Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Analyzing Conclusions Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A company's quarterly report shows that revenue increased by 15% while operating costs increased by 25%. Which conclusion is most warranted?
- The company is becoming more profitable overall
- The company's profit margin likely decreased despite higher revenue (Correct answer)
- The company should immediately reduce its workforce
- The company will go bankrupt within the next year
Correct answer: The company's profit margin likely decreased despite higher revenue
When costs rise faster than revenue, profit margins shrink even though total revenue grew.
Question 2: A study found that students who eat breakfast score an average of 12% higher on standardized tests than those who skip breakfast. What conclusion can be drawn?
- Eating breakfast causes higher test scores
- Skipping breakfast causes brain damage
- There is a positive association between eating breakfast and higher test scores (Correct answer)
- Schools should provide mandatory breakfast programs
Correct answer: There is a positive association between eating breakfast and higher test scores
The study shows a correlation between breakfast and test scores, but correlation alone does not establish causation.
Question 3: In a city where 80% of commuters drive alone to work, a new bus rapid transit line reduced solo driving by 5% in its first year. Which conclusion follows most logically?
- The transit line was a complete failure since most people still drive
- Public transit can influence commuting behavior even in car-dependent cities (Correct answer)
- The city should abandon all future transit projects
- Within ten years, nobody in the city will drive to work
Correct answer: Public transit can influence commuting behavior even in car-dependent cities
A measurable shift in behavior demonstrates that transit investment can affect commuting patterns even where driving dominates.
Question 4: A pharmaceutical company reports that Drug X reduced symptoms in 60% of patients during clinical trials, compared to 45% for the placebo group. What is the strongest conclusion?
- Drug X is a miracle cure that works for everyone
- Drug X showed a statistically meaningful improvement over placebo in symptom reduction (Correct answer)
- The placebo effect does not exist
- All patients should immediately switch to Drug X
Correct answer: Drug X showed a statistically meaningful improvement over placebo in symptom reduction
The 15-percentage-point difference over placebo suggests the drug has a genuine therapeutic effect beyond placebo response.
Question 5: A manager notices that the team members who work remotely complete 20% more tasks per week than those in the office, but remote workers log 10 more hours weekly. Which conclusion is best supported?
- Remote work makes employees more productive per hour worked
- Remote workers are more dedicated employees than office workers
- The higher task completion by remote workers may be partly explained by longer working hours (Correct answer)
- Office environments are toxic and should be eliminated
Correct answer: The higher task completion by remote workers may be partly explained by longer working hours
The additional hours worked could account for some or all of the increased task output, so productivity per hour may not differ.
Question 6: A survey reveals that 70% of respondents in a wealthy suburb support increasing the minimum wage, while only 40% of respondents in a lower-income neighborhood support it. Which conclusion is most justified?
- Wealthy people are more generous than lower-income people
- Support for minimum wage increases can vary by socioeconomic context of the community (Correct answer)
- Lower-income people do not understand economics
- The survey must have been conducted incorrectly
Correct answer: Support for minimum wage increases can vary by socioeconomic context of the community
The data shows that community economic context correlates with differing views on minimum wage policy.
Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Analyzing Conclusions Questions and Answers 2
A company's quarterly report shows that revenue increased by 15% while operating costs increased by 25%.
Which conclusion is most warranted?