Cause and Effect

Introduction:

Cause is the main factor or initial event that happens before an effect. Cause-and-effect Reasoning questions consist of a paragraph having one or more sentences. Cause-and-effect meaning is very simple which is as per the given definition of an effect which is anything that follows another by accident or naturally as a consequence. Cause is the main factor or initial event that happens before an effect. Cause-and-effect Reasoning questions consist of a paragraph having one or more sentences. Cause-and-effect meaning is very simple which is as per the given definition of an effect which is anything that follows another by accident or naturally as a consequence.

What is Cause-and-effect Reasoning?

Cause-and-effect Reasoning questions consist of a paragraph having one or more sentences. Cause-and-effect meaning is very simple which is as per the given definition of an effect which is anything that follows another by accident or naturally as a consequence. Cause-and-effect diagram shows a complex relationship between cause-and-effect. It is a pair of statements where the first statement expresses the cause and the second statement states the effect. The candidate has to choose which sentence or sentences given in the alternatives that best illustrates the cause-and-effect relationship between the events mentioned in the question.

The basic method that can be followed while solving this type of question is :

1. Read carefully all the options given as answer;
2. Paraphrase the question sentence or sentences;
3. Cross out all options that are not related to cause-and-effect relationship;
4. Employ “either-or” test while deciding which of two statements best illustrate the cause-and-effect relation between events discussed in the given question;
5. Employ “either-or-neither” test while deciding which of two statements best illustrates the cause-and-effect relationship between events discussed in the given question;
6. Employ “both-and” test while deciding which of two statements best illustrate the cause-and-effect relationship between events discussed in the given question.

If a candidate is not able to relate a pair of given statements by means of any one or more tests mentioned above, he/she should leave this question unanswered.

Examples have been given as illustration :

1. A severe drought following heavy rainfall causes poor cultivation leading to acute famine conditions;
2. The advancement in irrigation facilities increases agricultural output leading to improved income facilities among farmers;
3. The high quality of life in a country leads to increased consumption leading to higher imports which may result in balance of payments problem;
4. The rising crime rate following the open sale of smuggled goods may lead to rise in unemployment
5. The breakdown of farming equipment leads to further deterioration of yield at the same time do not encourage repair and maintenance programmes;
6. The increase in costs inhibits producers from selling their produce bringing about low incomes for farmers as well as poverty conditions;
7. The use of pesticides by farmers may lead to agrarian distress at the same time they are used extensively due to their effectiveness;

Tips to Solve Cause-and-effect Reasoning:

1. Make an attempt to paraphrase the sentence or sentences before deciding which of the alternatives is the best answer.
2. Examine the options that cover all possible cause-and-effect relationships between events mentioned in the question.
3. Ask if you are able to see any relation between events discussed in the question and draw a conclusion.
4. Choose only option(s) that have similar structure as that used in the given question; else you may consider it as an error
5. Effect and Cause analysis is a logical test; hence you should be logical in your approach to the problem.
6. Look for reasons behind both cause-and-effect relation between events discussed in the given questions
7. All the options offered as answer should be preferable to the main point of interest i.e., cause-and-effect relation between events mentioned in the question; otherwise, it could mislead you towards a wrong choice.

Conclusion:

Cause-and-effect reasoning is a common type of reasoning that could be used in many problems that are requiring logical analysis. A candidate must use his problem-solving skills to analyse the given statements and to relate them on cause-and-effect grounds so that he could come up with the correct answer.