PT74.S3.Q13 (P2) - "stealing thunder" is a courtroom strategy

danielznelson

https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-74-section-3-passage-2-questions

Okay, so I really debated between "C" and "D" (the former apparently being a crappy choice), and ended up selecting "C" only because the term "approving" in "D" seemed too strong and altogether inapplicable for describing the author's attitude. "C" to me seemed like a piece of the author's overall attitude, but is this in itself reason to not select "C"?

In other words, do questions regarding one's attitude inherently ask for the overall, holistic viewpoint as opposed to something the author may or may not agree with? I don't think I have ever seen a correct answer choice claiming the author has a particular viewpoint or judgement on the topic discussed when the author seems to have no such voice at all. The author points to evidence supporting the lawyers' claim, yes, but even if the author believes there to be sufficient evidence for the legitimacy of "stealing thunder," there is no indication of his approval of the use of it. By "approving," does the author believe that the use of "stealing thunder" is logical and sound? If "approving" were to take that meaning, I can completely understand why "D" is correct.

Finally, I assume "C" is wrong at least in part because of the term "anecdotal evidence," which doesn't fit at all with the speculation discussed at the end of the paragraph. My two concerns, then, lie with the use of "approving" as well as the inherent meaning of Attitude questions in general.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

runiggyrun

Yes, "approving" in this case means he thinks it makes sense to use it the way lawyers have been doing (that interpretation of "approving" is further substantiated by the qualification "on the grounds that it's success is experimentally supported etc.").
C is wrong for a couple of reasons: first there's no "anecdotal evidence" anywhere in the passage (and definitely not "crucial" negative evidence of any kind) - just some potential considerations about what might make the method less effective. And whatever it is that makes it less effective, it's definitely not stuff that the "research results omitted". The discussion about the pitfalls is completely separate from the research discussion.

danielznelson

Thanks. Support for "D" came to me as I was writing my question, and I feel 100% solid about it. Your explanation for "C" has two reasons that I didn't even consider - the fact that research didn't omit and that, similarly, the note about potential pitfalls has nothing to do with research. Thanks again!