Persuasiveness of evidence should be evaluated by considering which components?

• A. Only its sufficiency
• B. Its cost and availability
• C. Its competence and sufficiency
• D. Its age and source

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that how persuasive evidence is depends on two things: how credible or reliable it is, and how much of it there is. When evidence comes from a competent source, use sound methods, and is presented accurately, it’s more trustworthy. That quality part is captured by calling it competent. At the same time, even credible evidence won’t be persuasive if there isn’t enough of it to support the conclusion; this is the sufficiency aspect. Together, competence and sufficiency determine how convincing the evidence is.

Cost and availability don’t affect credibility, and age and source don’t fully address both credibility and quantity. So evaluating persuasiveness by looking at its competence and sufficiency gives the most complete picture.