Interpreting Evidence and Data Questions and Answers Flashcards
6 cards from real Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
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A line graph shows that a city's annual rainfall decreased steadily from 800mm to 550mm over 20 years. Which interpretation is most appropriate?
Answer: The data shows a sustained downward trend in annual rainfall over the 20-year period.
A steady downward trend in the graph is a factual observation about what the data shows — predictions, causal claims, and policy prescriptions require additional evidence.
A pie chart shows that 45% of a company's revenue comes from Product A, 30% from Product B, and 25% from other products. Marketing argues that Product A should receive the most investment. Which is the best interpretation of this data for decision-making?
Answer: The revenue distribution shows Product A's current dominance, but investment decisions should also consider growth potential, profit margins, and market saturation.
Current revenue share shows what is performing now, but investment decisions also require growth potential, margins, competitive dynamics, and strategic direction — data provides one input, not the full answer.
A study of 200 university students finds that those who participate in extracurricular activities report higher life satisfaction scores. A dean concludes that all students should be required to join extracurricular activities. Which interpretation challenge is most important?
Answer: Students satisfied with life may self-select into extracurriculars, so the causation may be reversed.
Satisfied students may be more likely to engage with activities; the causal arrow could point from satisfaction to participation, not from participation to satisfaction.
National test score data shows that students in private schools score 20% higher on average than students in public schools. Which interpretation is best supported by this data alone?
Answer: Private school students score higher on average, which may reflect school quality, socioeconomic factors, or student selection.
The score gap is a factual observation; explaining it requires considering socioeconomic background, parental education, peer effects, and selection — not just school type.
A study reports that countries with higher social media use have higher rates of anxiety disorders. A researcher concludes that social media causes anxiety. What is the most important limitation of this conclusion?
Answer: Country-level correlation cannot establish individual-level causation, and anxious individuals may use social media more (reverse causation).
Ecological correlations (country-level) cannot be directly applied to individual behavior, and the possibility that anxious people use more social media as coping behavior (reverse causation) undermines the causal claim.
Quarterly earnings data shows Company Z's revenue grew 8% in Q1, declined 3% in Q2, grew 5% in Q3, and declined 2% in Q4, for a net annual growth of about 8%. An analyst concludes the company had a strong year. Is this interpretation supported?
Answer: Partially — 8% net growth is positive, but the within-year volatility suggests instability that warrants further investigation.
Net annual growth is a positive signal, but alternating growth and decline quarters suggest revenue instability that a simple annual figure masks — a fuller picture requires understanding the volatility.