Logical Reasoning: Weaken the Argument Questions Flashcards

A city council member argues that building a new highway through the suburbs will reduce downtown traffic congestion because commuters will have a faster route into the city. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?

Answer: Studies show that new roads attract additional drivers, increasing total traffic volume.

The argument assumes the highway will reduce congestion, but if new roads attract additional drivers (induced demand), total traffic volume could increase rather than decrease.

A nutritionist claims that people who eat breakfast daily perform better at work than those who skip breakfast, citing a study of office workers. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: People who eat breakfast may also engage in other healthy habits that improve performance.

This introduces a confounding variable: breakfast eaters may have other healthy habits (better sleep, exercise) that actually cause better performance, making breakfast merely correlative, not causal.

An economist argues that raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment because businesses will hire fewer workers when labor costs rise. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this conclusion?

Answer: Higher wages increase consumer spending, which can create additional jobs.

If higher wages increase consumer spending sufficiently to create new jobs, the net employment effect could be neutral or positive, directly undermining the unemployment prediction.

A school principal argues that eliminating recess will improve student academic performance because students will have more time for instruction. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Research shows that physical activity improves concentration and cognitive function.

If physical activity during recess improves students' ability to concentrate and learn, removing recess could decrease learning efficiency enough to offset any gains from additional instruction time.

A pharmaceutical company argues that its new drug is safe because none of the 200 participants in its clinical trial experienced serious side effects. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Some serious side effects may only manifest after long-term use exceeding the trial duration.

If serious side effects only emerge after long-term use, a short-term trial cannot establish long-term safety, directly undermining the safety claim.

A city planner argues that installing more streetlights in high-crime neighborhoods will reduce crime because criminals prefer to operate in darkness. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Criminals may simply move their activities to adjacent unlit areas rather than stopping.

If criminals merely relocate to darker areas rather than ceasing criminal activity, the overall crime rate is unchanged—the plan reduces local crime but doesn't reduce total crime.

A manager argues that open-plan offices increase productivity because employees can communicate more easily with each other. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Studies show that noise and interruptions in open offices reduce individuals' ability to focus on complex tasks.

If noise and interruptions reduce focus on complex tasks, the communication benefits of open plans may be outweighed by decreased individual productivity, undermining the overall productivity claim.

An environmentalist argues that banning plastic bags will significantly reduce ocean pollution because plastic bags are a major component of ocean debris. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Plastic bags account for less than 1% of ocean plastic by weight, with most coming from fishing nets and industrial waste.

If plastic bags constitute less than 1% of ocean plastic, banning them would have minimal impact on ocean pollution, directly challenging the claim that such a ban would 'significantly reduce' it.

A doctor argues that patients who follow Mediterranean diets have lower rates of heart disease, therefore the diet causes reduced heart disease risk. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: People who follow Mediterranean diets tend to live in regions with warmer climates and more active lifestyles.

Confounding lifestyle factors (active outdoor living, warmer climate reducing stress) may explain lower heart disease rates, meaning the diet itself may not be the causal factor.

A tech executive argues that social media increases political polarization because users are exposed primarily to content that confirms their existing views. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Research shows that political polarization has been rising since decades before social media existed.

If polarization was already increasing before social media existed, social media may not be the cause—correlation does not establish causation, especially when the trend predates the proposed cause.

A wildlife biologist argues that reintroducing wolves to a national park will reduce deer overpopulation and restore ecological balance. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: The park's terrain may not provide sufficient prey density to sustain a wolf population, causing wolves to leave or starve.

If the park cannot sustain a wolf population, the wolves will not remain to control deer numbers, making the proposed solution unworkable and the conclusion unsound.

A politician argues that stricter gun control laws will reduce gun violence because countries with stricter laws have lower rates of gun violence. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Those countries also differ from this country in poverty rates, cultural attitudes, and law enforcement practices.

The comparison fails to account for numerous confounding differences between countries, meaning gun laws alone cannot explain the different violence rates.

A college administrator argues that offering more merit scholarships will increase the academic quality of incoming students because high-achieving students will choose this college over competitors. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Competing colleges are simultaneously expanding their own merit scholarship programs.

If all competing schools expand merit scholarships simultaneously, this college gains no competitive advantage and will not attract students it would not have otherwise.

A public health official argues that mandatory vaccination programs reduce disease outbreaks because high vaccination rates create herd immunity. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: The diseases targeted by the program have low transmission rates, meaning herd immunity thresholds may never be breached anyway.

If the diseases have low transmission rates and outbreaks are unlikely regardless of vaccination policy, the mandatory program may not be necessary to prevent outbreaks, weakening the causal claim.

A fitness trainer argues that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is more effective for weight loss than steady-state cardio because HIIT burns more calories per minute. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: People who do HIIT tend to eat more after workouts, potentially negating the caloric advantage.

If increased appetite following HIIT causes greater caloric intake, the net caloric deficit from HIIT may be no better than or worse than steady-state cardio, undermining the weight loss advantage claim.

A journalist argues that violent video games cause aggressive behavior in teenagers because teens who play violent games exhibit more aggressive behavior than those who do not. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Teenagers who are already predisposed to aggression may be more drawn to violent games, rather than the games causing aggression.

Reverse causation: pre-existing aggression may select for violent game preference, rather than game-playing producing aggression, breaking the proposed causal direction.

A mayor argues that installing surveillance cameras throughout the city will deter crime because criminals will know they are being watched. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Studies of cities that installed cameras show no statistically significant reduction in crime rates.

Empirical evidence showing no significant crime reduction in cities that installed cameras directly undermines the deterrence claim, showing the theoretical mechanism doesn't produce the predicted outcome.

A software engineer argues that switching to agile development methodology will reduce project delays because agile allows teams to identify problems early and adjust quickly. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Many teams that switch to agile lack the training and cultural adjustment needed to implement it effectively, leading to greater confusion.

If teams lack proper training for agile implementation, the transition itself may introduce new inefficiencies and delays that exceed the benefits, undermining the conclusion.

An economist argues that foreign aid to developing countries reduces poverty because recipient countries show economic improvement following aid disbursements. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Countries that receive aid also frequently receive concurrent trade deals, debt relief, and private investment that could independently drive economic improvement.

Concurrent factors (trade deals, debt relief, private investment) could independently explain economic improvement, meaning aid's causal role cannot be established from the correlation alone.

A school board argues that extending the school year to 200 days will improve student test scores because students in countries with longer school years consistently outperform students in countries with shorter school years. Which of the following most weakens this argument?

Answer: Countries with longer school years also tend to invest more per student, employ better-trained teachers, and have lower childhood poverty rates.

Confounding variables (investment, teacher quality, poverty rates) provide alternative explanations for superior performance, meaning the number of school days alone cannot be credited.