LSAT (Law School Admission Test)Logical ReasoningMedium
A company executive argues: 'Our new employee wellness program, which offers free gym memberships and healthy cooking classes, has been a resounding success. Employee absenteeism has decreased by 15% since its implementation.'\n\nWhich of the following, if true, identifies a flaw in the executive's reasoning?
- AMany employees already had gym memberships before the program began.
- BEmployee absenteeism was already on a downward trend before the program was introduced.
- CThe company also implemented a new flexible work-from-home policy at the same time as the wellness program.
- DThe wellness program is optional, and only a small percentage of employees participate.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. The company also implemented a new flexible work-from-home policy at the same time as the wellness program.
The executive attributes the decrease in absenteeism solely to the wellness program. Option B introduces another significant change that occurred concurrently, making it impossible to determine which factor, if either, caused the decrease. This is a classic 'Alternative Cause' flaw.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This might suggest the program's impact on gym attendance is limited, but doesn't directly challenge the link between the program and absenteeism.
- B. This points to a 'baseline fallacy' but doesn't introduce an alternative cause that *coincided* with the program's launch to explain the *continued* decrease.
- D. While it might limit the program's overall impact, it doesn't preclude the possibility that it still contributed to the observed decrease among those who did participate.
Alternative Cause Flaw
Occurs when an arguer attributes an effect to one cause without adequately considering other plausible causes that could explain the effect.
- Confuses correlation with causation.
- Ignores other variables that might be at play.
- Undermines the certainty of the proposed causal link.
Memory trick: Causation isn't just correlation; look for other routes.