Lesson Five: Flawed Assumptions (LR), and Profile Charting Games (LG) Flashcards
–LOGICAL REASONING–
Flaw in the Reasoning Questions
Flaw in the reasoning questions have a stimulus in which the author’s argument relies on a presumed connection that is inherently flawed.
When answering Flaw in the Reasoning Questions, ask yourself, what about the ____________ of the author’s ________________ seems _______________?
Pay __________ attention to what you’re reading and ALWAYS look for _________________ in the author’s argument.
structure; argument; unsound; close; vulnerabilities
Example LSAT question:
Politician: Those economists who claim that consumer price increases have averaged less than 3 percent over the last year are mistaken. They clearly have not shopped anywhere recently. Gasoline is up 10 percent over the last year; my auto insurance, 12 percent; newspapers, 15 percent; propane, 13 percent; bread, 50 percent.
The reasoning in the politicians argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument…
(THE ANSWER IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CARD. BEFORE LOOKING, PREPHRASE AND FIND THE PRESUMED CONNECTION THAT THE AUTHOR’S ARGUMENT RELIES ON).
Prephrase: The author takes a definitive stand against economists saying that AVERAGE consumer prices has increased based on a limited number of examples from his personal experience with consumer prices of appliances/goods that he purchases. The argument relies on making an assumption about ‘the whole’ based on a few samples.
The Correct Answer Choice was D: uses evidence drawn from a small sample that may well be unrepresentative.
Example LSAT question:
A year ago the government reduced the highway speed limit, and in the year since, there have been significantly fewer highway fatalities, than there were in the previous year. Therefore, speed limit reduction can reduce traffic fatalities.
The argument is most vulnerable to the criticism that it takes for granted that…
(THE ANSWER IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAR. BEFORE LOOKING, PREPHRASE AND FIND THE PRESUMED CONNECTION THAT THE AUTHOR’S ARGUMENT RELIES ON).
Prephrase: Reading closely, we can tell the author is making a causal assumption: IF the government reduced the highway speed limit, THEN there have been fewer highway fatalities. In doing so, the author presumes there is one SOLE cause for the effect (fewer highway fatalities). In doing this, he dismisses any possible alternate cause that could’ve resulted in fewer highway fatalities. So, what the author takes for granted here is that there could be an entirely different cause for the effect.
The Correct Answer Choice was E: the number of traffic fatalities the year before the new speed limit was introduced was not abnormally high.
This answer choice suggest the author completely dismisses (based on his presumed causal relationship) the idea that ‘in the year prior to the passage of the new speed limit, the number of collisions on the highway was highly irregular, but since then the number of crashes have returned to it’s normal plateau.’
–LOGIC GAMES–
Profile Charting Games
Games that combine tactics of linear and grouping games (but more so grouping games).
In these games, you’ll usually have to assemble a committee or panel of some kind from a given number of candidates.
The number of people who can serve on the committee/panel is limited, so not all candidates will be chosen.
The candidates will have different characteristics/attributes, and you should make a chart listing their different characteristics.
(Then you can start making ‘hypotheticals’–combinations of variables chosen for the committee according to the rules of the game).
Example LSAT question:
A three-member advisory panel must be selected from a pool of six candidates: A, B, C, D, E, and F. The panel is composed of two women and one man, at least two of the member must have military experience, and at least two of the member must have doctoral degrees.
Rules:
A, B, C, and D are female; E and F are male.
C, D, E, and F have military experience.
B, C, D, and E have doctorate degrees.
Identify the variables, characteristics, and rules the game gives you.
Then, create a chart, and diagram your rules under the amount of slots necessary (in the stimulus).
3-member advisory: so you can only have 3 members. (___ ____ ____)
You have to choose from 6 candidates: ABCDEF
Characteristics: M/F, M.E., D.D.
(Yes/No) (Yes/No) Candidates M/F M.E. D.D.
A F \_\_\_ \_\_\_
B F \_\_\_ Y
C F Y Y
D F Y Y
E M Y Y
F M Y \_\_\_
___ ____ ____
2F / 1M
At least 2 must have M.E.
At least 2 must have D.D.
Hypotheticals:
- When doing hypotheticals, realize that you can group variables that are essentially identical: C, D, and E are identical in that they each have Military Experience and a Doctoral Degree (the only difference is that E is a male).
Ex. A-C-E, B-C-E, C-D-E, A-D-E etc…
Example LSAT question:
From among eight candidates, four astronauts will be selected for a space flight. Four of the candidates–F, J, K, and L–are experienced astronauts and four–M, N, P, T–are inexperienced astronauts. F, M, P, and T are geologists whereas J, K, L, and N are radiobiologists. The astronauts must be selected according to the following conditions:
Rules:
Exactly two experienced astronauts and two inexperienced astronauts are selected.
Exactly two geologist and two radiobiologists are selected.
Either P or L or Both.
Identify the variables, characteristics, and rules the game gives you.
Then, create a chart, and diagram your rules under the amount of slots necessary (in the stimulus).
4-person spaceflight: only 4 of the 8 can be selected (___ ___ ___ ___).
You have 8 candidates: F J K L M N P T
Characteristics: Experienced/Inexperienced (E/I), Geologists/Radiobiologists (G/R)
Candidates E/I G/R
F E G
J E R
K E R
L E R
M I G
N I R
P I G
T I G
___ ____ ____ ____
2E / 2I
2G / 2R
P or L or Both
(* THE PROBLEM TELLS YOU, YOU CAN HAVE BOTH P AND L, BUT REALIZE AT FIRST THEY SAID P OR L AS A REQUIREMENT. YOU MUST HAVE P OR L AMONG THE FOR ASTRONAUTS CHOSEN. SO ONE OF THE SPOTS WILL BE FILLED AS A DUAL OPTION.*)
P/L ____ ____ ____
Hypotheticals:
- Again realize which variables are identical.
- J, K, and L are identical (each are experienced astronauts who are also radiologists).
- M, P, and T are identical (each are inexperienced astronauts who are also geologists).
- So we know two people from JKL and MPT can make up the 4 who are chosen.
J K M P
J K M T (THIS ISN’T RIGHT, YOU CANT HAVE THIS BC YOU’RE LEAVING OUT P OR L)
J K P T
K L M P
K L M T
K L P T
J L M P
J L M T
J L P T
- F and N however, are polar opposites. F is an experienced radiologist, and N is an inexperienced geologists. They each satisfy some of the requirements in the rules, so they need to be together (such that F↔N). After having FN, all we need is a variable from the JKL and MPT sections. F N J/K/L M/P/T
Ex. F N ___ ___ ==> F N P K
F: E G
N: I R
P: I G
K: E R
We end up with EE, II, GG, RR so it works (and it proves F and N are inseparable).
Ex. F N P L
Example LSAT question (based on above Charting Game)
4. If M and T are selected for the space flight, which one of the following could be, but need not be, selected for the flight?
(A) F
(B) J
(C) L
(D) N
(E) P
Well, if we look back at our hypotheticals, in each of the combinations that have MT (K L M T, and J L M T). We can see from this, that L is a constant in both combinations, it’s necessary to both combinations, but j isn’t. So B is the correct answer choice.
L must be in the answer, because P is not there. J is not required (K could easily take J’s place).
