Critical Reasoning: Conclusion Strengthening Questions
Company X discovered that employees that have lunch before 13:00 are more productive than employees who have lunch after 13:00, or skip lunch altogether. The company management concluded that in order to increase employee productivity, it needs to encourage employees to have their lunch no later than 13:00.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the company's conclusion?
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the management's conclusion. A fixed lunch time (same time every day) does not necessarily have to be earlier than 13:00. In other words, according to this answer choice, having lunch every day at 14:00 should also result in higher productivity. This idea is not on par with the management's conclusion and cannot, therefore, help to strengthen it.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice neither strengthens nor weakens the management's conclusion - this statement does not tell us whether this group of employees (25-30 year old women) is more, or less, productive than an employee who eats lunch after 13:00, it cannot help us support the company's conclusion.
Good!
[[snippet]]This answer choice strengthens the company's conclusion by providing a good example of a similar situation which produced positive results.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice weakens the company's conclusion. It does so by providing an example of an employee who although eats after 13:00, is the most productive in the company. This example casts doubt on the company's theory.
Incorrect.
[[snippet]]This answer choice weakens the company's conclusion. It does so by providing a factor that complicates the situation and prevents the company from being able to use its plan. If some employees are not hungry before 13:30, then they will not eat properly, or at all, at 13:00, a fact which may affect their productivity.
