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29 Jan 2025, 09:32
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D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
75%
(hard)
Question Stats:
46% (01:26) correct
54%
(01:30)
wrong
based on 254
sessions
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A new energy drink claims to improve focus and alertness in office workers. A study found that employees who consumed the energy drink performed better on attention-based tasks compared to those who did not. The company cites this study as strong evidence that their energy drink directly improves focus.
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the company’s claim?
A) The study was conducted on a large and diverse group of office workers over several months.
B) The participants who drank the energy drink also reported getting more sleep the night before the test.
C) The participants who drank the energy drink were allowed to consume caffeine from other sources as well.
D) The study used a control group that was given a placebo drink identical in taste and appearance to the energy drink.
E) The company’s marketing campaign led to a significant increase in the sales of the energy drink.
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the company’s claim?
A) The study was conducted on a large and diverse group of office workers over several months.
B) The participants who drank the energy drink also reported getting more sleep the night before the test.
C) The participants who drank the energy drink were allowed to consume caffeine from other sources as well.
D) The study used a control group that was given a placebo drink identical in taste and appearance to the energy drink.
E) The company’s marketing campaign led to a significant increase in the sales of the energy drink.
29 Jan 2025, 09:38
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Correct Answer: D) The study used a control group that was given a placebo drink identical in taste and appearance to the energy drink.
Concept:
A Strengthen question asks you to add support to the argument by providing evidence that makes the conclusion more believable.
Here, the argument is that the energy drink directly improves focus. But just because employees performed better after drinking it does not prove that the drink was the reason. There could be other factors at play (e.g., placebo effect, other substances, better sleep).
A strong study should eliminate these possibilities.
Why D is correct?
A placebo group ensures that the only difference between the two groups is the energy drink itself.
If both groups thought they were consuming the same thing, but only the real energy drink group showed improvement, then the drink is more likely to be the actual cause.
This directly strengthens the claim that the energy drink itself improved focus.
Why the other choices are wrong?
A) The study was conducted on a large and diverse group of office workers over several months.
This improves generalizability (i.e., how widely the results apply), but it does not prove the drink was the cause of better focus.
B) The participants who drank the energy drink also reported getting more sleep the night before the test.
This actually weakens the argument! Maybe better sleep caused the improvement, not the drink.
C) The participants who drank the energy drink were allowed to consume caffeine from other sources as well.
This weakens the argument. If they had other sources of caffeine, we can’t say the energy drink was responsible.
E) The company’s marketing campaign led to a significant increase in the sales of the energy drink.
Sales success does not prove the drink actually improves focus—it only shows people are buying it.
Concept:
A Strengthen question asks you to add support to the argument by providing evidence that makes the conclusion more believable.
Here, the argument is that the energy drink directly improves focus. But just because employees performed better after drinking it does not prove that the drink was the reason. There could be other factors at play (e.g., placebo effect, other substances, better sleep).
A strong study should eliminate these possibilities.
Why D is correct?
A placebo group ensures that the only difference between the two groups is the energy drink itself.
If both groups thought they were consuming the same thing, but only the real energy drink group showed improvement, then the drink is more likely to be the actual cause.
This directly strengthens the claim that the energy drink itself improved focus.
Why the other choices are wrong?
A) The study was conducted on a large and diverse group of office workers over several months.
This improves generalizability (i.e., how widely the results apply), but it does not prove the drink was the cause of better focus.
B) The participants who drank the energy drink also reported getting more sleep the night before the test.
This actually weakens the argument! Maybe better sleep caused the improvement, not the drink.
C) The participants who drank the energy drink were allowed to consume caffeine from other sources as well.
This weakens the argument. If they had other sources of caffeine, we can’t say the energy drink was responsible.
E) The company’s marketing campaign led to a significant increase in the sales of the energy drink.
Sales success does not prove the drink actually improves focus—it only shows people are buying it.
bhaskar1999
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06 Oct 2025, 06:47
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A) The study was conducted on a large and diverse group of office workers over several months.
While a large and diverse sample size can enhance the generalizability of study results, it doesn't directly address whether the energy drink itself caused the improvement in focus. The duration of the study also doesn't rule out other factors influencing the results.
B) The participants who drank the energy drink also reported getting more sleep the night before the test.
Improved sleep could be a confounding variable, as better sleep alone can enhance cognitive performance. This doesn't support the claim that the energy drink caused the improvement.
C) The participants who drank the energy drink were allowed to consume caffeine from other sources as well.
If participants consumed additional caffeine, it's unclear whether the observed improvements were due to the energy drink or the cumulative caffeine intake. This weakens the argument for the energy drink's effectiveness.
D) The study used a control group that was given a placebo drink identical in taste and appearance to the energy drink.
This is the strongest support for the company's claim. A placebo-controlled design helps isolate the effect of the energy drink itself by ensuring that any differences in performance are due to the drink and not participants' expectations or other factors.
E) The company’s marketing campaign led to a significant increase in the sales of the energy drink.
Increased sales indicate consumer interest but don't provide evidence that the energy drink improves focus. Sales data are unrelated to the study's findings.
Conclusion:
The best choice is D, as it directly addresses the need to control for placebo effects and other confounding variables, providing stronger evidence that the energy drink itself improves focus.
While a large and diverse sample size can enhance the generalizability of study results, it doesn't directly address whether the energy drink itself caused the improvement in focus. The duration of the study also doesn't rule out other factors influencing the results.
B) The participants who drank the energy drink also reported getting more sleep the night before the test.
Improved sleep could be a confounding variable, as better sleep alone can enhance cognitive performance. This doesn't support the claim that the energy drink caused the improvement.
C) The participants who drank the energy drink were allowed to consume caffeine from other sources as well.
If participants consumed additional caffeine, it's unclear whether the observed improvements were due to the energy drink or the cumulative caffeine intake. This weakens the argument for the energy drink's effectiveness.
D) The study used a control group that was given a placebo drink identical in taste and appearance to the energy drink.
This is the strongest support for the company's claim. A placebo-controlled design helps isolate the effect of the energy drink itself by ensuring that any differences in performance are due to the drink and not participants' expectations or other factors.
E) The company’s marketing campaign led to a significant increase in the sales of the energy drink.
Increased sales indicate consumer interest but don't provide evidence that the energy drink improves focus. Sales data are unrelated to the study's findings.
Conclusion:
The best choice is D, as it directly addresses the need to control for placebo effects and other confounding variables, providing stronger evidence that the energy drink itself improves focus.
