Question 149·Medium·Command of Evidence
A team of behavioral economists investigated whether displaying calorie counts next to each item on fast-food menus affects what customers order. They tracked the average number of calories per meal ordered at several restaurant locations, some of which added calorie labels and some of which did not.
After reviewing the study, a student asserts that showing calorie information on menus has no effect on customers’ meal choices.
Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken the student’s assertion?
For SAT questions asking which finding most strongly strengthens or weakens a claim, first restate the claim in your own words (especially words like "no effect," "causes," or "more/less"). Then look for an answer that directly provides data about that exact claim—ideally a clear comparison between the relevant groups. Eliminate choices that only give background context, describe study design, or mention only one side of the comparison without linking it to the other side or to the claimed effect.
Hints
Clarify the assertion
Focus on the phrase "has no effect" in the student's statement. What would it look like in the data if calorie labels really had no effect on customer choices?
Think about comparisons
Look for an answer that compares what happens at restaurants with calorie labels to what happens at restaurants without them, in terms of average calories ordered.
Distinguish relevant from background info
Some options may give extra background about the study (like survey responses or menu changes). Ask yourself: does this option actually tell me whether customers ordered more, fewer, or the same calories because of the labels?
Watch for direct contradiction
Which option, if true, would make it hardest to keep believing that labels have no effect on meal choices?
Step-by-step Explanation
Restate the student's claim
The student asserts that showing calorie information on menus has no effect on what customers order. In other words, according to this claim, customers at restaurants with calorie labels and customers at restaurants without calorie labels should, on average, order about the same number of calories.
Identify what would weaken the claim
To weaken a "no effect" claim, you want evidence that there is an effect. Here, that means a finding showing a difference in average calories ordered between restaurants with calorie labels and restaurants without calorie labels, in a way that suggests the labels changed behavior.
Check how each option relates to the claim
Go through each choice and ask: Does this directly show a difference in calories ordered that can be linked to the labels?
- Choice A talks about whether customers remembered seeing labels, not what or how much they ordered.
- Choice B says the menu items didn't change, which controls for another variable but does not by itself show any difference in calories ordered.
- Choice C only tells you something about restaurants without labels; it doesn’t compare them to restaurants with labels, so it doesn’t directly show the effect of labels.
- One choice directly compares average calories ordered at labeled versus unlabeled restaurants and shows a clear difference.
Select the option that shows a clear labeling effect
The finding that customers at restaurants that displayed calorie counts ordered, on average, 100 fewer calories per meal than customers at otherwise similar restaurants that did not display calorie counts directly contradicts the claim that labels have no effect. It shows a substantial, measurable difference associated with displaying calorie information, so choice D most directly weakens the student's assertion.