LSAT 23 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q18

LR Question 18 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Columnist: The advent of television helps to explain…

QUESTION TYPE: Strengthen

CONCLUSION: TV explains why cities grew violent earlier than rural areas.

REASONING: Cities became violent four years earlier than rural areas, and TV appeared in cities five years earlier than in rural areas.

ANALYSIS: This isn’t a very good argument. We’re not told why TV increases violence.

Many people associate TV with violent programs, but we’re not told that early TV was violent. (If you’ve ever watched early TV, it was pretty benign.)

___________

1. The stimulus doesn’t mention violent television programs. It only claims that TV itself is a cause of violence.
2. CORRECT. I don’t like this answer, because the stimulus doesn’t mention whether early TV was violent. But this does slightly strengthen the argument. It shows TV caused violence, and not the other way around.
3. This would weaken the argument. If there was no TV violence, then how did TV cause violence?
4. The argument didn’t say that TV had a stronger effect in urban areas. It said TV had an earlier effect. But maybe TV had just as strong an effect in rural areas, once it arrived.
5. We’re not told whether people had more leisure time. Maybe TV replaced other leisure activities.

Recap: The question begins with “Columnist: The advent of television helps to explain”. It is a Strengthen question. Learn more about LSAT Strengthen questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.