Logical Reasoning: Weaken the Argument Questions Flashcards

A wildlife conservation group argues that banning trophy hunting will increase animal populations because trophy hunting kills animals. Which most weakens this argument?

Answer: In some regions, trophy hunting fees fund anti-poaching patrols; without those funds, poaching increases and animal populations decline more steeply.

If trophy hunting revenue funds conservation that prevents greater losses to poaching, banning it could result in net population declines.

A public health official argues that mandatory helmet laws for cyclists reduce head injuries, citing that cities that enacted such laws saw a reduction in cyclist head injuries. Which most weakens this argument?

Answer: After helmet laws were enacted, many potential cyclists stopped cycling altogether, so the injury reduction may simply reflect fewer cyclists rather than safer cycling.

If fewer people cycle after the law, injury reduction reflects reduced cycling participation rather than increased safety per cyclist.

An educator argues that students who take music lessons perform better in math because music training builds the same cognitive skills as mathematical reasoning. Which most weakens this argument?

Answer: Families with higher socioeconomic status are more likely to afford music lessons and also provide academic enrichment that boosts math performance independently.

Socioeconomic status is a confound that independently provides both music lessons and math enrichment, so music may not cause the math improvement.

A marketing executive argues that the company's new ad campaign increased sales because sales rose 20% in the quarter the campaign launched. Which most weakens this argument?

Answer: A major competitor went bankrupt at the start of the same quarter, likely driving their customers to the company.

A competitor's bankruptcy is an alternative explanation that could independently cause the sales increase.

A judge argues that defendants represented by private attorneys receive fairer outcomes than those with public defenders because private attorney clients are acquitted more often. Which most weakens this argument?

Answer: Defendants who can afford private attorneys are also more likely to be charged with less serious crimes and have fewer prior convictions, which independently predict acquittal.

Defendant characteristics—not attorney type—may explain the acquittal gap, since wealthier defendants face different charges and histories.

A fitness company claims its protein supplement builds muscle faster because users who took the supplement for eight weeks gained more muscle than before the study. Which most weakens this argument?

Answer: The participants also began a new resistance training program during the eight weeks, which alone could explain the muscle gains.

If participants simultaneously started a training program, the exercise—not the supplement—likely caused the muscle gains.

A criminologist argues that legalizing marijuana in State Y reduced opioid overdose deaths because overdose deaths fell after legalization. Which most weakens this argument?

Answer: Opioid overdose deaths fell at the same rate in neighboring states that did not legalize marijuana, suggesting a national trend rather than a state-specific cause.

If comparable states saw the same decline without legalization, the reduction likely reflects broader national factors, not the state's legalization policy.