Logical Reasoning

PT143 · S1 · Q25 The availability of television reduces

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The availability of television reduces the amount of reading children do.

Conclusion

The availability of TV reduces the amount of reading that kids do.

Evidence

When TV is unavailable, reading goes up among parents and children. When TV comes back, reading goes back down for both parents and children.

Evaluate

This conclusion is Causal (reduces). X's presence reduces Y's presence

There are two premises, and they play off the idea of Covariation. when X is absent, the level of Y goes up when X returns, the level of Y goes back down

Goal

Let's look for a causal conclusion, and then two premises that say .

25.

The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the reasoning above?

  1. Correct

    Whenever the money supply in

    Why this is right

    The conclusion is a causal claim: constant money supply leads to stable interest rates We want to see two covariation premises, and we do: when constant money supply is absent (i.e. when money supply fluctuates), stable interest rates is absent (i.e. interest rates fluctuate) when constant money returns (i.e. supply remains constant), the stable interest rate effect returns.

    Skill tested: Parallel · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    54% picked this

  2. The consumption of candy between

    Bad Premise Match

    This conclusion gives us a causal connection: eating candy causes mealtime appetite to be disrupted We would now want to see two premises that do a little "no cause, no effect / cause returns, effect returns". The first premise should sound like when candy is not consumed between meals, the appetite isn't disrupted But that's not what the first premise says. And the second one should say, "when candy is again consumed", and the second premise has nothing to do with that.

    13% picked this

  3. Global warming is caused by

    Bad Premise Match

    This conclusion gives us a causal connection: industrial pollution causes global warming We would now want to see two premises that do a little "no cause, no effect / cause returns, effect returns". The first premise should sound like when industrial pollution is not present, global warming subsides. But that's not what the first premise says. And the second one should say, "when industrial pollution comes back, global warming starts up again", and the second premise doesn't say that.

    3% picked this

  4. Voting behavior is affected by

    Bad Conclusion Match

    This conclusion doesn't give us a specific causal connection: factors other than record of achievements affects voting behavior How are we going to do covariation with this? when factors other than record of achievements are not present, voting behavior is not present? That sounds like nonsense, so this doesn't even get off the ground.

    9% picked this

  5. Adults read less than they

    Trap

    Bad Premise Match Topic Trap: also about reading This conclusion gives us a causal connection: other activities cause adults to read less This is feeling very nonspecific, like (D). Our covariation premises would sound like when other activities are absent, adults read more and when these other activities return, adults read less again Instead, we get when we do more of these activities, they read less and the less they read, the more they do these other activities Our original argument has when cause is absent, effect is absent when cause returns, effect returns This answer is saying when we do more of cause, we get more of effect when we do more of effect, we get more of cause

    22% picked this

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