A Scientist Conducts a Study to Determine the Effects of the Mineral

question 26

Multiple Choice

A scientist conducts a study to determine the effects of the mineral cadmium on the weight of mice. She adds 5 mcg of the mineral to the daily diet of 100 4-week-old laboratory mice. Every week, the researcher records the weight of each mouse. At the end of the study, the scientist notes that 3 mice died, 40 mice lost weight, 40 mice gained weight, and the remaining 17 mice didn't gain or lose weight during the 12-week period. Based on this information, what would you tell the researcher about her findings?

• A) The findings are newsworthy and important enough to be published in a peer-reviewed nutrition journal.
• B) The findings are biased because the scientist used mice instead of humans in her study.
• C) The findings are not meaningful because of the way the scientist designed her study.
• D) The findings are very interesting and provide scientific proof that cadmium causes weight loss.

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Definitions:

Concept Learning

The process through which an individual learns to categorize objects, ideas, or situations into conceptual frameworks.

Associative Learning

Associative learning is a learning principle by which an organism makes connections between different elements or events, often through classical or operant conditioning, leading to the learning of relationships in the environment.

Expectancies

Beliefs or predictions about the likelihood of future outcomes or events, often influencing behavior and decision-making.

Mental Representations

Internal cognitive symbols, concepts, or images that represent external reality, allowing individuals to think about and function in the world.