BIOL 180 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Pseudoscience, Blood Pressure, Dependent And Independent Variables

• School: UW
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL 180
• Professor: John W Parks

Document Summary

We see if dependent variables depend on independent variables. We try to control for other variable that might be important. Hypotheses can"t be wrong (response variables depend on explanatory variables) Predication is what is going to happen based on the hypothesis. Once you design an experiment to test the hypothesis, it stops being pseudoscience. Pseudoscience: includes beliefs, theories, or practices that have been or are considered scientific, but have no basis in scientific fact. Example experiment: effect of new vs. old medication on blood pressure. Independent variable: type of medication new vs old. Collect a random sample pool of participants. Give half new medication, other half given the old medication. Measure the effect of the medication on their blood pressure. Repeat this over the course of 3+ weeks.