LSAT Explanation PT 23, S2, Q16: Some health officials are concerned about

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, provides the most support for the argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In the passage, the author presents an argument regarding the increase in reported deaths from alcohol-related conditions. The health officials attribute this increase to a rise in alcoholism, while the author believes it is due to a change in attitudes toward alcoholism and physicians being more likely to identify these deaths as alcohol-related. Let's break down the argument structure:

Premise: There is a sustained increase in reported deaths from alcohol-related conditions.

Premise: Attitudes toward alcoholism have changed, from being considered a moral failing to being viewed as a disease.

Conclusion: The increase in reported deaths is likely due to physicians being more likely to identify these deaths as alcohol-related.

Now, the question asks us to strengthen the argument, meaning we need to find a piece of information that supports the conclusion and makes it more likely to be true.

Before we discuss the answer choices, let's identify the question type: Strengthen. Our task is to find the answer choice that provides the most support for the argument.

a) The frequent use of alcohol by young people is being reported as occurring at increasingly early ages.

- This answer choice does not strengthen the argument. It suggests that there might be more cases of alcoholism, which would support the health officials' claim rather than the author's conclusion.

b) In some places and times, susceptibility to any kind of disease has been viewed as a moral failing.

- This answer choice is irrelevant to the argument. It does not provide any information that supports the conclusion that physicians are more likely to identify deaths as alcohol-related.

c) More physicians now than in the past are trained to recognize the physical effects of alcoholism.

- This is the correct answer choice. It strengthens the argument by providing a reason for why physicians might be more likely to identify deaths as alcohol-related. If they are better trained to recognize the effects of alcoholism, it makes sense that they would identify more deaths as being caused by alcoholism.

d) Even though alcoholism is considered to be a disease, most doctors recommend psychological counseling and support groups as the best treatment.

- This answer choice does not strengthen the argument. It provides information about the recommended treatment for alcoholism, but it does not support the conclusion that physicians are more likely to identify deaths as alcohol-related.

e) Many health officials are not physicians.

- This answer choice is not relevant to the argument. Whether or not health officials are physicians does not provide any support for the conclusion that physicians are more likely to identify deaths as alcohol-related.

In conclusion, answer choice C strengthens the argument by providing a reason for why physicians might be more likely to identify deaths as alcohol-related due to their better training in recognizing the physical effects of alcoholism. This supports the author's conclusion and makes it more likely to be true.