According to a school survey conducted last month, the number of stude

Question

According to a school survey conducted last month, the number of students who regularly attend religious services on campus has increased fifty percent from the figure ten years ago. It must be this increased religiosity at our college that has led to a recent, massive reduction of incidences of cheating on exams.

Which of the following, if true, most significantly weakens the inference above?

Which of the following, if true, most significantly weakens the inference above?

(A) Most of the students who now attend campus services do so only for social reasons. 
(B) Campus chaplains have time and again spoken about the importance of academic honesty. 
(C) Fifteen years ago, the college switched from an honor system to faculty-proctored exams. 
(D) Only freshmen and sophomores responded to the survey. 
(E) Cheating was never a major problem at this school.

globaldesi · Answer

the two options that were closer were A and C

(A) Most of the students who now attend campus services do so only for social reasons.<Removes casual reasoning between two events>
(C) Fifteen years ago, the college switched from an honor system to faculty-proctored exams.<Explains .. Its not students honesty> However its time frame is 15 years. so it is out.
A is the answer

Ashisharora165 · Answer

Can you explain how A is right answer.
My reasoning is either number of incidents of cheating reduced due to some other reason or the incidents are not reduced, its the reporting of such incidents is reduced.

By the above stated reasoning B shall be right choice as it gives an alternating reasoning for reduction in incidents.

Posted from my mobile device

Ashisharora165 · Answer

Can you explain how A is right answer.
My reasoning is either number of incidents of cheating reduced due to some other reason or the incidents are not reduced, its the reporting of such incidents is reduced.

By the above stated reasoning B shall be right choice as it gives an alternating reasoning for reduction in incidents.

Posted from my mobile device

AkshdeepS · Answer

Not a great question for practice, I believe:

A is good only because all the other answer choices are totally incorrect. But for A to be correct we have to assume that the students surveyed last month are the same for this month too. But last month may the last year of that school session, and this month all the students are new. In this case, we can not say anything that choice A suggests.

(A) Most of the students who now attend campus services do so only for social reasons. 
  
(B) Campus chaplains have time and again spoken about the importance of academic honesty.

Strengthener : This shows religiosity leads to honesty, and honesty leads to non-cheating behaviour. 
 
(C) Fifteen years ago, the college switched from an honor system to faculty-proctored exams.

Out of scope: Sample is too old to consider.

(D) Only freshmen and sophomores responded to the survey.

Little bit out of scope. But it can be a strengthener as but fresh and old student were taken as sample, and there are chances that both had religious influence.
 
(E) Cheating was never a major problem at this school.

We are not concerned how major the problem was.

vanam52923 · Answer

Conclusion says :
incresed religiosity must be the reason for less chaeting.
To weaken: we have to prove it is not increased religiosity but something else that led to less cheating

A)Students attend services for social reasons so not for religious reasosn so if no religious reasons are there so no increased religiosity so how can it account for less cheating so something else must be causing less chaeting so A is correct

B)Assume b is correct then
it shows religiosity has helped in reduction of cheating so it strengthens the argument but we have to weaken tht

C)College swithced 15 yrs ago but premise says cheating reduced recently so this cannot be reason for less cheating

greenisthecolor · Answer

In option A, does "campus services" means "religious services on campus"? I though option A is almost correct but is ultimately wrong because "campus services" could refer to all the campus services, including religious services. But then, every other option seems wrong as well.

greenisthecolor · Answer

In option A, does "campus services" means "religious services on campus"? I though option A is almost correct but is ultimately wrong because "campus services" could refer to all the campus services, including religious services. But then, every other option seems wrong as well.

VerbalBot · Answer

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