TOPIC ACTIVITY 1

NAME: ATANGEN, KEZEL ANN D. DATE: JUNE 24, 2021

COURSE: BS CE TIME: 3:30 PM-7:30PM

I. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

PART 1. CASE STUDY
An example of the scientific method in action can be found in the work of Ignaz Semmelweis, a
Hungarian doctor who lived in the early-to-mid-1800s. He was appointed to a ward in Vienna’s
most modern hospital, the Allegemeine Krankenhaus. He noticed that in his ward, patients were
dying at a rate that far exceeded that of the other wards, even the wards with much sicker
patients. Semmelweis observed the situation for several weeks, trying to figure out what was
different about his ward as compared to all others in the hospital. He finally determined that the
only noticeable difference was that his ward was the first one that the doctors and medical
students visited after they performed autopsies on the dead.  Based on his observations,
Semmelweis hypothesized that the doctors were carrying something deadly from the corpses
upon which the autopsies were being performed to the patients in his ward.
In other words, Dr. Semmelweis exercised the first step in the scientific method. He made some
observations and then formed a hypothesis to explain those observations. Semmelweis then
developed a way to test his hypothesis. He instituted a rule that all doctors had to wash their
hands after they finished their autopsies and before they entered his ward. Believe it or not, up to
that point in history, doctors never thought to wash their hands before examining or even
operating on a patient! Dr. Semmelweis hoped that by washing their hands, doctors would
remove whatever was being carried from the corpses to the patients in his ward. He eventually
required doctors to wash their hands after examining each patient so that doctors would not carry
something bad from a sick patient to a healthy patient.
 Although the doctors did not like the new rules, they grudgingly obeyed them, and the death rate
in Dr. Semmelweis’s ward decreased significantly! This, of course, was good evidence that his
hypothesis was correct. You would think that the doctors would be overjoyed. They were not. In
fact, they got so tired of having to wash their hands before entering Dr. Semmelweis’s ward that
they worked together to get him fired. His successor, anxious to win the approval of the doctors,
rescinded Semmelweis’s policy, and the death rate in the ward shot back up again. Semmelweis
spent the rest of his life doing more and more experiments to confirm his hypothesis that
something unseen but nevertheless deadly can be carried from a dead or sick person to a healthy
person. Although Semmelweis’s work was not appreciated until after his death, his hypothesis
was eventually confirmed by enough experiments that it became a scientific theory.
As time went on, more and more data were gathered in support of the theory. With the aid of the
microscope, scientists were able to characterize the deadly bacteria and germs that can be
transmitted from person to person, and the theory became a scientific law. Nowadays, doctors do
all that they can to completely sterilize their hands, clothes, and instruments before performing
any medical procedure.

5 Basic steps of scientific method used in Application based on the above mentioned
this case study case study
1. Observation Semmelweis observed that his ward was the
 first one that doctors and medical students
visited after they performed autopsies on the
dead. Based on his observation, the doctors are
probably carrying something deadly from the
corpses upon which the autopsies were being
performed to the patients in his ward.
2. Statement of the Problem Patients in Semmelweis ward were dying at a
rate that far exceeded that of the other wards,
even the wards with much sicker patients.
3. Hypothesis Dr. Semmelweis instituted a rule that all
doctors had to wash their hands after they
finished their autopsies and before entering his
ward. He hoped that by washing their hands,
doctors would remove whatever was being
carried from the corpses to the patients in his
ward.
4. Experimentation Dr. Semmelweis required doctors to wash their
hands after examining each patients so that
doctors would not carry something unseen but
nevertheless deadly from a dead or sick patient
to a healthy patient. The death rate in Dr.
Semmelweis’s ward decreased significantly.
This course, was good evidence that his
hypothesis was correct.
5. Conclusion Dr. Semmelweis hypothesis was confirmed by
enough experiments that it became a scientific
theory. With the aid of the microscope,
scientist were able to characterize the deadly
bacteria and germs that can be transmitted
from person to person, and the theory became a
scientific law. Nowadays, doctors do all that
they can to completely sterilize their hands,
clothes, and instruments before performing any
medical procedure.

PART 2. Lisa is working on a science project. Her task is to answer the question: “Does Roogoti
(which is a commercial hair product) affect the speed of hair growth". Her family is willing to
volunteer for the experiment ( 12 members).

Design Lisa’s experiment.

1. Statement of the Problem Does Roogoti (which is a commercial hair

product) affect the speed of hair growth.
2. Hypothesis If using Rogooti increase the length of hair
growth, then it will affect the speed of hair
 growth.
3. Experiment proper:

Identify the independent variable in this - The independent variable in this experiment
experiment: is the family members who would use Roogoti.
- The dependent variable in this experiment is
Identify the dependent variable in this the length of hair growth.
experiment:
- Six (6) from the volunteers will not use
How many from the volunteers will not use Rogooti (controlled variable).
Rogooti (controlled variable)?
- Six (6) from the volunteers will use Rogooti
How many from volunteers will use Rogooti (experimental variable).
( Experimental variable)?
A controlled variable is one which the
Explain briefly the importance of controlled researchers holds constant (control) during an
variable in an experiment. experiment. The control variable is not part of
an experiment itself -- it is neither the
independent nor dependent variable -- but it is
important because it can have an effect on the
result. It is not the same as a control group.

II. QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

1. Differentiate qualitative observation from quantitative observations. Cite examples.

Basis of comparison Qualitative observations Quantitative observations

a. Descriptions Qualitative observations is a
subjective gathering of
information which focuses
more on differences in quality
rather than differences in
quantity. It is done through
interviews and passive or in-
depth observations. It is
conducted on a more personal
level requiring the researchers
to build the confidence of the
participants in him so that they
will readily provide him with
the information he needs.
Quantitative observations, on
the other hand, is an objective
gathering of information
which focuses on numbers or
measurements while basing
the results on statistic and
numeric analyses. It involves
the observation of anything
that can be measured such as
the differences in shapes,
sizes, colors, volume, and
numbers. This is done to give
the observation more strength
and make the results of the
research more credible. It does
not provide in-depth
knowledge but allows for a
general statistical analysis
 which is done after all data
have been gathered unlike
qualitative observation
wherein observations are
constantly analyzed as they
are being gathered.
b. Examples  That is a regular shape,  That is one bottle, 6
purple colored plastic inches in length, half
bottle with warm water in filled with water up to 30°
it. warm.
 There is a tray of red, blue  There are tray of 5 mugs,
and orange coffee mugs and each weigh around 10
and they are heavy to ounces, making the
carry. weight of the whole tray
 The water is salty. more than 50 ounces.
 The water is 80% salty.

References:
a. M, E. (2018, July 23). Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Observation.
Retrieved from http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-qualitative-
and-quantitative-observation/
b. Difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Observations with Examples. Science
Struck. (2014, December 23). Retrieved from https://sciencestruck.com/difference-between-
qualitative-quantitative-observations-with-examples

2. Explain why beauty appreciation is also considered a limitation of scientific method.

The scientific method involves developing and testing theories about the world based on
empirical evidence. In a typical application of the scientific method, a researcher develops a
hypothesis, tests it through various means, and then modifies the hypothesis on the basis of the
outcome of the tests and experiments.
The definition of scientific method clearly support my idea about the question, we don’t
use various means and go through hypothesis in order to explain why a person appreciates
beauty of something.
It is understandable and is true that beauty appreciation limits scientific method resulting
a failure to yield an accurate study of beauty appreciation, pseudo-science can prove an idea but
a science cannot prove everything. I agree to what Jack Young said as part of his answer to the
same question, “the capacity of humans to appreciate beauty for beauty's sake seems to be a
deeply embedded and fundamental part of the human experience.” Beauty appreciation involves
emotions or feeling of transcendence, therefore, appreciating a beauty of a thing that a person
sees and considers as beautiful does not need to use an experimentation or a scientific
explanation.

References:
a. Reading: The Scientific Method (n.d). Retrieved from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-sociology/chapter/the-scientific-method/
b. Scientific method (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/scientific-
method
c. Why beauty appreciation is also considered a limitation of scientific method? (April 11).
Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/Why-is-beauty-appreciation-considered-a-
limitation-of-the-scientific-method