LSAT 137 – Section 3 – Question 04

LSAT 137 - Section 3 - Question 04

October 2012

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT137 S3 Q04
+LR
+Exp
Weaken +Weak
A
2%
151
B
93%
164
C
3%
158
D
1%
151
E
1%
154
131
139
148
 +Easier 146.416 +SubsectionMedium

In a study of patients who enrolled at a sleep clinic because of insomnia, those who inhaled the scent of peppermint before going to bed were more likely to have difficulty falling asleep than were patients who inhaled the scent of bitter orange. Since it is known that inhaling bitter orange does not help people fall asleep more easily, this study shows that inhaling the scent of peppermint makes insomnia worse.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis

The author hypothesizes that inhaling the scent of peppermint makes insomnia worse. She bases this on the observation that patients with insomnia who inhaled the scent of peppermint before bed were more likely to have difficulty falling asleep than patients who inhaled the scent of bitter orange, which doesn’t help people fall asleep more easily.

Notable Assumptions

The author assumes that inhaling peppermint directly causes difficulty in falling asleep, without considering alternative explanations and other factors.

She also assumes that the only difference between the two groups is the scent they were exposed to, without considering other possible differences that could influence the outcomes.

She also assumes that the study was conducted properly and that the study’s sample is representative of all insomnia sufferers.

A
Several studies have shown that inhaling the scent of peppermint tends to have a relaxing effect on people who do not suffer from insomnia.

The study and the author’s conclusion are only addressing the effects of inhaling the scent of peppermint on people who do suffer from insomnia. So the effects on people who do not suffer from insomnia is irrelevant.

B
The patients who inhaled the scent of bitter orange were, on average, suffering from milder cases of insomnia than were the patients who inhaled the scent of peppermint.

The author assumes that the only difference between the two groups is the scent they inhaled, but (B) shows that those who inhaled bitter orange already had milder insomnia than those who inhaled peppermint. This weakens the conclusion that peppermint worsens insomnia.

C
Because the scents of peppermint and bitter orange are each very distinctive, it was not possible to prevent the patients from knowing that they were undergoing some sort of study of the effects of inhaling various scents.

We don’t know that the patients’ knowledge of the study affected their ability to fall asleep, or why it would have affected one group’s ability but not the other’s. (C) also doesn’t address the author’s conclusion or assumptions.

D
Some of the patients who enrolled in the sleep clinic also had difficulty staying asleep once they fell asleep.

The study and conclusion are only about the effects of the scents on falling asleep. Whether patients stayed asleep is not relevant.

E
Several studies have revealed that in many cases inhaling certain pleasant scents can dramatically affect the degree to which a patient suffers from insomnia.

This could mean that inhaling certain pleasant scents can make insomnia worse or that it can make it better. We also don’t know what qualifies as a “pleasant scent” here. (E) is simply too vague to apply to the author’s conclusion about this specific study.

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LSAT PrepTest 137 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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