Unit 5 · Weakening Arguments
Tech Magazine AI Article — Weaken the Argument
Lesson 2 of 9
Harder weakeners often hide a numbers trap: more total cases does not always mean higher risk for each person.
Base-rate / denominator flaws show up in the harder band of Selective argument questions — the same structure as “more accidents on path A” or “more cracked screens on phone Z.”
You must see that raw counts need context (how many people use each option). The correct weakeners expose the missing denominator or an alternative explanation for the totals.
A report compares totals between two groups and concludes one is “more dangerous” or “worse” per user. You pick the fact that shows the comparison is unfair or misleading.
Best approach: Ask: “Could the bigger number simply be because more people use that option?” Find the option that supplies usage rates, population size, or time exposed — not just another scary statistic.
Question
A tech magazine published a report showing that in the last year, 10,000 "Z-Phone" users reported a cracked screen, while only 1,000 "X-Phone" users reported a cracked screen. A blogger wrote: "The X-Phone is clearly more durable. If you want to avoid a broken screen, you should definitely choose an X-Phone over a Z-Phone."
Which one of these statements, if true, most weakens the blogger's argument?
Select an answer to see the explanation.
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