In a suburban community in the Southeast, neighborhood security guards

Question

In a suburban community in the Southeast, neighborhood security guards have their residents’ permission to call local police if anyone is observed entering the home of a resident who is out of town. When residents leave town, they report their departure and return dates to the neighborhood security office. If guards observe someone entering the home of a resident who is out of town, they will immediately call the police. The residential burglary rate for that community has decreased since the implementation of this reporting procedure.

If it is true that the burglary rate has decreased in this community since the reporting procedure was implemented, then which of the following would be most important to know to make sure the conclusion is valid?

(A) Are residents who report their travel plans to the security office also taking other precautions to protect their homes while they are away?

(B) How many other communities utilize this reporting procedure with their neighborhood security offices?

(C) Will residents be harassed by security guards or the police if they return home early from their travels?

(D) Is this community similar to other guarded suburban communities in the Southeast?

(E) Are homes in this community sometimes burglarized even when residents are in town?

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aryanrgupta · Answer

To determine whether the conclusion about the decrease in the burglary rate is valid, we need to ensure that the reporting procedure (where residents report their travel plans to security guards) is the primary cause of the decrease. The correct answer should focus on whether there are other factors that might have contributed to the reduction in burglary rates.

Let's analyze the options:

(A) Are residents who report their travel plans to the security office also taking other precautions to protect their homes while they are away? 
 
 If residents who report their travel plans are also taking other precautions (such as installing security systems or asking neighbors to watch their homes), then the reduction in burglaries may not be solely due to the reporting procedure. This would be critical information to assess the conclusion's validity, as it challenges whether the reporting procedure alone is responsible for the decrease.  
 (B) How many other communities utilize this reporting procedure with their neighborhood security offices? 
 
 Knowing how many other communities use the same procedure does not affect the validity of the conclusion that the burglary rate decreased in this particular community due to the reporting procedure.  
 (C) Will residents be harassed by security guards or the police if they return home early from their travels? 
 
 The potential harassment of residents who return early does not impact whether the reporting procedure led to a decrease in burglaries. It is more of a side effect and does not affect the conclusion's validity regarding burglary rates.  
 (D) Is this community similar to other guarded suburban communities in the Southeast? 
 
 The similarity of this community to others does not affect the conclusion that the burglary rate in this specific community decreased due to the reporting procedure.  
 (E) Are homes in this community sometimes burglarized even when residents are in town? 
 
 If homes are still burglarized when residents are in town, it might suggest that the reporting procedure only addresses a portion of the problem (burglaries when residents are away). However, it does not directly challenge the conclusion that the reporting procedure reduced burglaries when residents were out of town.  
 The answer is A.

ribbons · Answer

Simple pre-thinking to avoid mulling over each answer choice

Premise: If house is empty and someone enters that house, the guards will call the police
Conclusion: Bc guards can call the police, the rate of burglary is lower

Assumption: Reporting makes the community safer

Question asks how to check if the conclusion is valid
*The first thing we learn in gmat is correlation=/ causation, maybe we have fewer burglaries bc other measures in place or maybe bc overall burglaries have decreased bv of some other citywide initiative

Now check options

Bunuel · Answer

Official Explanation

This passage is an example of an argument that generalizes from the purported success the reporting program has had in reducing burglary rates. In order for the conclusion to be valid, it must be based upon all other things being the same. If some other factor is instrumental in reducing the burglary rate, then concluding that the reporting program is responsible for the reduced crime rate would be weakened. Look at selection (A). If people who travel take additional precautions, for instance, if they installed motion detector lights on the outside of their homes, then perhaps increased lighting is responsible for lowering the burglary rate rather than the new travel reporting procedure.

The other selections are irrelevant to determining what caused the lower burglary rate in the community under study. What happens in other communities doesn’t impact results in the subject community. Selection (C) is a tempting choice because the answer might suggest that the security guards and police are observant and taking action as a result of the reporting procedure. But (C) does not suggest a reason that might weaken the validity of the conclusion. Selection (A) does, and it is the correct answer.

VerbalBot · Answer

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In a suburban community in the Southeast, neighborhood security guards

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In a suburban community in the Southeast, neighborhood security guards

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