LSAT (Law School Admission Test)Logical ReasoningMedium
A company executive states: 'Our new employee wellness program, which offers free gym memberships and healthy cooking classes, has been a resounding success. Since its implementation six months ago, employee absenteeism has dropped by 15%.'
- AThe company also introduced a new, more flexible work-from-home policy at the same time.
- BThe program has only been available to full-time employees, not part-time staff.
- CEmployee satisfaction surveys show that many employees find the healthy cooking classes unenjoyable.
- DMany employees had already reduced their absenteeism before the program was implemented.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. The company also introduced a new, more flexible work-from-home policy at the same time.
The executive attributes the drop in absenteeism solely to the wellness program. Option B introduces an alternative cause—the new work-from-home policy—that could also lead to reduced absenteeism, thus weakening the executive's conclusion.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. This limits the scope of the program but doesn't provide an alternative reason for the observed *company-wide* reduction in absenteeism.
- C. Employee dissatisfaction with one aspect of the program doesn't mean the program didn't cause the drop, especially if other aspects (like gym memberships) were effective.
- D. This suggests a pre-existing trend, which weakens the claim that the *program* caused the drop. It's a strong distractor for alternative cause.
Alternative Cause
A flaw in reasoning where an argument attributes an effect to one cause without adequately considering other possible causes.
- Challenges a causal claim by providing another plausible explanation.
- Does not necessarily prove the original cause is false, just that it might not be the sole or primary cause.
- Often appears in arguments based on correlation.
Memory trick: Cause and effect? Check for the 'other' effect!