A regional logistics firm installed real-time thermal monitoring sensors on its refrigerated delivery fleet to reduce perishable food spoilage during long-distance transport. During a six-month trial, fleet vehicles equipped with these sensors experienced a 35 percent reduction in cargo spoilage compared to unequipped vehicles operating on identical routes. The operations manager concluded that real-time temperature alerts directly prevented spoilage by enabling drivers to adjust cooling settings immediately upon detecting system malfunctions.
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the operations manager's conclusion?
- Vehicles equipped with the thermal sensors experienced mechanical refrigeration failures at the exact same rate as unequipped vehicles during the trial period.Cevap
- BDrivers operating vehicles with thermal sensors reported that alert notifications were frequently delayed until after cargo temperatures exceeded safe thresholds.
- CFood spoilage rates across the regional transport industry decreased overall during the trial period due to unseasonably cool ambient weather.
- DInstalling thermal sensors on long-distance delivery fleets is the most cost-effective capital investment available to logistics providers.
- ECompetitor logistics firms that adopt real-time monitoring technology are projected to increase overall customer satisfaction ratings over the next two years.
Cevap
The statement showing that sensor-equipped vehicles experienced mechanical refrigeration failures at the exact same rate as unequipped vehicles.
The conclusion asserts a direct causal link: real-time thermal alerts caused a reduction in spoilage by allowing drivers to intervene. A classic way to strengthen a causal claim is to rule out alternative explanations. If sensor-equipped trucks suffered mechanical refrigeration failures at the exact same rate as unequipped trucks, the lower spoilage in the sensor group cannot be attributed to fewer baseline mechanical breakdowns. Eliminating this confounder significantly reinforces the manager's conclusion.
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Anahtar Kavram
Ruling Out Alternative Causes in Causal Arguments
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