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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
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Choice B makes sense as the weakening the interpretation of the result from the experiment above. Due to the overcrowding among the workers, 100 workers cannot take the tasks productively in the room that have standard space limit to 65 persons.
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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
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Hi tuanquang269

But the author of the argument calls researcher's work into question, i.e. brightly colored room was not the cause for increased productivity but the researchers work. since the workers were aware of "effect of color" research- workers who worked in drab room too increased their productivity. please correct me if my reasoning is wrong.
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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
prakash111687 wrote:
Hi tuanquang269

But the author of the argument calls researcher's work into question, i.e. brightly colored room was not the cause for increased productivity but the researchers work. since the workers were aware of "effect of color" research- workers who worked in drab room too increased their productivity. please correct me if my reasoning is wrong.


The conclusion of the argument:
Both two groups of workers increased their productivity (A) because (B) the interest of each group in color
(B) => (A)

My reasoning means two both groups are not affected by color but by the wider space (C) they worked in. Therefore, (C) => (A).

The factor (B) is wrong. So, what happens with the researchers? Their interpretation (The workers were aware of "effects of color" as you mentioned) did not work.
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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
B it is. I was confused between author and researcher in the beginning!

researcher => Both bright and 50 who remained increased productivity
author => Increased productivity is because of researchers interest.

Weaken author => It is not because of researchers interest but by something else or, researcher interest is faulty.

B => only 65 capacity (initially 100 were there so they were not productive) now only 50 => enough to work hence increased productivity.
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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
The conclusion of the argument:
Both two groups of workers increased their productivity (A) because (B) the interest of each group in color
(B) => (A)
Is this mentioned ? I am not able to interpret the conclusion in this way . Please explain The argument mention this interest is taken by researchers. This does not mean the INTEREST OF RESEARCHERS. Remember it!!

My reasoning means two both groups are not affected by color but by the wider space (C) they worked in. Therefore, (C) => (A).
But as per the option , only the The drab workroom was designed for morespace, not the brighly coloured workroom
Yes, you are right. This answer did not mention the brightly colored workroom. However, if we just weaken the reasoning that one room is affected by color (the group in drab workroom), we attack the argument's reasoning. That's enough. How can you reason one of group is affected by color to increase its productivity => Conclude: Both two groups increase their productivity by the color.

The factor (B) is wrong. So, what happens with the researchers? Their interpretation (The workers were aware of "effects of color" as you mentioned) did not work.
As per thr stimulus , did the researchers interpret that the workers were aware of the effects of color ? Please explain a bit more
Yes, the researchers did. However, "the workers were aware of the effects of color" is mentioned by "prakash111687".
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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
Below I describe my analysis:

Structure
P1: study of the effect of color on productivity: 50 of 100 factory workers were moved from their drab workroom to brightly colored workroom.
P2: Both these workers and the 50 who remained in the drab workroom increased their productivity.
Conc: The interest taken by the researchers in the work of both groups probably cause increase of productivity of both groups.

Argument analysis
This is a causal argument. The question stem is asking for a way to weaken the causal conclusion.
1st: Falsify conclusion: What if there was another reason why workers in both groups increased productivity??
2nd: The answer to the previous question will shatter/weaken the conclusion. So, the correct answer choice would be any peace of evidence that talks about another factor that make workers increase productivity. For example: Drab room was small for 100 workers and this condition affected workers' performance.

Answer choice analysis
A) The 50 workers moved to the brightly colored room performed precisely the same manufacturing task as the workers who remained in the drab workroom. Opposite. This choice strengthens the conclusion in some way. It is telling us that increase of productivity was not because workers were given easier tasks. They performed same level of tasks. So conclusion holds true.

B) The drab workroom was designed to provide adequate space for at most 65 workers. Correct.
This choice provides an alternative reason why both groups of workers perform more productively. This choice suggests that since the drab workroom was overcrowded (max capacity of 65 < 100 actual number of workers), this condition affected workers' productivity. Once they were relieved, workers' productivity increased. So this choice is the weakener.


C) The 50 workers who moved to the brightly colored workroom were matched as closely as possible in age and level of training to the 50 workeres who remained in the drab workroom. Irrelevant
I think that if both groups were balance or not in skills and ages, the argument tells us that both groups increased productivity.


D) Nearly all the workers in both groups as volunteered to move to the brightly colored workroom. Irrelevant.

E) Many of the workers who moved to the brightly colored workroom as well as or better than they liked the brightly colored workroom. Irrelevant. (although I think this option has grammar typos)
The level of performance of a subset of the group of workers who moved to the colored room is not in discussion. Even if they performed better than the others, all workers increased productivity.
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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
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Re: In a study of the effect of color on productivity, 50 of 100 factory [#permalink]
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