LSAT Explanation PT 35, S4, Q8: It is widely believed that by
LSAT Question Stem
The reasoning above is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider the possibility that
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Flaw question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is E.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
The question type for this problem is a Flaw question, which means we need to identify a flaw in the argument's reasoning. Let's first analyze the argument and its structure.
Passage summary:
1. It is widely believed that by age 80, perception and memory are significantly reduced from their functioning levels at age 30.
2. A recent study showed no difference in the abilities of 80-year-olds and 30-year-olds to play a card game devised to test perception and memory.
3. Therefore, the belief that perception and memory are significantly reduced by age 80 is false.
In the passage, statement 1 is a premise, statement 2 is another premise, and statement 3 is the conclusion. The argument is based on the results of a card game that was designed to test perception and memory, and the author concludes that the widely-held belief is false because there was no difference in the abilities of 80-year-olds and 30-year-olds to play the game.
Now, let's think about an "Evaluate" question for this argument. A good question would be, "Does the card game accurately and comprehensively test perception and memory in a way that can support the conclusion?" The answer to this question would help us determine if the argument is valid or not.
Now let's discuss the answer choices, keeping in mind that we're looking for a flaw in the argument's reasoning.
Answer choice (a): This answer choice is not a flaw because the argument is focused on perception and memory, which are the cognitive abilities tested by the card game. If the game doesn't test other cognitive abilities, it doesn't affect the argument.
Answer choice (b): This answer choice, if true, would actually strengthen the argument, as it would suggest that the card game is a challenging test of cognitive abilities. However, it doesn't identify a flaw in the argument.
Answer choice (c): This answer choice is not a flaw because the argument is focused on the results of the card game, which showed no difference in perception and memory between the two age groups. Even if perception and memory are interrelated in unknown ways, the results still showed no difference.
Answer choice (d): The origin of the widely-held belief is not relevant to the argument, as the conclusion is based on the results of the card game. This answer choice doesn't identify a flaw in the argument.
Answer choice (e): This is the correct answer choice. If playing the card game perfectly requires fairly low levels of perception and memory, then the results of the study may not be very helpful in supporting the conclusion. It's possible that the game is too easy to provide meaningful insight into the cognitive abilities of the two age groups, which undermines the argument's conclusion.
In conclusion, the correct answer is choice (e), as it identifies a flaw in the argument's reasoning by suggesting that the card game may not be an accurate or comprehensive test of perception and memory.