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Questions should be assumed to allow none, one, or many answers unless stated otherwise. If any part of an option is incorrect, treat the option as incorrect and do not mark it.

(2pts) Social security number and name. Fill in the scantron form with the correct bubbles for your name and social security number. (For good measure, put your name on this hard copy too.)

(2pts) Key Code: Fill in (A) and (B) on scantron question 1. to indicate your exam code.

Electromagnetic Fields

2. (5 pts) Scientists currently accept which of the following about electromagnetic fields? (none, one, or many)

(A) Most of the available data concerning EMFs and cancer were originally correlational but are now experimental.

(B) Across most studies, the typical high-EMF homes with increased leukemia rates have a risk factor in the range of 3-5.

(D) Cosmic rays are a major source of the low-frequency EMFs that US citizens receive.

(E) A variety of animal models have helped us understand specifically how EMFs cause cancer

3. (6 pts) Which statements about the "Secrets of the Psychics" video (featuring James Randi and the palm reader Ray Hayman) are correct or valid?

(A) Model that was tested: People's responses to palm reading reflect the accuracy of the readings.

(B) Progress through the scientific method: The model in (A) was rejected (or refuted) by an experiment indicated in the video.

(C) Experiment: an experiment was conducted (but not shown) in which Ray obtained positive client responses to palm reading when he told the client the opposite of what the books said about palms. The manipulation in this experiment was that he gave a palm reading that deviated from the recommended methods about palm reading.

(D) The control group for the experiment in option C consisted of people to whom he had previously given palm readings according to the book. By itself, this control group would not have constituted an experiment, because there was no manipulation to test a model.

(E) Replication: from the video it was evident that the experiment was conducted on more than one individual

4. (8 pts) First Prisoners of Silence video. Some parents and administrators had a strong, vested interest in believing that Facilitated Communication works. It can thus be expected that they will not easily accept test results which show that FC does not work. One possible criticism they raised was that the test environment did not accurately reflect the normal FC environment (it was "intimidating"), hence the children could not be expected to "perform" well during the test. Which of the following options are either legitimate criticisms of the test or are legitimate defenses of the test, taking into account the outcomes of the test? None, one, or many answers.

If any part of an option is incorrect, consider the option incorrect and do not mark it.

(A) Null model. One valid concern with the tests is that they are based on the null model that the child cannot communicate (i.e., the experiment is looking for positive responses). The appropriate null model should be that the child CAN communicate.

(B) Explicit protocol: the specification of a protocol in advance of the test minimizes the chance that the test intimidates the facilitator or child.

(C) Replication: the number of correct responses increased over the duration of each test, validating the criticism that the testing environment is intimidating.

(D) Controls: As described (but not shown) in the video, one type of control was used in the "message passing" test: Betsy was shown a key out of sight of her facilitator, asked to type what she saw, and then asked again to type what she saw after being shown a key in the presence of her facilitator. The correct answer was typed only when the facilitator was shown the key. The fact that the correct answer was typed when the facilitator saw the same object Betsy did constitutes a control that demonstrates the testing environment was not preventing FC from working as expected.

(E) Controls: the controls for the parts of the study that used pictures were the examples in which the child and facilitator were shown the same photo; the fact that the correct response was typed in these cases demonstrates that the FC setting was operating as expected. If the wrong responses had been obtained with these controls, the criticism (of an intimidating testing environment) would have had merit.

(F) Random: The video indicated that the sequence of pictures shown during the test was determined randomly.

(G) Blind: the only element of the study that needed to be conducted blindly was to keep the facilitator from being shown what the autistic child was shown. Interpretation of the results would have been the same regardless of whether the autistic child was shown only the one picture or both.

5. (4 pts) The Monty Python video on penguin intelligence compared the performance of humans and penguins on an IQ exam. Consider the last test shown in that video (with the immigrants at the zoo). Mark all of the following factors that were controlled for in that IQ test shown (recall that a factor controlled for is one that is matched across the different groups being compared).

6. (5 pts) An advertiser does a study to compare the effect that the endorsing personality has on sales of a product. The goal is to compare endorsement of a product by a popular person has versus endorsement by someone who is unknown. The ad is video-taped using a famous person, then taped again by someone who is not famous. The same script is used for both people, and the same setting (backdrop, lighting, and camera angle) of the ad is used for both tapings. One ad is shown in Austin, the other in San Antonio, and increases in sales of the product is compared before and after the ad is released to determine which type of personality works best (famous vs. unknown). What factors are explicitly controlled for (matched) in the design of this study? Do not infer more than is given. (none, one, many)

7. (5 pts) Mark all of the following statements about controls that are correct (none, one, many)

(A) A control is a reference point (or group of points); controls are part of any correlation

(B) To establish a correlation between blood alcohol level and car accident rate, the control group must have a zero level of blood alcohol.

8. (5 pts) Each of (A)-(D) represents data measuring crop yield under different conditions, as indicated by the 4 factors. Factor 1 is the use of irrigation; factor 2 is the use of fertilizer; factor 3 is the use of pesticide; factor 4 is the use of herbicide. Which two data sets would you want to compare to determine if factor 2 is correlated with differences in yield when the other factors are controlled? In evaluating possible answers, pick the comparison that controls for the most unwanted factors, and assume that these four data sets differ only in the ways stated. Mark exactly two options, or none if none apply. (A "+" indicates that a factor is present; a "-" indicates that it is absent.)

(A) Data on Crop yield

Factors applying to this data set:

factor 1: +

factor 2: +

factor 3: +

factor 4: +

(B) Data on Crop yield

Factors applying to this data set:

factor 1: -

factor 2: +

factor 3: -

factor 4: +

Factors applying to this data set:

factor 1: +

factor 2: -

factor 3: -

factor 4: +

(D) Data on Crop yield

Factors applying to this data set:

factor 1: +

factor 2: -

factor 3: +

factor 4: +

9. (3 pts) In conducting an experiment that assigns subjects to either a control group or a treatment group, which feature of ideal data is most central to ensuring that this assignment controls for as many unwanted (or hidden) factors as possible? One answer.

10. (6 pts) An experiment was conducted in your Bio301D class using personality profiles. Which of the following options are correct descriptions of this test or are valid conclusions that can be drawn from that experiment? You will need to rely on the class discussion of the experiment to answer this question.

(A) Model being tested: People respond favorably to an arbitrary set of descriptions about their personality.

(B) Blind: The experimental design did not include "blind" because every student was allowed to read their personality profile and thus knew the contents.

(C) Replication: this was the first year that this study has been conducted in Bio301D, so the study lacks replication until next year.

(D) Randomization: given the way that the study was conducted, with all men receiving the same profile and all women receiving the same profile (but different from the men's profile), randomization was not needed in assigning the profiles to individuals of the same sex.

(E) Outcome:approximately 90% of the women responded very positively to the profile (i.e., scored 3, 4, or 5).

11. (10 pts). Which of the following studies describe experiments, regardless of whether the experiment was designed well or poorly. Some of these studies would be considered unethical, but the question is merely about which studies are experiments? (none, one, many)

(A) You wish to fix your auto, which will not start. Suspecting that the problem is the battery, you replace it with a new one. You then try to start the car.

(B) You decide to rearrange your living room. You begin by moving the couch to a new location to see if you like it better in the new place or the old place.

(D) In 1918, astronomers awaited the solar eclipse to measure the distance of a star from the edge of the sun. This study was the first critical test of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

(E) A study is done to determine whether alcohol increases the incidence of birth defects. The study design involves giving 50 pregnant mice drinking water with 5% alcohol. The control group is 50 pregnant mice with no alcohol in their water. The study finds that those receiving alcohol had a slightly higher incidence of birth defects than those who did not.

(F) A researcher merely records the diets of a large number of pregnant women. He finds that women who took twice the recommended daily dose of vitamin A have a 1 in 57 chance of a child with birth defects.

(G) A researcher studies the effectiveness of zinc in treating cold symptoms. He does this by recruiting some volunteers with colds, and then randomly assigning these volunteers to either of four physicians who will merely assess patient well-being by asking the patient how long they have felt sick, and ask if they have been taking any medication.

12 (5pts). Which of the following points were considered to be examples of how our brains (can) mislead us into making irrational decisions?

(F) Our educational system has taught us facts instead of problem-solving skills.

(G) We search for confirmation of our views rather than evidence to evaluate them

13-16 (3 pts each). These questions ask for the course theme(s) best illustrated by the given statement. Do not assume any more than what is explicitly given in the question. That is, address only the difficulties specifically mentioned. None, one or more than one answers may apply. There are fewer options here than on some practice questions:

13. A scientist conducts an experiment on 3000 laboratory mice to determine if a new sunscreen causes cancer. Half these mice have white coats, and half have black coats. The sunscreen is applied to all the mice with white coats; the mice with black coats are used as the control. The scientist scores the results of the experiment.

14. The typical university class offers only a few exams during a semester. Consequently, students are often well into the semester before taking the first exam and discovering that they may not be learning the material at a level to earn an "A." After the first exam, it may be too late for a student to catch up with the class. A more useful system would thus be one in which exams are given at least once a week, allowing the student to assess her/his performance rapidly and to take measures to improve performance before it is too late.

15. It is thought that global mean temperature will increase several decades after atmospheric carbon dioxide increases. In addition, there are several factors to consider in predicting what the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide will be, including burning of tropical forests, automobile emissions, emissions from factories, and the ability of oceans to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide. We understand many of these factors reasonably well within a country (i.e. we know how much carbon dioxide autos in the US emit), but it has proved difficult to predict how the contributions from different factors and different countries combine to produce the overall level of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

16. Vaccines for diphtheria (a childhood disease) occasionally cause severe side effects or death. Unfortunately, severe side effects occur so infrequently that they would likely not be seen even once in the clinical trials that precede introduction of the vaccine into the general population.

17. (3 pts) Which of the following constitute an example of an interaction ("complexity")?

(B) Ammonia and bleach mixed together give off a lethal gas, but do not give off this gas when they are apart. Consequently, it is safe to use each one alone but not together.

(D) Drinking alcohol and driving a car is hazardous to your health, whereas either of these activities alone is relatively safe

(E) Silver nitrate mixed with magnesium powder "flashes" when sprayed with water

(F) Consuming five drinks of alcohol will get you more than five times as drunk as one drink

18, 19. LeVay's study involved measuring the volume of INAH 3 in several different groups listed as (A)-(F). For question 18, assume that the listed groups differ only in the ways explicitly indicated (aside from INAH3 volume). Your answer should indicate the comparison that addresses the hypothesis, and controls for all factors indicated in this set of subjects (AIDS, sexual preference, gender). To indicate the appropriate comparison, mark exactly two answers. However, if no two groups control for all factors noted in these data, do not put down any options. If more than one pair of answers provides a correct answer, put down only one correct pair of options.

18. (3 pts) Which two groups offer the best test of the hypothesis that volume of INAH 3 is affected by AIDS? In answering this question, make use of the information given in class about the different categories of sexual preference. (two or none)

19. (3 pts) Which groups in (A-F) had the largest volume of INAH3in LeVay's study? (at least one)

20. (4 pts) (Second FC video segment). Some people interviewed were reluctant to accept the evidence that FC did not represent child communication. Lecture discussed reasons for this unwillingness. Which reasons were suggested? (none, one, or many)

(A) Material gain: the administrator shown in the film, Douglas Bicklen, had a "material" incentive to keep people believing in FC because he would head an institution dedicated to teaching and promoting FC. This institution was in jeopardy if FC was shown to be bogus.

(B) Emotional factors: Deeply held religious convictions were at the root of some parent's objections.

(C) Emotional factors: Many parents shown were reluctant to abandon FC, presumably because they wanted to believe that their child was capable of normal thought. However, some parents shown had indeed abandoned FC despite the temptation to believe that their child could communicate.

(D) Political factors: the video showed interviews with state legislators who had been lobbied to prevent FC from being overturned.

21-23. Lecture (and the Book) offered several factors that distorted people's goals away from pure, truth-seeking objectivity:

(A) Material gain: money, objects, power	(D) Emotional: ego
(B) Philosophy (and spirituality)	(E) Politics
(C) Emotional: (com)passion

Which of these five factors apply in each of the following examples (as per lecture or the book)?

21. (2 pts). The buyer-seller interaction? (one answer or none) (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

22. (2 pts). Physicians' initial rejection of Semmelweis's discovery that washing hands reduced maternal death rate in the maternity wards? (one answer or none) (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

23 (2pts). Dr. John Money's continuing advice to the parents that their male twin who had the hospital accident undergo all surgery and hormonal treatment to be transformed into a woman (the answer was given in class).

24. (4 pts) The Book (and lecture) suggested that there was a fundamental difference between science and the legal system over the way that evidence was evaluated. What difference was that? (One answer)

(A) The legal system has its own protocols for gathering scientific data, and those protocols are usually at odds with standard scientific procedures.

(B) There is little conflict among scientists because most of them have the single objective of finding the truth. In contrast, a trial has conflict built into it by the nature of opposing goals between prosecution and defense.

(C) A trial does not, for the most part, allow ambiguity/uncertainty as an outcome -- a decision has to be made about guilt or innocence, regardless of whether the evidence is ambiguous. This necessity of making a yes-no decision forces each side to try and distort uncertainty in its favor. In contrast, scientists accept ambiguity/uncertainty as part of the nature of evidence, until further resolution.

(D) The fundamental laws governing our legal system were written before the scientific method was established -- over 200 years ago, so they are not compatible with a modern understanding of science.

(A) inability to speak English	(D) ability to speak English
(B) species	(E) testing environment
(C) presence of feathers

(A) Gender of the personality	(D) Script
(B) Age of the personality	(E) City of response
(C) Setting in which the ad is taped

(A) explicit protocol	(D) randomization
(B) replication	(E) blind
(C) standards	(F) manipulation

(A) gay males with AIDS	(D) heterosexual males without AIDS
(B) heterosexual males (some with, and some without AIDS)	(E) heterosexual females (some with, and some without AIDS)
(C) heterosexual males with AIDS	(F) lesbian females with AIDS