Critical Reasoning

Reviewing historical data, medical researchers in California found that counties with the largest number of television sets per capita have had the lowest incidence of a serious brain disease, mosquito-borne encephalitis. The researchers have concluded that people in these counties stay indoors more and thus avoid exposure to the disease.

The researchers conclusion would be most strengthened if which of the following were true?

(A) Programs designed to control the size of disease-bearing mosquito populations have not affected the incidence of mosquito borne encephalitis.
(B) The occupations of county residents affect their risk of exposure to mosquito-borne encephalitis more than does television-watching.
(C) The incidence of mosquito-borne encephalitis in counties with the largest number of television sets per capita is likely to decrease even further.
(D) The more time people in a county spend outdoors, the greater their awareness of the dangers of mosquito-borne encephalitis.
(E) The more television sets there are per capita in a county, the more time the average county resident spends watching television.

A says other programs have not affected, probably staying indoors did. So doesn't option A strengthen the argument? Experts, pls comment
oa e

Thank you

A is more of like an assumption. It strengthens but not the most. When E & A are side by side, I think E strengthens the conclusion more than A does.

user123321

The stimulus tells us that the researchers are concluding that when a county has more TV sets, the residents stay indoors more often. This is only true of those residents actually stay inside to watch.

A doesn't help us because we have no information about what counties are receiving programs to kill mosquitoes, so we don't know in which direction those programs might skew the results. If only low-TV counties get the programs that could lower the rate in those counties. If only high-TV counties get the programs the effect would favor those counties.

Why C is wrong. BEcause C contain the work "likely"

if C said the incidence decreases

without "likely"

C will be right.

Am I correct?

We only know that counties with a high incidence of TV sets have a lower incidence of disease. We have no information as to whether the incidence will drop further. It may have reached the minimum afforded by TV watching. So C is not correct.

Explanation for (E)

People can have TVs..But if they don't view and go out for leisure most of the time then the conclusion doesn't hold good