LSAT Explanation PT 42, S4, Q5: Researchers have found that, hours after

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the ability of newborn infants described above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Paradox question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first understand the passage. The passage tells us that researchers found that infants can distinguish faces from other images just hours after birth. They know this because infants stare at drawings of faces for a longer time than they do at blank ovals or drawings with scrambled facial features. The question is asking us to explain how newborn infants can have this ability so soon after birth.

Think of it like this: imagine you just bought a new smartphone, and it already knows how to recognize your face without you having to teach it. This is similar to what the infants are doing - they can recognize faces without having been taught.

Now let's analyze the answer choices:

a) Certain abilities of facial pattern recognition are innate in humans, rather than learned.

This answer choice is like saying the smartphone came pre-programmed with the ability to recognize faces. If facial recognition is innate in humans, it means that infants are born with the ability to recognize faces. This would explain how they can distinguish faces from other images just hours after birth. So, this is a strong contender for the correct answer.

b) The longer an infant stares at an object, the more interesting the infant finds that object.

This answer choice doesn't explain how infants can recognize faces so soon after birth. It only tells us that infants find objects more interesting the longer they stare at them. It doesn't address why they stare at faces for longer periods than they do at the scrambled face images.

c) Infants learn to associate human faces with the necessities of comfort and nourishment.

This answer choice suggests that infants need time to learn the association between faces and comfort or nourishment. However, it doesn't explain how they can recognize faces just hours after birth, since they wouldn't have had enough time to learn this association. So, this answer choice is not a good explanation.

d) The less an infant stares at an object, the weaker the preference the infant has for that object.

Similar to answer choice (b), this answer choice doesn't address how infants can recognize faces so soon after birth. It only tells us that infants have weaker preferences for objects they stare at less. It doesn't explain why they stare at faces for longer periods than they do at the scrambled face images.

e) Infants learn to associate the sound of human voices with the images of human faces.

Like answer choice (c), this answer choice suggests that infants need time to learn the association between voices and faces. It doesn't explain how they can recognize faces just hours after birth, since they wouldn't have had enough time to learn this association. So, this answer choice is not a good explanation.

Based on our analysis, answer choice (a) is the best explanation for the ability of newborn infants to recognize faces just hours after birth. It suggests that facial recognition is innate in humans, meaning infants are born with this ability, which explains how they can distinguish faces from other images so soon after birth.