Examkin

Soru

Zorluk: OrtaWeaken

Agricultural Scientist: In an effort to reduce synthetic pesticide applications, orchard managers introduced a predatory mite species into twenty commercial apple orchards to suppress herbivorous red spider mite populations. Over the subsequent three seasons, red spider mite damage to apple crops in these orchards fell by forty-five percent. Because synthetic pesticide applications remained constant across all twenty orchards throughout this period, the introduction of the predatory mites was clearly the primary cause of the reduction in crop damage.

Statement: If regional meteorological records confirm that unusually heavy rainfall during those three seasons fostered the widespread proliferation of a native fungal pathogen lethal to red spider mites, the agricultural scientist's conclusion is significantly weakened.

Cevap: Cevap

Cevap

True
The conclusion asserts a specific causal relationship: predatory mites caused the reduction in red spider mite damage. Providing evidence that a fungal pathogen flourished during the exact same period and attacked the pest population introduces an alternative cause, which directly weakens the author's causal claim.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the argument's premises and main conclusion
Premise: Predatory mites were introduced; red spider mite damage dropped by 45%; chemical pesticide use remained unchanged. Conclusion: The introduction of predatory mites was the primary cause of the reduction in damage.
Isolating the core causal claim is essential for evaluating any potential weakener.
2
Identify the central assumption underlying the causal inference
The author assumes that no other unmeasured confounding factor or environmental variable caused the reduction in red spider mite populations during the three-year period.
Causal conclusions on the LSAT assume the absence of alternative explanations for the observed correlation or change.
3
Evaluate the impact of the statement on the causal claim
The proliferation of a lethal fungal pathogen during the trial provides a viable competing explanation for the pest decline, weakening the claim that predatory mites were responsible.
Demonstrating an alternate cause directly undermines the validity of the scientist's primary conclusion.

Anahtar Kavram

Identifying Alternative Explanations in Causal Arguments
Tahmini Süre:1m 15s
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Konular

Weaken

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