LSAT Explanation PT 31, S3, Q1: Journalist: One reason many people believe

LSAT Question Stem

The reasoning in the journalist's argument is flawed because this argument 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's begin by analyzing the argument in the passage. The journalist presents the following argument:

Premise: Many people believe in extrasensory perception (ESP) because they have heard of controlled experiments in which ESP is demonstrated.

Premise: A prominent researcher has admitted to falsifying data on psychic phenomena to obtain additional grants.

Conclusion: ESP is a myth and the public is deluded by these experiments.

The main flaw in the journalist's argument is that they overgeneralize from the example of one deceptive researcher to conclude that ESP is a myth. To better understand this, imagine if we were discussing a scientist who falsified data on climate change. It wouldn't be fair to conclude that climate change is a myth just because one researcher was dishonest. Similarly, the journalist's argument is flawed because it assumes that all ESP research is unreliable based on one researcher's dishonesty.

Now, let's evaluate the argument by asking the following question: "Is the evidence provided by the dishonest researcher the only evidence supporting the belief in ESP?" The answer to this question will help us determine whether the journalist's argument is valid or not.

The question type of this problem is Flaw, which asks us to identify the flaw in the journalist's reasoning. The correct answer is E.

Let's discuss each answer choice:

a) The argument does not use an irrelevant personal attack on the integrity of someone. The journalist mentions the researcher's dishonesty, but this is relevant to the argument about the reliability of ESP research.

b) The argument does not infer that something must be a myth from the fact that the general public believes it. Instead, the journalist argues that ESP is a myth because of the falsified data from one researcher.

c) The journalist does not presuppose that, in general, only evidence from experiments can support beliefs. The argument states that many people believe in ESP because of experimental data, but it does not claim that experiments are the only acceptable form of evidence.

d) The argument does not imply that all scientists who depend on grants to support their research are unreliable. It only mentions the dishonesty of one researcher who falsified data to obtain additional grants.

e) This answer choice correctly identifies the flaw in the journalist's argument: it overgeneralizes from the example of one deceptive researcher to conclude that ESP is a myth and the public is deluded by these experiments. Just because one researcher was dishonest does not mean that all ESP research is unreliable or that ESP is a myth.

In conclusion, the journalist's argument is flawed because it overgeneralizes from the example of one deceptive researcher, assuming that all ESP research is unreliable based on this single case. The correct answer to the Flaw question is E.