LSAT Explanation PT 44, S2, Q22: All the evidence so far gathered
LSAT Question Stem
The argument above exhibits an erroneous pattern of reasoning most similar to that exhibited by which one of the following?
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Parallel question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is E.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
This problem is a Parallel Reasoning question type. We are asked to find an answer choice that exhibits a similar pattern of flawed reasoning as the one in the passage. The passage's reasoning is flawed because it assumes that the result of the experiment will confirm one of the theories while disproving the other, without considering the possibility that the experiment might disprove both theories. We need to find an answer choice that has a similar flaw in reasoning.
Answer choice (A): This reasoning is fairly sound. If David and Jane often disagree, at least one of their methods is probably flawed. This choice does not parallel the reasoning in the passage, because "at least one" means either one or both methods could be flawed. The passage's flaw is not considering the possibility that both theories could be wrong.
Answer choice (B): The reasoning in this choice is bad, but for a different reason than the passage. It neglects the possibility that both David and Jane agree on the description of the tree, but simply disagree over its name. This is not a similar flaw to the one in the passage, which ignores the possibility that both theories could be wrong.
Answer choice (C): This choice is wrong because it ignores that even if David is one tree better, a difference of one tree is not enough to decide who is better at identifying trees. However, the two flaws are not analogous, so this choice is incorrect. The passage's flaw is not considering the possibility that both theories could be wrong, while this choice's flaw is about the insufficient evidence to determine who is better.
Answer choice (D): The reasoning in this choice is sound. Examining the whole forest would establish whether David is correct to believe there are more beeches than elms in the forest, so this response contains no logical flaw and is incorrect. We are looking for an answer choice that has a similar flaw to the one in the passage.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. Both David and Jane could be wrong, so Maria does not have to confirm either of these judgments, but the choice ignores that possibility. This flaw is exactly the same as the one in the passage. In this case, David and Jane represent the scientists, and Maria represents the experiment. The reasoning in this answer choice parallels the flawed reasoning in the passage, making it the correct choice.