AWA Evidence Evaluation & Support 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An AWA argument states: 'Our city's crime rate dropped 15% after installing surveillance cameras, so cameras prevent crime.' What is the primary flaw in using this statistic as evidence?
- The percentage is too small to be meaningful
- Correlation is presented as causation without ruling out other factors (Correct answer)
- Crime statistics are never reliable data sources
- The evidence is anecdotal rather than statistical
Correct answer: Correlation is presented as causation without ruling out other factors
Presenting a correlation (cameras were installed, crime dropped) as proof of causation ignores other variables that could explain the decline.
Question 2: Which type of evidence would most strengthen an AWA argument claiming that a new training program improves employee productivity?
- A testimonial from one satisfied manager
- Controlled study comparing productivity metrics before and after training across multiple departments (Correct answer)
- An expert opinion stating training programs are generally beneficial
- A list of companies that have adopted similar programs
Correct answer: Controlled study comparing productivity metrics before and after training across multiple departments
A controlled before-and-after study with measurable metrics across multiple groups provides the most direct and reliable support for the productivity claim.
Question 3: An argument concludes that Brand X coffee is superior because it outsells all competitors. What logical gap exists in this evidence?
- Sales figures are never accurate
- Popularity does not necessarily indicate quality or superiority (Correct answer)
- The argument should use taste-test data instead
- Brand X may not be available in all markets
Correct answer: Popularity does not necessarily indicate quality or superiority
Sales volume reflects consumer purchasing behavior driven by price, availability, and marketing—not necessarily product quality.
Question 4: In evaluating AWA evidence, what does 'cherry-picking' refer to?
- Selecting only the most recent data points
- Citing only evidence that supports the conclusion while ignoring contradictory data (Correct answer)
- Using fruit industry statistics as analogies
- Relying exclusively on peer-reviewed sources
Correct answer: Citing only evidence that supports the conclusion while ignoring contradictory data
Cherry-picking is the selective presentation of favorable evidence while omitting data that contradicts or complicates the argument.
Question 5: An AWA prompt argues: 'Studies show people who eat breakfast perform better at work, so the company should provide free breakfast.' Which assumption most needs support?
- That the studies were conducted recently
- That providing free breakfast will cause employees to eat it and replicate study conditions (Correct answer)
- That performance metrics are accurately measured
- That breakfast foods are nutritionally adequate
Correct answer: That providing free breakfast will cause employees to eat it and replicate study conditions
The argument assumes employees will eat the provided breakfast and that doing so will produce the same effect observed in the studies, both of which require justification.
Question 6: Which approach best demonstrates strong evidence evaluation in an AWA essay critique?
- Agreeing with all evidence provided to avoid bias
- Identifying specific alternative explanations that the evidence fails to eliminate (Correct answer)
- Focusing only on spelling and grammar errors in the prompt
- Restating the evidence in different words to show comprehension
Correct answer: Identifying specific alternative explanations that the evidence fails to eliminate
Strong AWA critiques pinpoint concrete alternative explanations or missing data that undermine the argument's logical chain.
Question 7: An argument uses a survey of 50 employees at one company to conclude that all workers nationwide prefer remote work. What is the central evidential weakness?
- Surveys are subjective and unreliable
- The sample is too small and unrepresentative to support a nationwide generalization (Correct answer)
- Employee preferences change too frequently to measure
- Remote work data should come from government sources only
Correct answer: The sample is too small and unrepresentative to support a nationwide generalization
A sample of 50 employees from a single company cannot validly represent the diverse preferences of all workers across the country.
AWA Evidence Evaluation & Support 2
An AWA argument states: 'Our city's crime rate dropped 15% after installing surveillance cameras, so cameras prevent crime.' What is the primary flaw in using this statistic as evidence?