Imagine that researchers at a Catholic hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, conducted an experiment to see if praying for cardiac patients would reduce their complications. About 1,000 patients participated in the year-long study, with prayers being said for 500 patients and no prayers for the other 500. Volunteers were told to pray for the anonymous cardiac patients to have fewer complications. Each patient's number and types of complications were recorded. At the end of the study, researchers found that patients who received prayers had 10 percent fewer complications than those who did not receive prayers. The results were published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
Is the study described above an example of pseudoscience or real science, and why?
Choose one:
A. It is an example of pseudoscience because not enough patients were recruited for the study to be valid.
B. It is an example of real science because the researchers followed the scientific method.
C. It is an example of pseudoscience because it is asking a question that cannot be answered using the scientific method.
D. It is an example of real science because the researchers had experimental and control groups.
B. It is an example of real science because the researchers followed the scientific method.
The study described above followed the scientific method by conducting an experiment with a control group and an experimental group, collecting data, analyzing the results, and publishing the findings in a peer-reviewed journal. While there may be limitations to the study, such as the small sample size, the fact that the researchers followed the scientific method makes it an example of real science.