental subjects.

d. Help eliminate alternative hypotheses that could explain experimental results.

e. All of the above.

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Textbook Question

An experiment in which neither the participants in the experiment nor the technicians collecting the data know which individuals are in the experimental group and which ones are in the control group is known as _________.

a. Controlled

b. Biased

c. Double-blind

d. Falsifiable

e. Unpredictable

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