LSAT 120 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q10

LR Question 10 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Researcher: All defects in short-term memory are caused by…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: All learning defects in children are caused by a malfunctioning hippocampus.

REASONING: Because all defects in short-term memory are caused by a malfunctioning hippocampus, and short-term memory is necessary for long-term memory.

ANALYSIS: This is a very bad argument. There could be other ways that learning defects occur, apart from problems with short-term memory. If a child has a very bad head injury they might not learn well even if their hippocampus works just fine.

___________

1. There is no sample here. The stimulus refers to all learning deficits.
2. CORRECT. Yes. If this were true, the argument would be good. But it’s not true, and so the argument is flawed.
3. It isn’t necessary that short-term memory be disabled; it only needs to be impaired.
4. The argument wouldn’t be different if five seconds or five milliseconds were required. Precision is not needed here.
5. The conclusion is confined to learning deficits in children, not adults.

Recap: The question begins with “Researcher: All defects in short-term memory are caused by”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Flaw questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.