Question 138·Hard·Command of Evidence
A labor economist has analyzed dozens of companies that recently moved from a standard five-day schedule to a four-day workweek. In a report, the economist concludes that the chief reason this change often leads to higher productivity is that employees experience an increased sense of autonomy over how they allocate their time.
Which excerpt from employee comments gathered during the study most directly supports the economist’s conclusion?
For evidence questions like this, restate the claim in your own words and identify its key parts (often a cause and an effect). Then eliminate choices that don’t include both parts or that reverse/misalign the cause-and-effect. The best support will explicitly match the claim’s cause (autonomy over time) and effect (higher productivity).
Hints
Restate the conclusion as cause → effect
Identify the cause the economist gives (what changes for employees) and the effect (what happens to productivity). Then look for a comment that matches that exact cause-and-effect relationship.
Look for autonomy language
Focus on phrases that signal control over time, such as “freedom,” “organize my hours,” “control my schedule,” or “decide when.” Eliminate options that deny having control.
Make sure the quote ties autonomy to productivity
A strong evidence quote won’t just mention autonomy; it will also connect that autonomy to working faster, producing more, or being more efficient. Avoid quotes that point to a different reason for productivity changes.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the core claim in the economist’s conclusion
The conclusion says that moving to a four-day workweek often increases productivity because employees feel more autonomy (freedom/control) over how they allocate their time.
So you need an excerpt that clearly shows both:
- A sense of autonomy over time or schedule, and
- A resulting increase in productivity or speed of work.
Check each option for autonomy over time
Scan all four comments for any mention of freedom, flexibility, or control over the work schedule.
- One option mentions being able to decide when to do demanding tasks, but emphasizes personal time as the main benefit.
- One option describes a strict agenda set by management (little to no autonomy).
- One option mentions freedom to rearrange tasks.
- One option clearly mentions the freedom to organize work hours.
The best matches for the autonomy part are the options that explicitly describe freedom/control over scheduling.
Check whether productivity is linked to that autonomy
Now check whether the comment links that schedule freedom to higher productivity.
- If the comment focuses on personal time as the main benefit, it doesn’t support a productivity explanation.
- If the comment says output increased but also says the employee doesn’t control the schedule, it doesn’t support the idea that autonomy caused the increase.
- If the comment credits productivity gains mainly to fewer meetings, the cause doesn’t match the economist’s claim.
- One option explicitly connects freedom over hours to finishing tasks faster.
You want the excerpt that ties autonomy over time to increased productivity most directly.
Select the excerpt that best matches both parts of the conclusion
The excerpt that most directly supports the economist’s conclusion is:
“When my department shifted to a four-day week, the freedom to organize my hours made me feel trusted, and I started finishing tasks faster than before.”
It shows autonomy over time (“freedom to organize my hours,” “made me feel trusted”) and directly links that autonomy to higher productivity (“started finishing tasks faster than before”).