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Question

Difficulty: MediumStrengthen

Match each logical argument on the left with the piece of evidence on the right that most strongly bolsters its conclusion.

  • A software firm observed a 20% increase in productivity immediately after providing all developers with curved monitors. Management concludes the curved monitors caused the productivity boost.The firm did not change project deadlines, introduce new coding tools, or alter compensation structures during the time the new hardware was introduced.
  • Urban foxes exhibit significantly higher stress hormone levels than rural foxes. Biologists hypothesize that constant exposure to city traffic noise causes this chronic stress.Foxes living in abandoned, quiet industrial zones within the city have stress hormone levels nearly identical to those of rural foxes.
  • A clinical study found that individuals who consume breakfast daily have lower average cholesterol levels than those who skip breakfast. Researchers conclude that eating breakfast actively lowers cholesterol.Participants in the study who ate breakfast daily were found to have similar exercise routines and overall daily fat intake compared to those who skipped breakfast.
  • Traffic officials noted that intersections equipped with red-light cameras experience more rear-end collisions than intersections without them. They conclude the cameras cause these accidents by prompting abrupt braking.Prior to the installation of the cameras, the intersections chosen for the program had significantly fewer rear-end collisions than the intersections left unequipped.

Answer

The arguments logically pair with the evidence that targets their specific causal gaps: the monitor argument pairs with the evidence ruling out other workplace changes; the urban fox argument pairs with the evidence isolating noise from other city factors; the breakfast argument pairs with the evidence controlling for overall lifestyle habits; and the traffic camera argument pairs with the evidence establishing a safer baseline before installation.
Each correct match provides a piece of evidence that directly targets the logical vulnerability of the corresponding argument. They systematically strengthen the causal claims by either eliminating an alternative explanation, establishing a clear chronology to avoid selection bias, or demonstrating that the effect is strictly tied to the presence of the suspected cause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze each argument to identify the premise, the conclusion, and the logical gap.
Identified that all four arguments assume a causal relationship based on a correlation or a chronological sequence.
Understanding the flaw or assumption in an argument is required before you can identify what evidence would strengthen it.
2
Examine the tech firm argument regarding monitors and productivity.
Paired with the evidence stating no other changes occurred at the firm, as it eliminates alternative causes for the productivity spike.
Causal claims based on sequence (post hoc ergo propter hoc) are strengthened when alternate simultaneous causes are ruled out.
3
Examine the biological argument regarding foxes and urban noise.
Paired with the evidence showing quiet urban areas do not produce stressed foxes, which isolates the noise variable.
Showing that the effect disappears when the specific cause is removed (even when other background factors remain) heavily strengthens a causal claim.
4
Examine the health argument regarding breakfast and cholesterol.
Paired with the evidence showing both groups had similar exercise and fat intake routines.
Correlational studies are vulnerable to third-variable problems. Controlling for other lifestyle factors strengthens the specific correlation.
5
Examine the traffic argument regarding cameras and collisions.
Paired with the evidence showing the camera intersections were actually safer before the cameras were installed.
This rules out reverse causation or selection bias (the idea that high-collision rates caused the cameras to be placed there, rather than the cameras causing the collisions).

Key Concept

Strengthening Causal Arguments by Ruling Out Alternatives and Controlling Variables
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Strengthen

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