Lesson 8: 4.8 Using Studies Wisely

If we only test a drug on men, can we say it works for women?

When is it "unethical" to perform an experiment? (e.g., Can we force people to smoke to see if it causes cancer?)

Scope of inference

Generalizability

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Informed consent

Confidentiality

HSS-IC.A.1: Understand statistics as a process for making inferences.

The SAT often asks: "To which population can these results be generalized?" This is the final check on every Data Analysis question.

Students learn that even the best experiment has limits (Inference) and must follow rules (Ethics).

The Problem: A volunteer study at a local gym finds that a certain supplement increases muscle mass.

Task: Can we conclude this supplement caused the increase? Can we generalize this to all adults in the town? Explain.

Volunteers: Students think a randomized experiment on volunteers allows them to speak for the whole world. Clarify: Random Selection = Generalize to Population; Random Assignment = Cause and Effect.

For struggling Learners:
The "Inference Decision Matrix" Graphic Organizer: Provide a blank 2x2 table for students to fill out. This helps them visualize the two distinct types of "random" and what they "buy" the researcher.

For Advanced Learners:
The "Ethics of Observation" Debate: Have students research the Milgram Experiment or the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Ask them to identify specifically which ethical principles were violated (Informed Consent, IRB approval, or Beneficence) and argue whether the data gained was worth the ethical cost.

Teacher assigns examples from the textbook and other resources.

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