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soulwangh 发表于 2013-12-3 10:35
Seems I was wrong.
Waiting for Ron's replying.
RonPurewal wrote:
The argument focuses on the correlation between the volume of cigarette sales and the current price. (The argument just says "the price", but of course that means the current price, not a theoretical future price.)
If the consumers had been aware of the impending tax increase, then it's quite likely that they just loaded up on cigarettes while the price was still cheaper. In that case, their behavior would not have been motivated by the (current) price itself, but, rather, by the shadow of an impending price increase. (Once their stash is depleted, these consumers will presumably return to their normal buying behavior.)
My replying:
Hi, Ron
Thanks for replying!
You clarify one of my questions. Some questions still remain. Need help and correct my wrong reasoning!
1/
Now that current price is different form further theoretical price , I think C is indeed a potential correct choice. If people had loaded up cigarette the year before the tax was imposed, it is very reasonable to assume that when the tax was imposed, the volumes of cigarette sales decreased just because the stack of cigarette was not depleted rather than because the after-tax price were prohibitive.
I don't think C is wrong because" if A, then B" reasoning. The reason is in my NO.2 question. Need your justification.
Now, the only reason I find why C is wrong is this sentence:In contrast, in the year prior to the tax increase, sales had fallen one percent.
It has already ruled out the possibility that people loaded up cigarette by the impending price increase. C rules out a possible competing scenario that the stimulus has already done. Thus, C does not relatively strengthen the argument.
2/ What is your opinion about my reasoning as follows?
Am I correct?
Quote:
RonPurewal wrote:
anything disrupting the CAUSAL relationship between cigarette tax and cigarette consumption --> i.e., any ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION FOR WHY THE TWO ARE CORRELATED --> will ruin the argument.
therefore, you can STRENGTHEN the argument by DISPENSING with such explanations.
Quote Ron‘s words:
this doesn't work. in general, the statements "if X happens, then Y will happen" and "if X doesn't happen, then Y won't happen" are unrelated to each other.
My Reasoning:
According to what you said, this question is a correlation to causation problem, and this kind reasoning assumes A is the only causal factor of B. If the choice can rule out any competing causal factor, it strengthens the argument.
IMO,the rule that the validity of "if A, then B" has nothing to do with the validity of "if not A, then not B" may not be applicable here. Because "if A, then B" reasoning does not require that A is the only causal factor of B.
RonPurewal :
Yeah. I somehow misread the argument last time -- I didn't notice that the sales decreased in both years cited. That rules out the idea of "loading up on cigarettes".
So, yes.
http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/pack-of-cigarttes-and-tax-cr-t7354-15.html?sid=a47742915d710c237ff17c4bc3e0f1e5
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