Logical Reasoning: Family #2

Question 1

Objectives for Weaken Questions

Answer 1

1. The stimulus will contain an argument. Assess the premises and conclusion.
2. Focus on the conclusion. Almost all correct Weaken answer choices impact the reasoning used to reach the conclusion.
3. The information in the stimulus is suspect. There are typically reasoning errors present, and you must read the argument very carefully.
4. . Be sure to actively consider the range of possible answers before proceeding to the answer choices.
5. The answer choices are accepted as given, even if they include “new” information.

Question 2

Features of weaken questions:

Answer 2

1. The stem word uses “weaken” or a synonym

2. The stem indicates that you should accept the answer choices as true: “which one of the following, if true,…”

Question 3

Answers for Weaken Questions:

Answer 3

The premises are rarely negated.

Instead, the correct answer will undermine the conclusion by showing that the conclusion fails to account for some element or possibility. In this sense, the correct answer often shows that the conclusion does not necessarily follow from the premises even if the premises are true.

The stimuli in weaken questions contain errors of assumption.

Question 4

Common Weakening Scenarios

Answer 4

Incomplete Information

Improper Comparison

Overly Broad Conclusion

Question 5

Incomplete Information scenario (weaken)

Answer 5

The author fails to consider all of the possibilities, or relies upon evidence that is incomplete. This flaw can be attacked by bringing up new possibilities or information.

Question 6

Improper Comparison scenario (weaken)

Answer 6

The author attempts to compare two or more items that are essentially different.

Question 7

Overly Broad Conclusion scenario (weaken)

Answer 7

The author draws a conclusion that is broader or more expansive than the premises support.

Question 8

Incorrect Answers for Weaken Questions:

Answer 8

Opposite Answers

Shell Game Answers

Out of Scope Answers

Question 9

Opposite Answers (weaken)

Answer 9

Answers that strengthen the question

Question 10

Shell Game Answers (weaken)

Answer 10

In weaken questions, the shell game is usually used to attack a conclusion that is similar to, but slightly different from, the one presented in the stimulus.

Question 11

Out of Scope Answers (weaken)

Answer 11

Answers that miss the point of the argument and raise issues that are either not related to the argument or tangential to the argument.

Question 12

Simple rule for weakening a conditional conclusion:

Answer 12

When you have conditional reasoning in the stimulus and a Weaken question, immediately look for an answer that attacks the idea that the necessary condition is required.

Question 13

In Weaken questions, how do you attack a cause and effect relationship?

Answer 13

A. Find an alternate cause for the stated effect.
B. Show that even when the cause occurs, the effect does not occur.
C. Show that although the effect occurs, the cause did not occur.
D. Show that the stated relationship is in fact reversed
E. Show a statistical problem exists with the data used to make the causal statement.

Question 14

Possible and Probable vs Certain Causes

Answer 14

Instead of stating that the cause must have made a given effect happen, these arguments instead state that the cause could have or probably made the effect happen. However, in many cases, there is no operational difference between a causal conclusion of certainty and one of uncertainty.

Question 15

Partial Cause and Multi-Cause Scenarios

Answer 15

Another form of advanced causality occurs when the author suggests that the relationship under discussion was composed of several causes that all contributed to the effect, or that the cause being discussed was not the only cause present and was just a partial cause of the effect.

Question 16

Increases and Decreases in Likelihood and Degree

Answer 16

Two related presentations of causality on the LSAT involve causes that increase or decrease the force of the effect (degree), or causes that increase the likelihood that the effect will or will not occur (the latter case is especially associated with partial causes).

Question 17

Necessary and Sufficient Causes

Answer 17

A sufficient cause guarantees that the effect will occur, and in this way operates in a very similar fashion to basic causal arguments.

In contrast, a necessary cause is a cause that must be present if the effect is to occur. If the effect has occurred, then the cause must have occurred. But if the cause occurs, the effect may or may not occur.