Logical reasoning PrepTest 148 · Section 1 · Question 11

Incorrect. This answer establishes a baseline of reporting and injuries, but it doesn't state whether this policy has lowered the incidence of staff-caused life-threatening injuries, so it doesn't affect the argument.

Incorrect. This answer weakens the argument by showing a place that had the effect without the cause.

Incorrect. If anything, this weakens the incentive to be careful except when an injury is likely.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen

Stimulus Summary:
Goal Ð Reduce patient injuries from staff errors
Approach Ð Systematically record all such errors
Outcome Ð Injuries went down
Conclusion Ð The system worked!

Answer Anticipation:
Strengthen questions frequently deal with correlation/causation flaws, and this one falls into that pattern. A goal was established, a change was made, and the goal was accomplished—that's a correlation. From that, the conclusion states that the change was what caused the goal to be accomplished—that's causal.

Since we have a correlation/causation flaw here, we can strengthen it with the traditional answers:

(1) Eliminate an alternative cause of the decline in injuries
(2) Find more examples of a program such as this one working
(3) Establish a control Ð when the cause is absent and so is the effect
(4) Explain how the causality worked (unlikely here since it's pretty clear how it would work from the stimulus)

Answer Explanation:
This answer strengthens the argument by doing two things. First, it establishes the timeline makes sense—the change was implemented, and then the effect was seen. Second, it establishes knowledge on the part of the staff, which was a key part of the change having its effect.

Key Takeaway:
Causality implies a timeline—the cause has to happen before the effect. As such, answers that deal with a timeline, or what happened first/second/earlier/later, are always relevant in a question with causal logic.

Incorrect. A reprimand followed by more punitive actions could still serve as a motivating factor for increased meticulousness.