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Question

Difficulty: MediumWeaken

Match each of the following arguments (1-4) with the newly discovered fact that most seriously undermines its reasoning.

  • Following the installation of a new synchronized traffic light system across the city, the number of intersection collisions decreased by 20 percent. Therefore, the synchronized lights directly caused our roads to become safer.During the same timeframe, the city completely closed its five most historically dangerous intersections due to a major infrastructure project.
  • A recent survey of customers at the Greenfield Health Cooperative showed that over 90 percent strongly prefer almond milk to dairy milk. This demonstrates that a vast majority of the city's overall population prefers plant-based milk alternatives.The Greenfield Health Cooperative requires a costly membership fee and explicitly markets itself as a haven for strict vegans.
  • Over the past year, the survival rate for cardiac surgery patients at Mercy Hospital was significantly lower than the survival rate for cardiac surgery patients at County General. Clearly, County General employs more competent surgical staff.Mercy Hospital is the designated regional trauma center, meaning it receives the most severe, life-threatening cardiac cases that other hospitals turn away.
  • The neighboring nation of Corto experienced rapid economic growth immediately after replacing its progressive tax system with a flat tax. Consequently, implementing a flat tax in our nation will similarly stimulate rapid economic expansion.While our nation has a highly diversified industrial economy, Corto's economy relies almost entirely on a single agricultural export.

Answer

Argument 1 (Traffic System) pairs with the intersection closures; Argument 2 (Survey) pairs with the vegan clientele; Argument 3 (Hospitals) pairs with the severe cases; Argument 4 (Tax Policy) pairs with the differing economies.
Each correct match directly exploits the specific logical flaw present in its corresponding argument. The traffic argument is weakened by an alternate cause. The survey argument is weakened by demonstrating sample bias. The hospital comparison is weakened by showing an unequal baseline. The tax policy analogy is weakened by pointing out a fundamental difference between the two entities.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first argument (Traffic System) to find the logical gap.
The argument assumes a causal relationship based on a temporal correlation, ignoring potential alternate causes.
Identifying the specific flaw is required to find evidence that presents an alternate explanation.
2
Match the first argument to the counter-evidence.
The fact that dangerous intersections were closed for construction provides an alternate cause for the drop in collisions.
An alternate cause breaks the assumed causal link.
3
Analyze the second argument (Survey) and find the logical gap.
The argument relies on an unrepresentative sample, generalizing from shoppers at a specific health store to the entire city.
Recognizing a sampling flaw directs the search toward evidence that the sample is biased.
4
Match the second argument to the counter-evidence.
The evidence that the store targets vegans shows the sample is heavily biased.
Evidence of sample bias invalidates generalizations drawn from that sample.
5
Analyze the third argument (Hospitals) and match to counter-evidence.
The argument compares survival rates unfairly. The evidence that Mercy Hospital takes the most severe cases explains the lower survival rate independently of surgeon competence.
Finding an omitted variable (patient severity) destroys the unfair comparison.
6
Analyze the fourth argument (Tax Policy) and match to counter-evidence.
The argument relies on a faulty analogy. The evidence showing their economies are fundamentally different attacks the basis of the analogy.
Highlighting relevant differences between compared entities is the primary way to weaken an analogy.

Key Concept

Evaluating argument structures and identifying the evidence that exposes logical vulnerabilities such as alternate causes, biased samples, unequal comparisons, and faulty analogies.
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Topics

Weaken

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