Cause
and Effect Reasoning
When
examining events, People naturally seek to explain why things happened. This
search often results in cause and effect reasoning.
Basically,
causality occurs when one event is said to make another occur. The cause is the
event that makes the other occurs; the effect is the event that follows from
the cause. Thus, the cause must occur before the effect and the effect always
happens at some point of time after the cause.
The
questions on cause and effect reasoning are mainly designed to decide on a
candidate's ability to analyses a pair of given statements and to correlate
them in terms of cause and effect. Five possibilities may arise:
I. The
fact in the first statement is the effect of that mentioned in the second
statement i.e. the second statement expresses the case that leads to the
condition mentioned in the first;
II.
The contents of the first statement
from the direct cause of the result discussed in the second statement;
III.
Both the statements express generalized
results that may not be backed by any specific cause but may influence certain
other factors;
IV.
Both the statements are independent and
may be explained as effects of different independent causes;
V.
The effect in both the given
statements may be caused or triggered by a third unmentioned event following
examples will make the idea clear.
Directions: In each of the
following questions, two statements numbered I and II are given. There may be
cause and effect relationship between the two state3ments. These two statements
may be the effect of the same cause or independent causes. These statements in
each question and mark your answer accordingly.
Give
answer (a) if statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect;
Give
answer (b) if statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect;
Give
answer (c) if both the statement I and II are independent causes;
Give
answer (d) if both the statement I and II are effect of independent
causes;
Give
answer (e) if both the statement I and II are effect of some common
causes;
1.
I. There
is sharp decline in the production of oil seeds this year.
II. The
Government has decided to increase the import quantum of edible oil.
2.
I. The
life today is too fast, demanding and full of variety in all aspects which at
times leads to stressful situations.
II. Number
of suicide cases among teenagers is on increase.
3.
I. There
is unprecedented increase in the number of young unemployed in comparison to
the previous year.
II. A
large number of candidates submitted applications against an advertisement for
the post of manager issued by a bank.
4.
I. All
the school in the area had to be kept closed for most part of the week.
II. Many
parents have withdrawn their children from the local schools.
5.
I. There
has been a high increase in the incidents of atrocities against women in the
city during the past few months.
II. The
police authority has been unable to nab the culprits who are committing crime
against women.
6. I. the
prices of petrol and diesel in the domestic market have remained unchanged for
the few months.
II. The
crude oil prices in the international market have go he up substantially in the
last few months.
7. I. the
local co-0oprative credit society have decided to stop giving loans to farmers
with immediate effect.
II. A
Large number of credit society members has withdrawn major part of their
deposits from the credit society.
8. I. The
Government has imported Large quantities of sugar as per trade agreement with
other countries.
II. The
prices of sugar in the domestic market have fallen sharply in the recent
months.
9. I. India
has surpassed the value of tea exports this year over all the earlier years due
to an increase in the demand for quality tea in the European market.
II. There
is an increase in demand of coffee in the domestic market during the last two
years.
10. I. there
is increase in water level of all the water tanks supplying drinking water to
the city during the last fortnight.
II. Most
of the trains was cancelled last week due to water-longing on the tracks.
11. I. Majority
of the students in the college expressed their opinion against the collage
authority's decision to break away from the university and become autonomous.
II. The
university authorities have expressed their-inability to provide grants to its
constituent colleges.
Answer with Explanation
1.
(a) : A sharp decline in oilseed
production is bound to reduce oil supply and import of oil is the only means to
restore the essential supply.
2.
(a) : Stress in everyday life is a
major cause of frustration among the
youth and is bound to lead them to take harsh steps as suicide.
3.
(a): An increase in the number of
unemployed youth is bound to draw in huge crowds for a single vacancy.
4.
(d): Closing the school are independent
issues, which must have been triggered by different individual causes.
5.
(c): An increased in the cases of
atrocities on woman and the police being unable to nab the culprits involved in
the same are independent happenings in themselves..
6.
(d) : The Prices of petrol and diesel being
stagnant in the domestic market and the increase in the same in the
international market must be backed by independent causes.
7.
(b): Clearly, withdrawal of funds by
society members is bound to reduce the lending power of the society.
8.
(a): The increase in supply always
triggers a reduction in the prices.
9.
(c): The two statements discuss two
separate statistical and generalized results.
10.(e):
The problem discussed in both the
statements are clearly the result of heavy downpour in the area.
11.
(b): Clearly, the university's decision to refuse grant to the colleges must
have triggered the college authority to become autonomous.