Dr. Godfrey: Now that high school students are allowed to work more th...
To determine whether the conclusion drawn by Dr. Godfrey can be logically defended against Dr. Nash's counterargument, we need to find the answer choice that helps in evaluating the relationship between working long hours at part-time jobs and academic problems in high school. Let's analyze each answer choice:
(A) whether people who have had academic problems in high school are ultimately less successful in their careers than people who have not had such problems.
This answer choice focuses on the long-term career success of individuals who faced academic problems in high school. While this information may be interesting, it does not directly address the relationship between working long hours at part-time jobs and academic problems. Therefore, it does not provide a helpful evaluation of the conclusion drawn by Dr. Godfrey in response to Dr. Nash's counterargument.
(B) whether students are allowed to spend more than 15 hours per week at school-sponsored nonacademic extracurricular activities such as team sports or clubs.
This answer choice introduces the possibility of students engaging in nonacademic extracurricular activities for more than 15 hours per week. While this information may be relevant to the overall time commitment of students, it does not directly evaluate the impact of working long hours at part-time jobs on academic problems. Therefore, it is not the most helpful in defending Dr. Godfrey's conclusion.
(C) whether the students who work more than 15 hours per week and have academic problems had such problems before they began to work that many hours.
This answer choice directly addresses the timing of academic problems and working long hours at part-time jobs. It evaluates whether the students who experienced academic problems had those problems before they started working long hours. This information is crucial for determining the causal relationship between work hours and academic problems, and it helps in evaluating the conclusion drawn by Dr. Godfrey in response to Dr. Nash's counterargument. Therefore, this answer choice is the most helpful in defending Dr. Godfrey's conclusion.
(D) whether employers and high school students typically obey all the laws that regulate the conditions under which young people may legally be employed.
This answer choice focuses on the adherence to employment laws by employers and high school students. While this information may be relevant to the legal aspect of part-time jobs for high school students, it does not directly evaluate the relationship between work hours and academic problems. Therefore, it is not the most helpful in defending Dr. Godfrey's conclusion.
(E) whether high school students who have after-school jobs continue to work at those jobs after graduating from high school.
This answer choice focuses on the continuation of after-school jobs for high school students after graduation. While this information may be interesting, it does not directly evaluate the impact of working long hours at part-time jobs on academic problems during high school. Therefore, it is not the most helpful in defending Dr. Godfrey's conclusion.
After analyzing each answer choice, we can conclude that the most helpful answer choice in determining whether Dr. Godfrey's conclusion can be logically defended against Dr. Nash's counterargument is (C) whether the students who work more than 15 hours per week and have academic problems had such problems before they began to work that many hours.