Scenario: A metropolitan library network installed automated self-checkout kiosks across all branches to reduce patron wait times at staffed service desks. Within one year, over 70 percent of standard book checkouts shifted to the automated kiosks; however, the average wait time for patrons queuing at the staffed service desks increased by 40 percent.
Statement: The proposition that routine checkouts previously lowered average desk transaction durations, whereas the remaining desk interactions now almost exclusively comprise complex archival and account inquiries requiring extensive staff attention, successfully resolves the apparent discrepancy.
Answer: Answer
Answer
True. The auxiliary proposition successfully reconciles the paradox by demonstrating a selection effect that altered the average transaction duration at staffed desks.
The statement accurately identifies that shifting routine transactions to kiosks produced a compositional change at the staffed desks. By leaving only complex, time-consuming inquiries for staff to resolve, the average service time per patron rose, causing average queue times to increase even though overall desk foot traffic declined.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Resolution of an apparent statistical paradox via selection bias and compositional shift in transaction duration.
Estimated Time:1m 15s