LSAT 145 – Section 4 – Question 12

LSAT 145 - Section 4 - Question 12

December 2015

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT145 S4 Q12
+LR
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
Lack of Support v. False Conclusion +LSvFC
A
86%
165
B
3%
158
C
1%
150
D
2%
155
E
8%
156
141
149
156
 +Medium 148.528 +SubsectionMedium

Live Commentary

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Several movie critics have claimed that this movie will inspire people to act in socially irresponsible ways, yet this claim relies entirely on survey data that have turned out to be deeply flawed. Thus these critics have made a claim that is not only untrue but also potentially harmful to the moviemakers’ reputations.

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The author concludes that the critics’ claim is false. The author supports this with the fact that the critics’ claim is based on data that is flawed.

Identify and Describe Flaw
The author mistakenly assumes that a conclusion based on flawed data cannot be true. This overlooks the distinction between lack of support and a false conclusion. Although the critics’ claim might not be supported well due to flawed evidence, the claim could still be true.

A
infers that a claim is false merely on the grounds that no satisfactory evidence for it has been offered
The author infers that the critics’ claim is false merely on the grounds that the data offered for it is unsatisfactory (because it was flawed). This reasoning is flawed because the critics’ claim can still be true despite being based on bad data.
B
fails to consider that a pejorative claim that is true can be more harmful to a person’s reputation than a false claim
The author’s conclusion didn’t say that the critics’ claim is more harmful to the moviemakers’ reputations than some other kind of claim. So the possibility (B) describes doesn’t affect the argument.
C
relies on a sample that is likely to be unrepresentative
The author’s premise asserts that the data underlying the critics’ study was flawed. Pointing out the evidence underlying someone else’s argument is flawed doesn’t constitute using a sample.
D
attacks the persons making an argument rather than attacking the substance of the argument
The author doesn’t attack the critics. She attacks the critics’ data underlying their conclusion.
E
fails to consider that, even if an argument’s conclusion is false, some of the evidence used to justify that conclusion may nonetheless be true
The problem with the author’s argument is that she hasn’t shown the critics’ conclusion is false. So an answer that points out what might be true if the critics’ conclusion is false doesn’t undermine the argument. We want to point out why the critics’ conclusion might be true.

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LSAT PrepTest 145 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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