Question:hard

A researcher claims that eating breakfast improves concentration in schoolchildren. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this claim?

Show Hint

Think about what kind of evidence, correlational or a proper controlled comparison, actually proves cause and effect for a group like schoolchildren.
Updated On: Jul 8, 2026
  • Many children say that they enjoy eating breakfast in the morning.
  • Breakfast foods are widely available in most shops and homes.
  • Some adults report feeling more alert after eating breakfast.
  • In a controlled trial, children given breakfast scored higher on concentration tests than a similar group who skipped breakfast.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: To strengthen a causal claim like "breakfast improves concentration", the best kind of evidence is a controlled comparison that isolates breakfast as the variable, since simple opinions or unrelated facts cannot establish cause and effect.
Step 2: Option A shows children merely enjoy breakfast, which is a preference, not a measure of concentration - it does not strengthen the claim.
Step 3: Option B shows breakfast is widely available, a fact about access with no connection to concentration outcomes - it does not strengthen the claim.
Step 4: Option C involves adults, not schoolchildren, and relies on a subjective "feeling" of alertness rather than a measured concentration outcome - it does not strengthen the specific claim about children.
Step 5: Option D provides a controlled trial with a comparison group and an objective concentration test, exactly isolating breakfast as the cause of the improved outcome - this is the strongest possible support.
Correct option: (4) In a controlled trial, children given breakfast scored higher on concentration tests than a similar group who skipped breakfast.
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