TEAS Test of Essential Academic Skills - Set 5 - Part 3

Correct Answer: the sample is too narrow to generalize

Drawing nationwide conclusions from a single classroom ignores the diversity of schools across the country, so the sample cannot reasonably represent the entire student population fairly. Option b is incorrect because the conclusion is overly broad rather than overly cautious about what the data actually demonstrate clearly. Option c is incorrect because nothing in the scenario suggests that the variables themselves could not be measured properly using standard tools. Option d is incorrect because testing a hypothesis multiple times tends to strengthen, not weaken, scientific conclusions drawn from data.

Correct Answer: the group used for comparison without treatment

A control group does not receive the treatment under study and provides the baseline comparison needed to determine whether the treatment caused the observed differences in outcomes. Option a is incorrect because the experimental group is the one that receives the treatment, not the control group used for comparison. Option c is incorrect because group size relates to sampling, not to the role of a control in an experiment design. Option d is incorrect because the researchers running the study are not part of any treatment or control group being studied.

Correct Answer: revise or reject the hypothesis based on data

When data contradict a hypothesis, science requires updating the hypothesis or rejecting it altogether, since hypotheses must respond to evidence rather than guide selective interpretation of results obtained. Option a is incorrect because ignoring contradictory data is dishonest and undermines the integrity of the scientific process and findings. Option b is incorrect because altering data to fit a hypothesis is research misconduct, not legitimate scientific reasoning of any kind. Option d is incorrect because contradictory results often inspire new questions and further investigation rather than ending inquiry into the topic.

Correct Answer: controlled variables

Soil type, water, and temperature are kept the same across all groups so that any difference in plant growth can be attributed only to the manipulated light variable. Option a is incorrect because the dependent variable in this study is plant growth, not soil, water, or temperature conditions used. Option b is incorrect because the independent variable is the amount or type of light, not the factors held constant for fairness here. Option c is incorrect because variables intentionally kept constant are controls; confounders are unwanted variables that bias the results unintentionally.

Correct Answer: double-blind study

A double-blind study hides treatment assignments from both participants and researchers, which reduces both expectation effects and unconscious researcher influence on the data being collected during analysis. Option a is incorrect because an open study allows everyone involved to know which treatment each participant received, increasing potential bias problems. Option b is incorrect because a single-blind study hides assignment from only one party, usually the participants, not from researchers as well. Option d is incorrect because a pilot study is a small preliminary study testing feasibility, not specifically a blinding design used in trials.

Correct Answer: limited generalizability from a narrow setting

Conclusions drawn from one ward cannot be assumed to apply to all hospitals because patient populations, staff routines, and infection patterns may differ widely across other settings being compared. Option a is incorrect because the type of sanitizer used clearly serves as the independent variable in this experimental design. Option c is incorrect because controlling many variables is generally a strength, not a weakness, in experimental design and analysis. Option d is incorrect because blinding generally reduces bias rather than weakening the study's external validity in any meaningful way.

Correct Answer: dependent variable

Plant height is the outcome being measured, so it serves as the dependent variable that responds to changes the experimenter introduces in the independent variable during the study period. Option b is incorrect because the independent variable is the factor the scientist manipulates, such as fertilizer or light, not the measured outcome here. Option c is incorrect because controlled variables are kept constant rather than measured as the response of interest in the study. Option d is incorrect because a confounding variable is an unwanted influence, not the intended measurement of the experiment being conducted.

Correct Answer: it reduces the role of chance and random error

Repeating experiments helps determine whether results are consistent and reproducible, decreasing the likelihood that observed effects are due to chance variations or random measurement errors during testing. Option a is incorrect because repeating an experiment usually increases costs through additional trials, not decreases them at all. Option b is incorrect because repetition adds time before publication and is intended to strengthen findings, not speed publication of work. Option c is incorrect because every experiment still requires a guiding hypothesis regardless of how many times it is performed in research.

Correct Answer: there was no control group for comparison

Without a control group, researchers cannot tell whether the improvements were caused by the drug, by the placebo effect, by natural recovery, or by another unrelated factor entirely. Option a is incorrect because twelve participants is a small sample, not too large, and excessive sample size is rarely a study weakness. Option b is incorrect because using the metric system is a standard scientific practice and not a weakness in any meaningful way at all. Option d is incorrect because nothing in the scenario suggests that the variables of interest could not be clearly defined for measurement.

Correct Answer: results from one species may not generalize

Findings from plant studies cannot reliably be extended to humans because biological systems differ greatly across species, so further controlled human studies are required for valid conclusions about treatment effects. Option a is incorrect because plants are clearly living things, and that is not the basis of the reasoning weakness shown here. Option c is incorrect because humans can absolutely be studied scientifically through carefully designed clinical research methods used in trials. Option d is incorrect because the metric system is unrelated to the question of generalizing results across different species being tested.