Cause & Effect
Cause and Effect questions test your ability to determine if one event directly triggered another, or if both events are independent results of a completely different root cause.
Fundamental Principles
Immediate Cause
An event, action, or condition that directly and immediately triggers a subsequent change or reaction.
Common Cause
An underlying third event or condition that independently produces multiple separate visible effects at the same time.
Essential Formulation Tips
- To test a relationship, connect the statements using transition words like 'Therefore' or 'As a result' to see if the connection makes logical sense.
- Never assume a connection simply because two events happened at the same time. Look for a clear, direct mechanism linking them together.
Shortcut Execution Techniques
- The Timeline Test: A true cause must always happen before its effect. If Statement A happened after Statement B, Statement A cannot be the cause of Statement B.
Contextual Inquiries (FAQs)
Q: Can two statements be completely independent events even if they are in the same paragraph?
A: Yes. If they don't share a direct link or point to a common root cause, they are classified as completely independent events.
Example Breakdown: Identifying a Shared Common Cause
Standard trigger-to-impact link identification.Test Statement I as the cause: Closing pools does not put chemicals into a reservoir, so Statement I is not the cause.
Test Statement II as the cause: Finding toxic runoff in the reservoir would logically force the government to close public pools for safety.
Connect them: The chemical discovery (II) directly explains the pool closures (I).
Conclusion: Statement II is the independent cause, and Statement I is its direct effect.
Causal Link Mapping
Practice analyzing event pairs to find direct causes, structural effects, or shared root causes.
Q1. Statement I: Major airline companies raised their domestic ticket prices by 15% this week. Statement II: Global crude oil and jet fuel prices spiked sharply over the past month.