LSAT 149 – Section 1 – Question 05

LSAT 149 - Section 1 - Question 05

December 2017

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT149 S1 Q05
+LR
Strengthen +Streng
Causal Reasoning +CausR
Sampling +Smpl
A
0%
152
B
2%
162
C
97%
162
D
0%
154
E
0%
167
120
120
120
 +Easiest 143.093 +SubsectionEasier

Researchers examined 100 people suffering from herniated disks in their backs. Five of them were found to have a defect in a particular gene. The researchers also examined 100 people who had no problems with the disks in their backs; none had the genetic defect. They concluded that the genetic defect increases the likelihood of herniated disks.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The researchers hypothesize a person with the genetic defect is more likely to have a herniated disk. Why? Because 5 of 100 people with herniated disks had the defect, while 0 of 100 people without herniated disks had the defect.

Notable Assumptions
The researchers assume the correlation they found is explained by a causal relationship—that the genetic defect causes an increased likelihood of suffering a herniated disk. This means assuming no other causal relationship explains the phenomenon. It also means assuming their samples were representative of the general population.

A
The researchers also examined a group of 100 people who did not have the defective gene; 80 were found to have herniated disks in their backs.
If anything, this weakens the researchers’ argument. It suggests lacking the genetic defect—rather than having it—makes suffering a herniated disk more likely.
B
When the researchers examined a group of 100 people with the defective gene, they found that 2 of them had herniated disks in their backs.
If anything, this weakens the researchers’ argument. It implies having the genetic defect doesn’t make the likelihood of suffering a herniated disk all that high.
C
When the researchers examined the families of the 5 subjects who had the defective gene, they found that 30 family members also had the defective gene, and each of them suffered from herniated disks.
This implies a stronger correlation between the genetic defect and herniated disks. It’s more evidence that people with the defective gene tend to suffer herniated disks.
D
Another team of researchers examined a different group of 100 people who suffered from herniated disks, and they found that none of them had the defective gene.
This weakens the researchers’ argument. It suggests the findings were not replicable, raising the possibility the researchers’ study was anomalous or poorly designed.
E
When the researchers examined the family of one of the subjects who did not suffer from herniated disks, they found 30 family members who did not have the defective gene, and 20 of them suffered from herniated disks.
This weakens the researchers’ argument. It implies a different genetic or behavioral factor, other than the genetic defect in question, is likely responsible for the increased likelihood of herniated disks.

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LSAT PrepTest 149 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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