LSAT 109 – Section 1 – Question 01

LSAT 109 - Section 1 - Question 01

December 2000

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT109 S1 Q01
+LR
Strengthen +Streng
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
0%
154
B
1%
153
C
0%
162
D
2%
158
E
96%
167
125
135
145
 +Easier 148.877 +SubsectionMedium

Marmosets are the only primates other than humans known to display a preference for using one hand rather than the other. Significantly more marmosets are left-handed than are right-handed. Since infant marmosets engage in much imitative behavior, researchers hypothesize that it is by imitation that infant marmosets learn which hand to use, so that offspring reared by left-handed parents generally share their parents’ handedness.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The researchers hypothesize that most marmosets become left-handed because they imitate their parents as babies. Why? Because infant marmosets are known to imitate frequently.

Notable Assumptions
The researchers assume there’s no alternative or additional explanation accounting for the prevalence of left-handedness among marmosets. In particular, they assume baby marmosets tend to imitate their parents, and that genetic factors don’t determine a marmoset’s handedness.

A
A study conducted on adult marmosets revealed that many were right-handed.
This doesn’t affect the researchers’ argument. It’s stated only that “[s]ignificantly more” marmosets are left-handed than right-handed, which is compatible with the existence of many right-handed marmosets, provided there are also lots of left-handed marmosets out there.
B
Right-handed marmosets virtually all have at least one sibling who is left-handed.
This weakens the researchers’ argument. It implies left-handed and right-handed marmosets are frequently raised by the same parents, making it less likely that marmosets tend to acquire the same handedness as their parents.
C
According to the study, 33 percent of marmosets are ambidextrous, showing equal facility using either their left hand or their right hand.
This doesn’t affect the researchers’ argument. It doesn’t change the relative prevalence of left-handed marmosets, nor does it imply the researchers are basing their hypothesis on faulty evidence.
D
Ninety percent of humans are right-handed, but those who are left-handed are likely to have at least one left-handed parent.
This implies humans tend to acquire their handedness from their parents, not that humans—or marmosets—acquire their handedness through imitation. There are many reasons, besides their tendency to imitate, why marmosets might, unlike humans, tend to be left-handed.
E
Marmosets raised in captivity with right-handed adult marmosets to whom they are not related are more likely to be right-handed than left-handed.
This supports the researchers’ hypothesis that handedness is developed through imitation, rather than solely genetic or environmental factors. It implies baby marmosets tend to acquire their handedness from other, nearby marmosets—not just from genetic relatives.

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LSAT PrepTest 109 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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