Question

_____ specific predictions made concerning a research problem that are made prior to the collection of data. The prediction may express a cause-effect relationship between two or more variables selected for scientific investigation.

Answer 1

A specific prediction refers to the expected outcome of a research problem before data collection, usually indicating a cause-effect relationship between variables, based upon a formulated hypothesis that follows a 'If... then...' structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding Hypotheses and Predictions

The fill-in-the-blank question refers to specific predictions made about a research problem before data collection. These predictions typically express a cause-effect relationship between variables. In scientific research, after formulating a hypothesis—a tentative or proposed explanation for an observation—a researcher makes a prediction. The prediction usually follows the format 'If... then...'. For instance, if the hypothesis is 'The classroom is warm because no one turned on the air conditioning,' the corresponding prediction could be, 'If the student turns on the air conditioning, then the classroom will no longer be too warm.' To test a hypothesis, experiments are designed to either support or disprove these predictions, though they can never definitively prove a hypothesis as future evidence may always potentially falsify it.