Over the last 20 years, psychologists have studied the effect of telev

Over the last 20 years, psychologists have studied the effect of television viewing on the subsequent levels of violent behavior by young adults. The researchers studied children between the ages of 10 and 15 and found that those children who viewed an average of 6 hours or more of television daily were over four times as likely to be arrested for violent crimes when they were young adults than those young adults who as children watched less than 2 hours of television daily. Therefore, researchers concluded that television viewing causes increased levels of violent activity in young adults.

Which of the following would indicate a flaw in the researcher’s conclusion?


(A) The researchers did not establish that those who watched more than six hours of television were watching shows that featured violence.

(B) The researchers did not establish that those who watched more violent shows were even more likely to be arrested than those who watched less violent shows.

(C) The researchers did not establish that some other reason, such as parental style, was not a factor for both the differences in television viewing and later arrest levels between the two groups.

(D) The researchers did not carry out their study long enough to determine if television viewing influences arrest records for those over the age of 40.

(E) The researchers did not establish that those who were arrested for violent crimes had actually caused serious injury to other people.