LSAT Explanation PT 27, S1, Q18: Astronauts who experience weightlessness frequently get
LSAT Question Stem
Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest additional support for the hypothesis above?
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Strengthen question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is A.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The passage presents a hypothesis that conflicting information received by the brain about the body's motion causes motion sickness. This hypothesis is based on the observation that astronauts who experience weightlessness frequently get motion sickness. The astronauts see their own motion relative to passing objects, but their inner ears indicate that their bodies are not moving, thus creating a conflict in the information received by the brain. So, the structure of the argument is as follows:
Premise: Astronauts who experience weightlessness frequently get motion sickness.
Premise: The astronauts see their own motion relative to passing objects, but their inner ears indicate that their bodies are not moving.
Conclusion: Conflicting information received by the brain about the body's motion causes motion sickness.
An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Is there any other factor that could cause motion sickness in astronauts experiencing weightlessness?"
Now, let's discuss the question type and what it's asking us to do. This is a Strengthen question, which means we need to identify the answer choice that provides the strongest additional support for the hypothesis.
Answer choice A is correct because it presents a situation where conflicting information about the body's motion causes motion sickness. During rough voyages, ship passengers in cabins providing a view of the water are less likely to get motion sickness than passengers in cabins providing no view. In this case, passengers with a view of the water have no conflict between their visual and bodily senses, while passengers without a view have a conflict between their visual and bodily senses. This supports the hypothesis that conflicting information about the body's motion causes motion sickness.
Answer choice B is incorrect because it does not provide any information about conflicting information received by the brain or any other factors that could cause motion sickness.
Answer choice C is also incorrect because it presents a situation where there is no conflict between the visual and bodily senses, yet motion sickness still occurs. This actually weakens the hypothesis.
Answer choice D is incorrect because it does not provide enough information about whether there is conflicting information received by the brain for the people with aisle seats or window seats.
Answer choice E is incorrect because it weakens the hypothesis by presenting a situation where astronauts with conflicting information do not get motion sickness.
In conclusion, answer choice A is the correct answer because it provides an additional example of conflicting information about the body's motion causing motion sickness, which strengthens the hypothesis presented in the passage.