A university study found that students who study in the library's new Silent Zone score significantly higher on exams than students who study in their own dorm rooms. Based on this correlation, the university administration concludes that the quiet environment of the Silent Zone directly improves students' academic performance. Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the administration's conclusion?
- AMany other universities across the country have recently built similar quiet study areas in their main campus libraries.
- BStudents who choose to study in the Silent Zone were already the highest-achieving students in their respective classes before the zone opened.
- Students who previously studied in their dorms saw a significant increase in their exam scores after they began studying exclusively in the Silent Zone.Cevap
- DThe university administration has a long history of implementing various campus policies designed to improve overall student academic performance.
- ESome students who spend several hours studying in the Silent Zone still occasionally receive failing grades on their exams.
Cevap
The statement demonstrating that students who previously studied in their dorms saw a significant increase in their exam scores after they began studying exclusively in the Silent Zone.
The argument claims a causal relationship: the quiet environment causes higher scores. However, the evidence is merely a correlation. A classic way to strengthen a causal claim on the LSAT is to rule out an alternate cause. The correct answer does exactly this by showing a before-and-after scenario with the same students. If their scores went up only after moving to the Silent Zone, it rules out the alternate explanation that the library simply attracts students who are already smart, thereby heavily supporting the administration's causal conclusion.
Adım Adım Çözüm
Anahtar Kavram
Strengthening Causal Arguments by Ruling Out Alternate Explanations