Research Methods

Efficacy of Prayer Homework

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NOTE: This page is meant to be printed out for your convenience when you work on your homework. It does not contain the links to other sites; you can get the complete information, including the form for completing the homework online on the Research Methods syllabus.

Purpose of the Homework: This assignment will help you learn to distinguish the characteristics of science and pseudoscience. Over a century ago, a British scientist, Francis Galton, conducted a study to see if prayer had an effect in the natural world (contrasted with the religious, or supernatural, domain). That is, does prayer work to give us what we ask for in this world? You will respond to Galton's study on the efficacy of prayer. Based on the information here and on what we discuss in class, tell whether Galton's research should be considered as having a scientific approach. Remember that a study can be useful even if its methodology has problems; in your homework, make sure you do not confuse methodological weaknesses with problems with the characteristics of science.

The Study: Galton defined the Royal Family has being prayed for because, every Sunday, the clergy took a moment to pray for the health and well being of the Royals. He defined the other groups (lawyers, doctors, and clergy) as not being prayed for because large numbers of people were never called on to pray for them. He went to official records that were quite accurate to see how long the people in each group lived, on average.

He reasoned that because members of the Church of England prayed for the health and well-being of the royal family every Sunday, if prayer is effective, it would mean that the Royals would live longer than other people. He discovered that, of 94 male members of the royal family, the mean age at death for males was 64.04. He compared it with other men: the clergy, whose mean age at death was 69.49 years; with lawyers, 68.14 years; and with doctors, 68.14 years. His research was published in a popular magazine that regularly published the results of research, Fortnightly Review, in 1872. He concluded that prayer is not effective in the natural world because the Royals lived shorter lives than the members of the other groups.

What you need to do to complete the Efficacy of Prayer homework successfully: You will identify and describe the four characteristics of scientific research as provided in the textbook and in class, then you will assess Galton's research to see how well the research meets the criteria for scientific research.

• List the four characteristics of scientific research and describe what each one means. (4 pts)
• Apply each of the four characteristics to Galton's research and say specifically whether his research satisfies each criterion. You need to make a statement for each of the four separately as each one relates to Galton's study. (4 pts.)
• Identify the weaknesses of Galton's methodology. That is, say what it is about his methodology that limits your confidence in his results. (2 pts.)
• Tell how you would remedy the weaknesses in his methodology. Your remedies need to be realistic; that is, they have to be practical. You should not develop a methodology that would be exceedingly difficult or impossible. (2 pts.)
• What is your conclusion regarding how scientific Galton’s study was? Your response should be based on the extent to Galton’s study met the four criteria for determining scientific research. (3 pts)

You can complete this assignment in one of three ways.

• The first way is to use the Efficacy of Prayer form on the web. (The form appears below.) You can respond to the questions directly and submit them electronically.
• The second way is to use the Word file I have placed on the Q: (Nova) drive. The file is called Characteristics. You can type your responses into the file and save your responses in your account or on your computer, then email me the file as an attachment. DO NOT SIMPLY TYPE YOUR ANSWERS INTO AN EMAIL MESSAGE AND SEND IT TO ME. IF YOU USE THIS OPTION, SEND YOUR HOMEWORK AS AN ATTACHMENT.
• You can address the questions and hand in the paper the traditional way, on paper and in class.

Modified January 7, 2008