In many ways, the scientific method is the foundation for everything that science has discovered and accomplished. The scientific method represents a methodical and useful tool for asking questions and seeking answers. While it is the responsibility of the researchers to adhere to the scientific method, it is also possible to evaluate scientific findings and trace how the scientific method was used in experiments. In this paper, the scientific method will be traced in an experiment involving mice and coffee, where the researchers were interested in the effect coffee consumption had upon mice that were genetically engineered to become diabetic.
The scientific method follows a predictable pattern of asking questions, testing those questions, and then drawing conclusions from the tests that were conducted. Any research begins with a question, which is the basis of the scientific method. From there, research must be conducted to determine what testing has already been done in regards to the selected question. This helps scientists avoid repeating testing unnecessarily and can help direct their testing. Using the gathered information, the researchers can then construct a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a statement about what is expected to happen. This is followed by designing an experiment to test the hypothesis. During the experiment, it is important to keep as many factors as possible identical, with the exception of the one factor that is being tested. After the experiment, any findings should be analyzed to decide whether the hypothesis was correct, incorrect, or somewhere in-between.
In this experiment, which was reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Yamauchi et al, 2010), the researchers sought ...
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...eriment by Yamauchi and his fellow researchers represents a typical application of the scientific method in biological research. The scientific method was followed closely and only one small conflict of interest seemed to be of concern regarding the validity of the study. The research’s findings were also significant, as they could have a significant impact on a disease whose incidence has been on the rise and shows no sign of slowing. Overall, this experiment is an excellent example of good research, following the scientific method and building upon the research of other scientists.
Works Cited
Yamauchi et al. (2010). Coffee and caffeine ameliorate hyperglycemia, fatty liver, and inflammatory adipocytokine expression in spontaneously diabetic KK-Ay mice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58 (9), 5597-5603. May 12, PMID: 20405946, ISSN: 1520-5118.
At the turn of the new century, activists began to protest the morality of animal experimentation: “. such methodology is far too cruel on beast, it cannot better mankind, but it leads to its demise.” Despite the rising concern for animal safety in laboratory research, federal legislation approved the practice. According to the federal bureaucrats, it is an essential tool to improve our current medical knowledge. Hence, most of the tested animals have a relatively shorter lifespan than humans. Thus, it allows to test long-term disease in a smaller timeframe.
The scientific method is how psychologists gain knowledge about the mind and behavior. It is used by all scientists. The experimental method is the one way to engage the scientific method, and the only way to find a cause and effect in relationships. It is summarized in five steps, observing some phenomenon in the world, forming a hypothesis which is an educated prediction about relationships between two or more variables, examining the gathered information by using empirical research, determining what the results are and drawing them, and evaluating the results whether it will support the hypothesis or not. Researchers, at the end, submit their work for publication for all to see and read (King, 2016). There are three types of psychological research in the scientific method, descriptive research, correlation, and experimental research (King, 2016). The article The Effects of Negative Body Talk in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of College Students (Katrevich, Register, & Aruguete, 2014) is an example of the experimental method.
The scientific method is an organized way to answer questions. The first step is to state the problem in a question, like “what happens to a person’s heart rate when they watch a movie?” The next step is to research things that would be helpful in resources like the internet, magazines, interviews, and books. Once information is researched, a hypothesis should be formed, usually in an if-then statement. For example, one could say, “If a person’s heart rate is 70 bpm, then his/her heartbeat will raise higher than that when watching a scary movie.” After, one must write the procedures down so that other people can repeat the experiment. Then it is time to test the hypothesis by doing the experiment. After gathering the data from the experiment, it has to be analyzed to draw a conclusion. If the results of the scary movie experiment show that a person’s heart rate increases over 70 bpm, then
Historically, the use of animals for experimental purposes dates back to early Greek physician-scientists. Aristotle and Galen both conducted experiments on animals in an effort to contribute to our understanding of science and medicine.1 Claude Bernard later established animal experimentation as part of the scientific method. Known as the father of physiology, Bernard stated that “experiments on animals are entirely conclusive for the toxicology and hygiene of man. The effects of these substances are the same on man as on animals, save for differences in degree.”1 Bernard’s work strongly influenced the use of animals in biomedical research, which has become a common, and often required, practice today. The American Medical Association (AMA)...
Howard, Carol. "Alternative Testing Can Replace Animal Experimentation." AV Magazine CXIII (Spring 2005): 14-15. Rpt. in Animal Experimentation. Ed. Cindy Mur. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.
“To be opposed to what is going on now it is not necessary to insist that all animal experiments stop immediately. All we need to say is that experiments serving no direct and urgent purpose should stop immediately, and in the remaining fields of research, we should, whenever possible, seek to replace experiments that involve animals with alternative methods that do not.”
Scientists make progress by using the scientific method, a process of checking conclusions against nature. After observing something, a scientist tries to explain what has been seen. The explanation is called a hypothesis. There is always at least one alternative hypothesis. A part of nature is tested in a "controlled experiment" to see if the explanation matches reality. A controlled experiment is one in which all treatments are identical except that some are exposed to the hypothetical cause and some are not.
Lloyd, Emma. "Alternatives to the Use of Animals in Research." Animal Experimentation (2008): n. pag. Web. 27 Feb 2011.
However, in many cases, the facts of the research are overlooked (“About”). Although many people believe that animal research is morally wrong, animals should continue to be used for scientific research because it is, as of now, the most effective way to conduct scientific research other than using human bodies to develop drugs or perform many different so...
... are many other ways to get the same results as humans receive from animal experiments. These methods are viewed as more moral, practical, effective, and less expensive, why wouldn’t we use these methods? By using these methods, scientists were able to invent aspirin and certain types of insulin (Williams 3). Although animals may seem like the ideal specimen for experimenting with, these experiments are untrustworthy and can cause unknown side effects.
Animal experiments used in biological research have helped make many advancements in human medicine. Through these experiments when has achieved, a decrease in infant mortality, longer lifespan, and an increase in the quality of life (American Medical Associaton 3). Through indirect of direct experimentation, almost all medical advances can be traced back to research through animals. The control and dismissal of diseases like: small pox, poliomyelitis, and measles has been achieved with animals. Blood transfusions, burn therapy, open brain and hearts surgery where all fulfilled the same way (American Medical Association 54). "Biomedical advances depend on research with animals, and not using them would deprive humans and criminals of the benefits of research" (American Media Association74). Through animal research we could find solutions to AIDS, cancer, heart diseases, aging, and congenital defects. Like Lord Adrian said, “The use of living animals in scientific research can be considered justified if it is likely to produce appreciable benefit to society, if there is no way to conduct the research in quest...
Pharmaceutical and medical research benefits humans greatly. Much of these life-saving developments are being conducted via animal experimentation. It is often said that animal testing should not be implemented, for it is not morally ideal or necessary. Opponents of animal testing urgently demand for alternative methods, which aim to replace the practice of animal studies. However, first and foremost, animal research saves lives. It is undeniable that animal-based experimentation has played a vital part in finding drugs and live-saving treatments to improve health and medicine. Animal studies also contributed to numerous medical advances over the last decade; these include surgical techniques and heart transplants. Not only curing diseases related to humans, animal testing also benefits animals correspondingly. By this, animal studies should only be carried out on behalf of medical purposes. Alternative methods should be applied if available; however, at the present time, science needs animal testing.
Our advancements in science have enabled us to create other things that we can test on, instead of harming innocent animals. Since experiments are cruel and expensive, “the world’s most forward-thinking scientists have moved on to develop and use methods for studying
Throughout centuries medical research has been conducted on animals. “Animals were used in early studies to discover how blood circulates through the body, the effect of anesthesia, and the relationship between bacteria and disease” (AMA 59). Experiments such as these seem to be outdated and actually are by today’s means, scientists now study commonly for three general purposes: (1) biomedical and behavioral research, (2) education, (3) drug and product testing (AMA 60). These three types of experiments allow scientists to gain vast amounts of knowledge about human b...
The first method to be discussed and analysed are experimental methods. There is a variety of experimental methods including; laboratory, field and natural experiments. These methods are the most scientific method due to them being highly objective and systematic. In addition, this method is regarded as the most powerful research method used in psychology because of the potential to investigate the causes of events and therefore, identifying the cause and effect relationship. When carrying out an experiment the researcher intervenes directly in the situation being investigated. The researcher manipulates an independent variable (IV) in order to investigate whether there is a change in the dependent variable (DV). Any other variables that could have an