Cause–effect reasoning classification with business and trade context: Evaluate Statements I and II — 'India has surpassed all previous years' value of tea exports this year owing to higher European demand for quality tea' and 'Domestic demand for coffee has increased during the last two years' — and determine whether one causes the other, whether each is an independent effect, or whether both are effects of a common but unstated cause.
Verbal Reasoning
Cause and Effect
Difficulty: Medium
Choose an option
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AStatement I is the cause and statement II is its effect
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BStatement II is the cause and statement I is its effect
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CBoth the statements I and II are independent causes
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DBoth the statements I and II are effects of independent causes
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EBoth the statements I and II are effects of some common cause
Answer
Correct Answer: Both the statements I and II are effects of independent causes
Explanation
Given data
- I: India's tea export value is the highest ever this year due to increased European demand for quality tea.
- II: Domestic demand for coffee has risen over the last two years.
Concept/Approach
We classify the linkage between two statements into: (a) I causes II, (b) II causes I, (c) independent causes, (d) effects of independent causes, or (e) effects of a common cause. Look for a direct causal bridge, time sequencing, and domain overlap.
Step-by-step evaluation
1) Statement I concerns exports of tea driven by European demand (external market).2) Statement II concerns domestic demand for coffee (a different product and market).3) No explicit or natural causal chain links European demand for Indian tea to rising domestic coffee demand.4) Each statement is best seen as an effect of its own sector-specific cause (EU preference shift for quality tea; internal consumption trends for coffee).Verification/Alternative
Even if one speculates a common macro factor (e.g., general beverage trends), it would be conjecture not stated. Logical classification therefore treats them as separate effects with independent causes.
Common pitfalls
- Forcing a link because both mention beverages; product/market domains differ.
- Assuming a common cause without textual evidence.
Final AnswerBoth the statements I and II are effects of independent causes.