LSAT Explanation PT 26, S3, Q21: The companies that are the prime

LSAT Question Stem

The conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Sufficient Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The passage presents the following premises and conclusion:

Premise 1: Prime purchasers of computer software will not buy a software package if the costs of training staff to use it are high.

Premise 2: It is expensive to teach people a software package that demands the memorization of unfamiliar commands.

Conclusion: To be successful, commercial computer software cannot require users to memorize unfamiliar commands.

Now, let's simplify this argument using an example:

Imagine a company that sells a software package for organizing a personal library. If it's too expensive to train people to use this software because it requires memorizing many unfamiliar commands, prime purchasers won't buy it. Therefore, for the library software to be successful, it should not require users to memorize unfamiliar commands.

The Evaluate question for this argument would be: "Is the success of commercial computer software dependent on prime purchasers buying it?"

Now let's look at the question type and answer choices. The question type is Sufficient Assumption, which asks us to identify the assumption that, if true, would make the conclusion logically follow from the premises.

a) If most prime purchasers of computer software buy a software product, that product will be successful.

This choice is incorrect because it doesn't guarantee that buying the software equals success. It only states that if most prime purchasers buy it, the product will be successful, but it doesn't establish a necessary relationship between the two.

b) Commercial computer software that does not require users to memorize unfamiliar commands is no more expensive than software that does.

This choice is incorrect because it doesn't address the relationship between prime purchasers buying the software and the software's success.

c) Commercial computer software will not be successful unless prime purchasers buy it.

This choice is correct because it establishes that prime purchasers buying the software is necessary for it to be successful. This assumption fills the gap in the argument and makes the conclusion logically follow from the premises.

d) If the initial cost of computer software is high, but the cost of training users is low, prime purchasers will still buy that software.

This choice is incorrect because it doesn't address the relationship between prime purchasers buying the software and the software's success.

e) The more difficult it is to learn how to use a piece of software, the more expensive it is to teach a person to use that software.

This choice is incorrect because it doesn't address the relationship between prime purchasers buying the software and the software's success.

In conclusion, the correct answer is choice C, as it establishes the necessary relationship between prime purchasers buying the software and the software's success, thus making the conclusion logically follow from the premises.