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Difficulty: EasyStrengthen

An archival library installed ultraviolet-filtering window film in its main exhibition gallery to safeguard historical manuscripts displayed in open showcases. Curators observed that over the six months following the installation, the rate of ink fading on the exhibited manuscripts slowed considerably compared to prior records. The curators concluded that the installation of the ultraviolet-filtering film was the direct cause of the decreased ink fading. Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the curators' argument?

  1. A
    The library curators recently enacted a rule requiring visitors to view manuscripts under indirect ambient illumination rather than turning on localized desk lamps.
  2. B
    At the same time the window film was applied, the gallery replaced its interior overhead lighting with bulbs that emit far less ultraviolet radiation than the previous bulbs.
  3. Similar historical manuscripts displayed in an identical adjacent gallery that received the same amount of sunlight, but had no protective window film installed, showed no reduction in ink fading over the same six-month period.Answer
  4. D
    Ultraviolet-filtering window treatments are invariably the most economical preservation method available to all historical archives and research institutions.
  5. E
    The rate of ink fading was assessed through qualitative evaluations made by senior staff rather than through calibrated electronic optical sensors.

Answer

The argument is most strengthened by the finding that identical manuscripts in an adjacent gallery without the protective film experienced no reduction in ink fading during the same period.
The curators conclude that the ultraviolet-filtering film caused the reduction in manuscript ink fading. Providing evidence from a control scenario—where identical manuscripts in a room with identical sunlight exposure but no film did not see any reduction in fading—rules out external confounding factors such as seasonal light shifts, thereby strongly supporting the curators' causal conclusion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the premises and conclusion in the stimulus
Premise: Ultraviolet-filtering window film was installed in an exhibition gallery, after which ink fading on displayed manuscripts decreased noticeably. Conclusion: The window film was directly responsible for the reduction in ink fading.
Understanding the precise causal claim is essential for determining what evidence would make that claim more likely to be true.
2
Analyze the underlying logical gap
The argument assumes that the reduction in ink fading was caused by the window film rather than by seasonal changes in sunlight, changes in interior lighting, or other environmental shifts.
Strengthening a causal conclusion typically requires ruling out confounding factors or demonstrating a consistent correlation where the cause is absent.
3
Evaluate the answer choices to identify the statement that validates the causal mechanism
Providing a control group—showing that similar manuscripts under the same sunlight conditions without the film did not experience reduced fading—rules out general seasonal or sunlight variations.
Demonstrating that the effect does not occur in the absence of the cause (control condition) directly bolsters the causal inference.

Key Concept

Strengthening Causal Arguments via Control Comparisons
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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