LSAT 158 – Section 2 – Question 20

LSAT 158 - Section 2 - Question 20

May 2020

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT158 S2 Q20
+LR
Except +Exc
Resolve reconcile or explain +RRE
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
4%
156
B
16%
156
C
21%
158
D
40%
165
E
18%
159
155
165
175
 +Hardest 146.031 +SubsectionMedium

A research psychologist used a personality test to classify high school students as “repressors”—people who repress upsetting thoughts and feelings from conscious awareness—or as “sensitizers”—those especially attuned to internal states who freely express distress. The researcher found that, compared to sensitizers, the repressors were less shy and anxious, could better tolerate frustration, and had superior social skills, higher grades, and a greater sense of self-esteem.

"Surprising" Phenomenon
Compared to sensitizers, why are repressors less shy and anxious, better able to tolerate frustration, and have superior social skills, higher grades, and a greater sense of self-esteem?

Objective
This is an EXCEPT question. The four wrong answers will connect repression of upsetting thoughts and feelings with the features associated with repressors or connect expression of distress with the features associated with sensitizers.

A
Repressors are better able than sensitizers to focus on their work and to avoid distractions.
Better ability to focus on work and to avoid distractions could explain why repressors have higher grades than sensitizers.
B
Repressors are less apt than sensitizers to alienate people by expressing their emotions.
Less likelihood of alienating people through expression of emotions could explain why repressors have better social skills and a greater sense of self-esteem.
C
Parents and other caregivers tend to reward repressors more than they reward sensitizers for academic performance and social behavior deemed desirable.
Being more likely to be rewarded for academic performance and desirable social behavior could explain why repressors get better grades and have superior social skills.
D
Some psychologists have hypothesized that the desire to maintain social and academic success and self-esteem strengthens repressors’ tendency to repress upsetting thoughts and feelings.
Even if we accept this hypothesis, this reverses the direction of the relationship we want to explain. It helps establish that desire for success/self-esteem can intensify repressors’ repression. But how could repression lead to success/self-esteem?
E
Sensitizers tend to focus more than repressors do on the difficulties of succeeding in their projects rather than on factors that are likely to contribute to success.
Less focus on things that are likely to contribute to success might explain why sensitizers have worse grades, worse self-esteem, and less ability to tolerate frustration.

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LSAT PrepTest 158 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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