Question

phrenology was the study of the bumps on a human head and the use of those bumps to determine a persons character traits. it was developed by a german doctor who noted features on peoples skulls and then looked at other people to find similar features. although popular in the time period where it was used, it has been discredited and is a pseudoscience. what is the most likely reason that phrenology is not considered scientifically valid? a.not everyone has bumps on their head, therefore, the research sample would have been too small to be valid. b.the doctor did not publish a paper about his research c.the results are not verifiable and repeatable, so they cannot predict future behavior. d.head bumps can result from external means (injury).

Explanation:

In science, for a theory to be valid, its results must be verifiable and repeatable. Phrenology fails in this regard as it cannot predict future behavior reliably. Just because not everyone has head - bumps (a) doesn't make it non - scientific, and not publishing a paper (b) is not the core reason for non - validity. Head bumps from external means (d) is not the main reason for its lack of scientific validity.

Answer:

C. The results are not verifiable and repeatable, so they cannot predict future behavior.