LSAT PrepTest 140 - Section 4 - Passage 3 - Question 18

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In certain fields of human endeavor, such as music, chess, and some athletic activities, the performance of the best practitioners is so outstanding, so superior even to the performance of other highly experienced individuals in the field, that some people believe some notion of innate talent must be invoked to account for this highest level of performance. ███

Phenomenon / OP Hypothesis · Exceptional performance explained by innate talent

Evidence for OP Hypothesis · Heritability of traits; inborn traits like motor coordination, reflex speed, etc.

Critique · Not much systematic research

Existing estimates of heritability based on general population, not exceptional performers.

Alternative Hypothesis · Exceptional performance explained by acquired complex skills and physiological adaptations

Evidence for Alternative Hypothesis · Exceptional performance is localized to the particular domain

For example, Michael Jordan's adventures in baseball. Chess players have exceptional memories but only for typical configurations of chess pieces.

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Evidence · Supporting acquired trait hypothesis and countering innate ability hypothesis

Most exceptional adults were not exceptional children; they trained early; skills like memory and ability to process information acquired; most traits (e.g. aerobic capacity and percentage of muscle fibers) can be altered by training.

Conclusion · Evidence does not support innate ability hypothesis

Because extended intense training along with a common level of talent can explain the difference in performance.

Implications · Motivation as better predictor of superior performance

Because sustained training depends on level of interest, hence motivational factors are better predictors of superior performance than innate talent.

Passage Style

Critique or debate

Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)

18.

Which one of the following ████ ██████████ █████████ ███ ████████ ████ ███████ ██ ███ ████████

Question Type

Implied

Purpose of passage

In a Phenomenon-Hypothesis passage, if the author supports a hypothesis, the primary purpose is to propose or provide evidence of that hypothesis. Here, the author’s purpose is to show that exceptional performance may not require exceptional talent. She expresses this view in P2 and describes evidence supporting it in P2 and P3.

to illustrate the ████ ██ █████ █ ███████ ███████████ █████ ███ ██ ███████ ██ ███████████ █████ ███ █████ ████████ ████████ ██ ███ ██████ ███████ ██ █████████ ███████████

Even if we consider the author’s proposed explanation for exceptional performance a “revised theoretical model,” the passage doesn’t involve a situation in which there were cases that were hard to explain with an old model.

to argue that ███ ████████ ████ ███ ██████████ █████ ██ ███████ █ ██████████ ██████ ██ ████ ████████ ██ ████████ ██████

The author discusses new research that supports her explanation. She doesn’t suggest that old research that people used to think supported a different theory actually supports her own theory.

18%

to show how █ ████ ██ ██████ ████████ ████████ ████████ ████ ███████ █████ █████ ██ ███████ ████████ ███ ███ ██████████ ██ █ ██████████ █████ ██ █████

This is the best answer. The author presents recent research that suggests certain views based on earlier research (the view that exceptional performance requires exceptional talent) are not applicable to a particular class of cases (the different domains of excellence studied). In other words, in these areas, exceptional performance might not require exceptional talent.

58%

to defend the ████████ ███ ██████████████ ██ ████ ███████ ████████ ██████████ ████ █████ ██ ██████ ███████ ██

The author doesn’t raise probable objections to her own argument.

to explain how █ ███ ██ █████ ██████████ ████████ ███████████ ████████████ ███████ ██ █ █████████████ ████ ██ ████████████ ████ ██ █ ██████████ ███ ████████ █████ ██ ███████

The author’s just trying to show that exceptional performance may not require exceptional talent. The author’s purpose isn’t to show the relationship between her new theory and a “long-standing body of experimental data” in a different field. She brings up new research that supports her own point. Although the author does mention the evidence that other people have for their view in P1, and that evidence is about music (which you might think is a “different field of inquiry”), the primary purpose of the passage isn’t related to the other people’s evidence.

10%

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PrepTest 140 - Section 4 - Passage 3 - Question 18

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