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Question

Difficulty: MediumLogical Arguments and Causal Relationships

An urban planning committee evaluated a 15% reduction in commercial building energy consumption across District Y following two concurrent initiatives: mandatory installation of smart thermostats in all commercial office buildings and a municipal public awareness campaign promoting voluntary off-peak energy conservation. The committee concluded that the voluntary awareness campaign was the primary driver of the reduction, reasoning that energy usage dropped most significantly during peak business hours when office workers were present in the buildings. Which of the following choices correctly pairs a statement that would MOST STRENGTHEN the committee's conclusion with a statement that would MOST WEAKEN it?

  1. Strengthen: A post-initiative survey showed that 80% of office workers in District Y manually adjusted thermostat settings during peak hours specifically due to campaign prompts. | Weaken: Smart thermostats installed under the mandatory program contained pre-programmed automated algorithms that reduced cooling draw during peak business hours regardless of occupant settings.Answer
  2. B
    Strengthen: Smart thermostats installed under the mandatory program contained pre-programmed automated algorithms that reduced cooling draw during peak business hours regardless of occupant settings. | Weaken: A post-initiative survey showed that 80% of office workers in District Y manually adjusted thermostat settings during peak hours specifically due to campaign prompts.
  3. C
    Strengthen: Electricity rates in District Y were raised by 30% during peak business hours at the exact start of the initiative. | Weaken: Neighboring District Z, which implemented only the mandatory smart thermostat policy without any public campaign, observed an identical 15% peak-hour energy reduction.
  4. D
    Strengthen: District Y commercial building energy consumption had been steadily declining by 5% annually for the preceding five years. | Weaken: The public awareness campaign relied primarily on digital advertisements displayed on public transportation vehicles.
  5. E
    Strengthen: Commercial office buildings where managers explicitly opted out of displaying campaign materials experienced the largest percentage drop in energy consumption. | Weaken: Most office buildings in District Y replaced older single-pane windows with insulated double-pane windows during the same period.

Answer

Strengthen: A post-initiative survey showed that 80% of office workers in District Y manually adjusted thermostat settings during peak hours specifically due to campaign prompts. | Weaken: Smart thermostats installed under the mandatory program contained pre-programmed automated algorithms that reduced cooling draw during peak business hours regardless of occupant settings.
The correct combination correctly matches the logical requirements for both roles. The strengthening statement provides direct empirical proof that office workers modified their behavior due to the campaign, confirming the proposed cause. The weakening statement establishes an alternative explanation—that default smart thermostat algorithms automatically reduced power usage—showing the energy drop would have occurred even without worker action under the voluntary campaign.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the committee's causal conclusion and supporting evidence.
Conclusion: Voluntary awareness campaign -> 15% energy reduction. Premise: Energy dropped during peak hours when workers were present.
To evaluate causal arguments, we must isolate the claimed cause (voluntary campaign) from concurrent potential causes (smart thermostat mandate).
2
Identify a statement that strengthens the causal link.
Evidence demonstrating that workers actively changed thermostat behavior in response to the campaign directly strengthens the claimed cause.
Direct empirical evidence linking the cause to the effect confirms the causal mechanism.
3
Identify a statement that weakens the causal link.
Evidence showing that the mandatory smart thermostats automatically lowered energy consumption during peak hours regardless of human action weakens the conclusion.
Providing an alternative explanation (automation) accounts for the observed outcome without requiring the voluntary campaign.

Key Concept

Evaluating Causal Claims and Alternative Explanations in Two-Part Arguments
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Logical Arguments and Causal Relationships

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