LSAT 136 – Section 4 – Question 15

LSAT 136 - Section 4 - Question 15

June 2012

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT136 S4 Q15
+LR
Resolve reconcile or explain +RRE
Causal Reasoning +CausR
Sampling +Smpl
A
34%
161
B
62%
166
C
1%
152
D
1%
156
E
3%
157
147
159
170
 +Harder 146.121 +SubsectionMedium

Carpal tunnel syndrome, a nerve disorder that affects the hands and wrists, is often caused by repetitive motions such as typing on a keyboard. A recent study of office workers found that, among those who do similar amounts of typing, workers reporting the least control over their own work had almost three times the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome as did those who reported the most control.

"Surprising" Phenomenon
Among workers who do similar amounts of typing, why do those who report the least control over their own work have a significantly higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome as do those who report the most control?

Objective
The correct answer should help differentiate feeling the least control (or reporting the least control) from feeling the most control (or reporting the most control). This difference should provide a potential theory that could lead to those feeling the least control (or reporting the least control) to develop carpal tunnel syndrome at a higher rate.

A
Office workers who have the most control over their own work tend to do significantly less typing than do those who have the least control over their own work.
The stimulus already controlled for different amounts of typing: “among those who do similar amounts of typing...”
B
Feeling a lack of control over one’s own work tends to put one under emotional stress that makes one more susceptible to nerve disorders.
The stimulus told us carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve disorder. If feeling lack of control can make one more susceptible to nerve disorders, this could account for why those reporting the least control get carpal tunnel syndrome (a nerve disorder) at a higher rate than those reporting the most control.
C
The keyboards on which office workers type tend to put typists’ arms and hands in positions that promote the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.
This doesn’t differentiate workers reporting the least control from those reporting the most. We have no reason to think workers reporting the least control are more likely to use the keyboards described in this answer.
D
Among office workers who rarely use keyboards, the rate of carpal tunnel syndrome is much higher for those who feel that they lack control over their own work.
The stimulus already controls for typing amount. Whether workers rarely use keyboards or use keyboards a lot, among those who do similar amounts of typing, people reporting the least control get carpal tunnel syndrome at a higher rate. Why? This answer doesn’t provide a theory.
E
Office workers who have the most control over their own work tend to perform repetitive motions other than typing more often than do office workers with the least control over their own work.
This makes the discrepancy more difficult to explain. If those who have the most control perform repetitive motions more than those who have the last control, we’d expect those who report feeling the most control to get carpal tunnel syndrome at a higher rate.

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LSAT PrepTest 136 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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