“Salem’s Secrets: A Case Study on Hypothesis

Testing and Data Analysis”

1. What do you think caused the girls to behave this way?

 Sarah Good was accused by Elisabeth Parris of killing Betty's baby and cow with her "evil eyes" at the
start of the story. Sarah was allegedly seen staring towards Betty's house in a trance and accusing her
of creating poisons in her home, according to Elisabeth. Sarah's spirit, Elisabeth claimed, was pricking
her and her best friend Abigail Williams with red hot needles until they swatted at themselves as
though stung by bees, sending them into uncontrollable, violent convulsive fits. The friends of Abigail
and Elisabeth began to convulse till they were exhausted.

 The girls' convulsions might have been triggered by cunning forgery, peer pressure, or mass hysteria,
according to my results (when a group of individuals are all suffering from the same illness).

2. In the opening passage, what “evidence” did the girls provide for the presence of
witches/witchcraft? (List this information in column 1 of your data management
sheet.)

 For possible responses to this question, see the filled-in data management
sheet at the conclusion of this answer key.

3. Assume you are living in Salem in 1692; develop a hypothesis based on your observations
— remember that a hypothesis must be supported by scientific evidence.

 Elisabeth and Abby developed the symptoms indicated as a result of a poison

provided in secret by Sarah Good. Sarah Good is a witch who has put Elisabeth and
Abby under a spell. One of the girls has been poisoned, and the other is
experiencing similar symptoms.
4. Reflect for a moment on this concept of “evidence.” How do we define “evidence” in
science? Does the girls’ evidence pass scientific muster?

 Some ways, scientific evidence must be validated. Other scientific data should be able to
confirm or reject scientific evidence. It needs to be objective. Although these criteria cannot
always be reached with retrospective rather than experimental investigations, it should be
empirically obtained, measurable, and repeatable. It's important to remember that science is
the study of physical occurrences and the physical explanations for them.
Ergot: A Toxic Fungus
1. Incidences of witchcraft are found universally among cultures of this time, but none had
the devastating impact that Salem’s had. What other factors may have contributed to the
phenomena at Salem?
  So to speak, all the pieces were in the perfect place. Aside from what may have
been an organic cause for the girls' actions, social status imbalances, villagers'
unrest, harsh environmental conditions, a true belief in the devil and evil, and
perhaps even boredom and a desire to make an impact on the girls' part all played
a role in the events at Salem.
2. In column 2 of your data management sheet, list evidence that the events at Salem
could have been caused by ergot poisoning.

See the table below

Data Management Sheet

Observations from Salem’s Secret: Observations from Ergot: A Toxic Fungus:

staring in a trance wet growing conditions promote fungus growth

making of poison production of poison from fungus
choking sensation insanity
seeing spirits death
pricking or stinging sensation biting
convulsions
tearing and swatting at arms and legs
seizures
grotesque and violent contortions
insomnia
convulsive fits
insatiable appetite
copycat or acted behavior
loss of limbs
young girls affected
tingling and itching
exhaustion/collapse
sensation of hot and cold
bruises
hallucinations
poor nutrition—limited food supply
perceptual disturbances
lack of vitamins
gastrointestinal upset
physically hard lifestyle
toxic effect variable
high rate of disease
poor growing conditions and season may express selected symptoms
crowded living conditions sufferer highly suggestible
affected by nutritional status, age, and gender
community unrest
affects people and animals
superstitious people
toxin is stable