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Zorluk: OrtaWeakening Arguments

To address declining attendance, the city history museum recently eliminated its admission fee, expecting the policy to attract first-time visitors. Six months after the policy took effect, total monthly attendance figures were identical to those recorded during the same period in the previous year. Museum administrators concluded that free admission failed to attract first-time visitors because local residents simply lack interest in regional history.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the administrators' conclusion?

  1. During the six-month period following the policy change, major road construction rendered the museum's primary parking area inaccessible, causing a sharp drop in visits by regular patrons.Cevap
  2. B
    A public opinion survey conducted prior to the fee elimination showed that most non-visitors cited a lack of interest in historical exhibits as their main reason for not attending.
  3. C
    Nearby private art galleries that maintained their standard entry fees experienced a slight increase in total attendance over the same six-month period.
  4. D
    The museum's operating expenses increased significantly due to lost revenue from ticket sales and the additional security staff required for daily operations.
  5. E
    Although several city council members initially voiced skepticism about removing entry fees, the museum board unanimously approved the initiative.

Cevap

The statement regarding road construction rendering the parking area inaccessible weakens the conclusion by demonstrating that total attendance could remain flat even if first-time visitor numbers increased.
The conclusion relies on equating flat total attendance with a failure to attract first-time visitors. The correct option demonstrates that regular patron attendance dropped significantly due to parking accessibility issues. Consequently, total attendance could remain unchanged even if a substantial number of first-time visitors responded to the free admission offer, thereby exposing a flaw in the administrators' reasoning.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the argument's premises and conclusion
Premise: Total attendance remained identical before and after eliminating entry fees. Conclusion: Free admission failed to attract first-time visitors because local residents lack interest.
Understanding the logic gap requires clearly isolating what evidence was used to justify the conclusion.
2
Identify the unstated assumption
The argument assumes that no other factor reduced attendance among existing regular visitors during the same six-month period.
If regular attendance dropped simultaneously, total attendance numbers could mask a rise in first-time visitors.
3
Evaluate the correct weakening option
The option noting that road construction disrupted parking and caused a sharp drop in regular patrons shows that first-time visitor numbers could have increased while total attendance stayed constant.
Demonstrating an offsetting decline in another segment of visitors breaks the link between static overall attendance and the supposed failure to attract new visitors.

Anahtar Kavram

Evaluating alternative causes and offsetting variables in causal argument evaluation
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Konular

Weakening Arguments

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