Question

In the question below, two statements (

  • I and (I
  • I are given. These statements may be either independent causes or may be effects of independent causes or a common cause. One of these statements may be the effect of the other statement. Read both the statements and decide which of the following answer choices correctly depicts the relationship between these two statements. Statements: I. Retail stores across several cities have reported a sharp decline in customer footfall during the festive shopping season. II. Many e-commerce platforms have recorded their highest-ever sales this year, with a significant increase in first-time online shoppers.
A Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
B Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
C Both the statements I and II are independent causes Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
D Both the statements I and II are effects of some common cause Correct Answer Incorrect Answer

Solution

Statement I says that retail stores have seen fewer physical customers. Statement II says that online platforms have seen record-breaking sales. Both of these can be explained by a common cause—for example: A shift in consumer behaviour toward online shopping, concerns about convenience or safety, better discounts offered online, etc. Neither statement clearly causes the other, but both can reasonably be effects of the same underlying factor: increasing preference for online shopping.

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