LSAT Explanation PT 22, S4, Q1: Advertisement: Among popular automobiles, Sturdimades stand

LSAT Question Stem

Construed as an argument, the advertisement's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first break down the argument in the passage. The advertisement is promoting Sturdimade automobiles and claims they are great for long-distance driving. As evidence, the advertisement cites the existence of Sturdimade's "long distance" club, whose members have driven their Sturdimades for at least 100,000 miles or 160,000 kilometers. The advertisement then concludes that if you buy a Sturdimade, you can rely on being able to drive it for a very long distance.

The argument's structure can be broken down as follows:

1. Premise: Hundreds of longtime Sturdimade owners have driven their cars for at least 100,000 miles or 160,000 kilometers (membership in the "long distance" club).

2. Conclusion: If you buy a Sturdimade, you can rely on being able to drive it for a very long distance.

The question type is Flaw, asking us to identify the flaw in the advertisement's reasoning.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Are the members of the 'long distance' club truly representative of all Sturdimade owners?"

Now let's analyze each answer choice:

a) It draws a general conclusion from cases selected only on the basis of having a characteristic that favors that conclusion.

This answer choice is correct. The advertisement's reasoning is flawed because it only considers the cases of Sturdimade owners who have driven their cars for long distances (members of the "long distance" club) and then assumes that all Sturdimade owners will have the same experience. This is a biased sample and doesn't necessarily represent the overall population of Sturdimade owners.

b) Its conclusion merely restates the evidence given to support it.

This answer choice is incorrect. The conclusion does not merely restate the evidence. The evidence is about the existence of the "long distance" club and its members, while the conclusion is about the ability of all Sturdimade owners to drive their cars for long distances.

c) It fails to clarify in which of two possible ways an ambiguous term is being used in the premises.

This answer choice is incorrect. The term "long distance" is not ambiguous in the premises, as it is clearly defined as driving a Sturdimade for at least 100,000 miles or 160,000 kilometers.

d) The evidence given to support the conclusion actually undermines that conclusion.

This answer choice is incorrect. The evidence provided (the existence of the "long distance" club and its members) does not undermine the conclusion. It may not be sufficient to support the conclusion, but it does not contradict it.

e) It treats popular opinion as if it constituted conclusive evidence for a claim.

This answer choice is incorrect. The argument does not rely on popular opinion as evidence. Instead, it uses the existence of the "long distance" club and its members as evidence.

In summary, the correct answer is A, as the advertisement's reasoning is flawed because it draws a general conclusion from cases selected only on the basis of having a characteristic that favors that conclusion.