Critical Reasoning

A study of ticket sales at a summer theater festival found that people who bought tickets to individual plays had a no-show rate of less than 1 percent, while those who paid in advance for all ten plays being performed that summer had a no-show rate of nearly 30 percent. This may be at least in part because the greater the awareness customers retain about the cost of an item, the more likely they are to use it.

Which of the following would, if true, best serve as an alternative explanation of the results of the study?

(A) The price per ticket was slightly cheaper for those who bought all ten tickets in advance.
(B) Many people who attended the theater festival believed strongly that they should support it financially.
(C) Those who attended all ten plays became eligible for a partial refund.
(D) Usually, people who bought tickets to individual plays did so immediately prior to each performance that they attended.
(E) People who arrived just before the performance began could not be assured of obtaining seats in a preferred location.

OAD

Can you please give me reason to eliminate option [spoiler]A&C[/spoiler] . Also please explain OA.

Thanks

rsarashi wrote:A study of ticket sales at a summer theater festival found that people who bought tickets to individual plays had a no-show rate of less than 1 percent, while those who paid in advance for all ten plays being performed that summer had a no-show rate of nearly 30 percent. This may be at least in part because the greater the awareness customers retain about the cost of an item, the more likely they are to use it.

Which of the following would, if true, best serve as an alternative explanation of the results of the study?

(A) The price per ticket was slightly cheaper for those who bought all ten tickets in advance.
(B) Many people who attended the theater festival believed strongly that they should support it financially.
(C) Those who attended all ten plays became eligible for a partial refund.
(D) Usually, people who bought tickets to individual plays did so immediately prior to each performance that they attended.
(E) People who arrived just before the performance began could not be assured of obtaining seats in a preferred location.

FACT 1: People who bought tickets to individual plays had a no-show rate of less than 1 percent.
FACT 2: Those who paid in advance for all ten plays had a no-show rate of nearly 30 percent.

According to the passage, COST AWARENESS is the reason that advance ticket buyers had a higher no-show rate.
The correct answer must offer an ALTERNATE explanation -- an explanation that is NOT cost-related -- for the discrepancy in no-show rates.

D: Usually, people who bought tickets to individual plays did so immediately prior to each performance that they attended.
Here, the alternate explanation is TIME OF PURCHASE: whereas purchasers of individual tickets obtain tickets just before the start of a show (greatly increasing the likelihood of their attendance), advance ticket buyers obtain tickets MONTHS EARLIER (greatly increasing the odds that something will prevent them from attending the show).

The correct answer is D.

A and C are about COST.
As noted above, the correct answer must offer an explanation that is NOT cost-related.
Eliminate A and C.

The 2 possible answers are A and D.
However, A only talks about the proces. It doesn't offer a proper explanation of the situation. Also the use of word 'slightly' in A makes it doubtful.

D is very clear. For individual plays, ppl buy tickets just before the show and hence remember the price paid for it. While, one might forget the cost of tickets for the 10 shows bought in advance .