A Friend Tells You That Putting a Small Cardboard Pyramid

question 56

Multiple Choice

A friend tells you that putting a small cardboard pyramid under your bed as you sleep at night will enhance your "psychic energy" and give you "inner peace." Pseudoscientific claims like this:

• A) are irrefutable or nonfalsifiable because they use vague terms like "psychic energy" and "inner peace" and cannot be disproved or tested in any meaningful way.
• B) can be tested only using brain-imaging technology such as PET scans, MRI, or fMRI.
• C) can be tested only with natural experiments.
• D) would be unethical to test because the researcher would have to use a double-blind study.

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Definitions:

World Trade Organization

An intergovernmental organization that regulates international trade with the aim of ensuring that trade flows as smoothly, predictably, and freely as possible.

Trade Barriers

Measures such as tariffs, quotas, and regulations that governments use to control the amount and type of goods and services imported or exported.

Comparative Advantage

The ability of an individual, firm, or country to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than competitors, underpinning international trade theories.

Absolute Advantage

The ability of an entity to produce a good or service at a lower cost per unit than other competitors using the same amount of resources.