LSAT 128 – Section 3 – Question 05

LSAT 128 - Section 3 - Question 05

December 2008

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT128 S3 Q05
+LR
Weaken +Weak
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
7%
161
B
92%
167
C
1%
145
D
0%
155
E
1%
166
130
140
151
 +Easier 145.461 +SubsectionMedium

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Those who participate in risky sports often do so to confront their fears. For example, rock climbers are more likely than others to have once suffered from a fear of heights. Those who participate in such risk-taking activities also have more self-confidence than others, so it is probably true that confronting one’s fears increases one’s self-confidence.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author concludes that confronting one’s fears probably increases one’s self-confidence. This is based on the fact that people who participate in risky sports have more self-confidence than people who don’t participate in risky sports

Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the correlation between participation in risky sports and self-confidence is explained by participation in risky sports causing more self-confidence. This overlooks the possibility of other explanations for the correlation. In particular, it’s possible people who are already more self-confident are more likely to participate in risky sports.

A
Often those who suffer from fears such as a fear of heights either do not know that they suffer from those fears or do not know the extent to which they suffer from them.
The author never suggested that everyone who suffers from a fear of heights will engage in activities to try to confront those fears. Some people might not be aware and might not do anything to confront their unknown fears.
B
In general, people who currently participate in risky sports had above-average self-confidence even before participating in any risky sport.
This raises the possibility that the causal relationship between risky sports and self-confidence is reversed. People who start off with higher self confidence are more likely to participate in risky sports, which could explain the correlation we observe.
C
Most people who refrain from engaging in risky sports refrain from doing so for reasons other than a fear of death or injury.
This has no clear impact on the argument. If anything, this might strengthen the argument by suggesting that it’s not a lack of confidence that causes people to choose not to participate in risky sports.
D
Participating in risky sports is not the only way to confront one’s fears.
The author never suggested that risky sports are the only way to confront one’s fears. We know people who do risky sports often do so to confront their fears, but maybe people confront fears in other ways, too. This doesn’t suggest risky sports might not increase confidence.
E
Most of those who do not participate in risky sports believe that they lack the capacity to excel in such activities.
This has no clear impact on the argument. This doesn’t provide an alternate explanation for the correlation between risky sports and higher self-confidence, nor does it provide evidence suggesting risky sports might not be the cause of higher self-confidence.

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LSAT PrepTest 128 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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