LSAT 132 – Section 4 – Question 13

LSAT 132 - Section 4 - Question 13

December 2010

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Question QuickView	Type	Tags	Answer Choices	Curve	Question Difficulty	Psg/Game/S Difficulty	Explanation
PT132 S4 Q13	+LR	Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw Causal Reasoning +CausR	A 2% 157 B 19% 161 C 65% 165 D 8% 159 E 7% 160	134 152 171	+Medium	146.238 +SubsectionMedium

Many symptoms of mental illnesses are affected by organic factors such as a deficiency in a compound in the brain. What is surprising, however, is the tremendous variation among different countries in the incidence of these symptoms in people with mental illnesses. This variation establishes that the organic factors that affect symptoms of mental illnesses are not distributed evenly around the globe.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis

The argument concludes that organic factors which affect the symptoms of mental illnesses are not evenly distributed around the world. This is based on the claim that symptoms of mental illness that are known to be affected by organic factors vary greatly in different places around the world.

Identify and Describe Flaw

The argument overlooks alternative explanations for the variation of mental illness symptoms, other than uneven distribution of organic factors. Other environmental or systemic causes, like climate, culture, or healthcare, could also affect mental illness symptoms. Differences in these alternative factors could explain the global variation of symptoms.

does not say how many different mental illnesses are being discussed

There’s no need to specify how many different mental illnesses are being discussed in order to draw conclusions about the variation of certain symptoms of mental illness.

neglects the possibility that nutritional factors that contribute to deficiencies in compounds in the brain vary from culture to culture

This possibility is not neglected by the argument. It’s consistent with the argument’s conclusion that organic factors—such as deficiencies in compounds in the brain—vary across the globe.

fails to consider the possibility that cultural factors significantly affect how mental illnesses manifest themselves in symptoms

The argument fails to consider any explanations for the variation of mental illness symptoms around the world, other than uneven distribution of organic factors. Cultural factors that affect the manifestation of mental illness would be one plausible alternative.

presumes, without providing justification, that any change in brain chemistry manifests itself as a change in mental condition

The argument simply doesn’t claim that any change in brain chemistry manifests as a change in mental condition.

presumes, without providing justification, that mental phenomena are only manifestations of physical phenomena

The argument doesn’t claim that mental phenomena are only manifestations of physical phenomena, just that some mental phenomena (mental illness symptoms) are at least in part affected by certain physical phenomena (organic factors).

LSAT 132 – Section 4 – Question 13

LSAT 132 - Section 4 - Question 13

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LSAT PrepTest 132 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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