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Question

Difficulty: EasyStrengthen

Match each short argument on the left with the additional premise on the right that most effectively strengthens its conclusion.

  • A local bakery began using organic stone-ground flour and saw a 30% rise in pastry sales over two months, concluding that customers prefer the flavor of stone-ground flour.No changes were made to the bakery's pricing, marketing campaigns, or opening hours during the two-month period.
  • A community center introduced fifteen-minute morning stretching sessions and recorded improved punctuality among attendees, concluding that stretching directly motivates people to arrive on time.Transit schedules, parking availability, and road construction around the community center remained identical throughout the observation period.
  • A veterinary clinic began playing soft instrumental music in its lobby and reported fewer behavioral signs of anxiety in pets, concluding that the music pacified the animals.Pet anxiety indicators consistently dropped only during periods when the music was active compared to silent lobby periods under identical staffing.

Answer

Match the bakery argument with the premise ruling out pricing and marketing changes; match the community center argument with the premise ruling out transit and parking changes; and match the veterinary clinic argument with the premise establishing reduced anxiety specifically during active music playback.
Each correct pair matches an inductive causal conclusion with a supplementary fact that either eliminates alternative explanations (such as pricing/marketing for the bakery, or transit conditions for the community center) or demonstrates that the effect occurs when the cause is present and does not occur when the cause is absent (for the veterinary clinic).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the causal conclusion and unstated assumptions in each left-hand argument.
Each argument concludes that a specific intervention caused an observed improvement, assuming no unmentioned confounding variables or alternative explanations accounted for the change.
Strengthening a causal argument typically requires eliminating plausible alternative causes or demonstrating that the effect correlates directly with the presence of the cause.
2
Evaluate the right-hand options for evidence that controls for confounding variables or establishes covariation.
The statement holding bakery prices and advertising constant eliminates rival explanations for sales; the statement holding transit and parking constant eliminates rival explanations for punctuality; and the statement comparing music to silence shows direct covariation of cause and effect.
Matching each premise to its corresponding context links each specific gap to its appropriate validation.
3
Form the correct pairs based on matching each argumentative gap to its resolving evidence.
All three arguments are paired with statements that specifically support their respective causal conclusions.
Confirming each pair ensures precise alignment without cross-matching contexts.

Key Concept

Strengthening Causal Arguments by Ruling Out Confounding Variables and Demonstrating Covariation
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Strengthen

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