StrengthenDiff: Hard
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A manager thinks that because sales went up right when they started offering free shipping on everything, the new shipping deal must be the reason for the success.
Conclusion: The company's new policy of offering unlimited free shipping is likely what caused the 25 percent increase in sales.
Reasoning: The surge in mail-order sales occurred at the same time the company transitioned from limited to unlimited free shipping.
Analysis: This argument is a textbook example of 'after this, therefore because of this' reasoning. The manager sees a correlation in timing and assumes a causal link, which is a vulnerable logical leap. To strengthen this, we need to bolster that causal link by eliminating other variables. Look for an answer that shows no other major changes occurred at the same time, or perhaps one that shows competitors who didn't offer free shipping saw no such increase. If we can show that the sales didn't just go up because of a holiday or a massive sale, the shipping policy looks much more like the true hero.
Conclusion: The company's new policy of offering unlimited free shipping is likely what caused the 25 percent increase in sales.
Reasoning: The surge in mail-order sales occurred at the same time the company transitioned from limited to unlimited free shipping.
Analysis: This argument is a textbook example of 'after this, therefore because of this' reasoning. The manager sees a correlation in timing and assumes a causal link, which is a vulnerable logical leap. To strengthen this, we need to bolster that causal link by eliminating other variables. Look for an answer that shows no other major changes occurred at the same time, or perhaps one that shows competitors who didn't offer free shipping saw no such increase. If we can show that the sales didn't just go up because of a holiday or a massive sale, the shipping policy looks much more like the true hero.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage12.Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the manager's argument?
Correct Answer
A
A shows that companies without unlimited free shipping saw decreasing mail-order sales, a contrasting trend that supports the idea that the policy change—rather than general market conditions—drove this company’s increase.
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