LSAT 155 – Section 2 – Question 11

LSAT 155 - Section 2 - Question 11

November 2019

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT155 S2 Q11
+LR
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
A
4%
147
B
1%
148
C
7%
151
D
0%
149
E
88%
161
135
142
150
 +Medium 145.934 +SubsectionMedium

Psychologist: Specialists naturally tend to view their own specialties as fundamentally important. We are therefore amply justified in being skeptical when geneticists claim that personality traits not traditionally thought to be genetically determined are, in fact, genetically determined. The geneticists are probably just amplifying their sense of their own importance.

Summarize Argument
The author concludes that we should be skeptical when geneticists say that personality traits that aren’t thought to be genetically determined actually are genetically determined. The author supports this conclusion with the subsidiary conclusion that the geneticists are probably amplifying their own importance when they make such a claim. This sub-conclusion is supported by the fact that specialists tend to see their own specialties as important.

Identify and Describe Flaw
The author attacks the motivation of the geneticists rather than the substance of their claim. The motivation of the geneticists in making their claim that certain traits are genetically determined has no bearing on the truth of that claim.

A
generalizes about all specialists on the basis of an unrepresentative sample
The conclusion is just about geneticists. So it doesn’t generalize about all specialists.
B
presumes that the traditional view must be the right view simply because it is what has been traditionally believed
The author’s conclusion is not based merely on the fact that a particular view has been the traditional belief. The conclusion is based on comments on the motivation of the geneticists.
C
draws a conclusion that is merely a restatement of one of its main premises
(C) describes circular reasoning. The author’s conclusion — which asserts that we should be skeptical of a certain claim — is not restated in the premises, which concern the motivation of geneticists.
D
appeals to the authority of those unlikely to be well informed about the topic at issue
The author’s reasoning is not based on an appeal to authority. The author does not say that we should reject a belief because certain authorities reject it.
E
disputes a claim on the basis of a supposed motive for making the claim rather than by assessing the evidence relevant to the claim
The author disputes the geneticists’ claim based on the geneticists’ supposed motivation in making that claim (the desire to amplify their own importance). This is flawed because their motivation doesn’t relate to the truth of their claim.

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LSAT PrepTest 155 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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