LSAT 128 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q9

LR Question 9 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: A television commercial argued as follows …

QUESTION TYPE: Method of Reasoning

CONCLUSION: One should use the advertised product.

REASONING:

1. The product has higher concentrations of the active ingredients than its competitor
2. Higher concentrations are safe
3. A product that provides faster relief is always preferable

ANALYSIS: You might have missed it because you assumed this was implied, but the stimulus actually gives us no reason to conclude that higher concentrations = faster relief.

Just because a product has more of an active ingredient does not mean it works faster. Other factors, like how the body absorbs the ingredient, could play a role.

So the flaw will address how the argument assumes that higher concentrations result in faster relief without providing evidence for it.

___________

1. This is very close, but not exact. The argument focuses on speed of relief rather than overall effectiveness. It assumes faster action, not necessarily greater effectiveness overall.
2. The claim about faster relief could be tested in clinical trials, so the argument isn’t really relying on something inherently unverifiable.
3. This would be relevant if there was an attack on the competitor itself, but that doesn’t happen here.
4. The argument relies on logical claims (though flawed), not emotional appeals. This isn’t accurate.
5. CORRECT. The argument assumes that higher concentration automatically means faster relief, without offering any actual proof that this is true.