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Difficulty: EasyAssumptions in Causal Arguments

In a recent study of elementary school students, researchers found that children who play a musical instrument score significantly higher on math tests than children who do not. Based on this finding, the researchers concluded that learning to play a musical instrument improves a child's mathematical ability.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the researchers' argument?

  1. A
    All children who learn to play a musical instrument will experience an improvement in their mathematical ability.
  2. B
    Parents who encourage their children to play musical instruments also tend to spend more time helping them with math homework.
  3. C
    Learning to read musical notation activates the same areas of the brain as solving mathematical equations.
  4. Children who possess high mathematical ability are not simply more likely to choose to play a musical instrument than children who do not.Answer
  5. E
    The children in the study who did not play a musical instrument participated in other after-school activities.

Answer

The argument requires the assumption that children who possess high mathematical ability are not simply more likely to choose to play a musical instrument than children who do not.
The argument assumes a causal relationship (playing an instrument leads to better math scores) based solely on a correlation between the two. For this specific causal claim to be valid, the author must implicitly assume that the causal relationship does not run in the opposite direction. If it were true that children who already have high math ability are simply more drawn to playing musical instruments, it would fully explain the correlation without the instrument actually improving their math skills. Therefore, the argument logically requires the assumption that this reverse causation is not occurring.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the argument's core premise and conclusion.
Premise: There is a correlation between playing a musical instrument and scoring higher on math tests. Conclusion: Learning to play an instrument causes an improvement in mathematical ability.
Deconstructing the argument is the first step in evaluating its logical gaps.
2
Analyze the logical gap in the reasoning.
The argument takes a mere correlation and concludes a specific causal direction (Instrument -> Math Ability), failing to account for alternative explanations.
Causal conclusions based on correlations are inherently flawed because they fail to account for reverse causation or third-variable causes.
3
Determine what the author must assume for the argument to be logically sound.
The author must assume that the correlation is not caused by the reverse relationship (Math Ability -> Instrument) or by an outside factor.
If reverse causation were true, the conclusion would fall apart. Therefore, its absence is a logically necessary assumption for the argument.

Key Concept

Ruling out reverse causation in causal arguments
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Topics

Assumptions in Causal Arguments

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