LSAT Explanation PT 24, S3, Q23: Historians of North American architecture who

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to strengthen the historians' argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The historians observed that bigger houses, generally owned by wealthier people, had narrower wooden floorboards than smaller houses. Based on this observation, they concluded that narrow floorboards were probably a status symbol, meant to display the owner's wealth. In this argument, the observation about the size of the floorboards and the wealth of the house owners is the premise, and the conclusion is that narrow floorboards were a status symbol.

To simplify this, imagine two types of cars: luxury cars have a specific type of wheel design, while regular cars have a different wheel design. Historians might observe this and conclude that the luxury car wheel design was a status symbol to show off the owner's wealth.

The question we're dealing with is a Strengthen question, which asks us to find the answer choice that most helps to strengthen the historians' argument.

Let's evaluate each answer choice:

a) If more original floorboards have survived from big houses than from small houses, this doesn't necessarily strengthen the argument that narrow floorboards were a status symbol. It might be due to other factors, such as better preservation or construction techniques in big houses.

b) If a narrow floorboard was not significantly less expensive than a wide floorboard of the same length, this strengthens the argument because it suggests that choosing narrow floorboards wasn't simply a cost-saving measure. This supports the idea that narrow floorboards could have been chosen for their symbolic value, like showing off wealth.

c) The fact that smaller houses generally had fewer rooms than bigger houses does not directly relate to the size of the floorboards or their potential status symbolism.

d) Some houses having a mix of wide and narrow floorboards in different parts of the room doesn't directly strengthen the argument that narrow floorboards were a status symbol. It might suggest different design choices, but it doesn't necessarily indicate a connection to wealth.

e) While it's true that many big houses had more expensive flooring materials like marble, this doesn't directly strengthen the argument about narrow wooden floorboards being a status symbol. It shows that wealthy homeowners might have had a preference for expensive materials, but it doesn't specifically address the wooden floorboards.

Based on this analysis, the correct answer is B, as it most directly strengthens the argument that narrow floorboards were a status symbol by eliminating the possibility that they were chosen simply because they were cheaper.