LSAT 108 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q16

LR Question 16 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: To act responsibly in one’s professional capacity …

QUESTION TYPE: Principle – Application

ANALYSIS: The principle is:

To act responsibly in your professional role, you must:

1. Act based on information.
2. Make a reasonable effort to ensure that information is accurate and complete.

So we’re either looking for a situation where someone didn’t follow those two rules, and therefore they didn’t act responsibly. Or a situation where someone followed both rules and did act responsibly.

Note that this principle is just about the decision-making process, not whether the outcome turned out good or bad.

___________

1. Peggy’s decision turned out well because enrollment unexpectedly increased. This is pure outcome-based reasoning. We know nothing about whether she made a reasonable effort to gather accurate information beforehand. So we can’t conclude she acted responsibly.
2. Tempting. It sounds like Mary investigated because she examined John’s record and listened to reports. But she listened to negative reports from some coworkers. We don’t know whether she got the full picture, and the principle requires making a reasonable effort to ensure the information is accurate and complete.
3. CORRECT. Toril invested company money without investigating the risks. This is exactly what the principle prohibits. She didn’t make a reasonable effort to gather accurate and complete information before acting, so she didn’t act responsibly.
4. This is also outcome-based. Helmer made a costly mistake, but we’re told he had never made such a mistake before. That actually suggests Conchita may have had good information when hiring him. A bad outcome doesn’t prove irresponsible decision-making.
5. Jennifer acted impulsively, but the principle is specifically about acting responsibly in one’s professional capacity. This is a vacation decision, not a professional one.