LSAT 41, Logical Reasoning I, Q5, LSATHacks

LR Question 5 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: Statistician: Two major studies found no causal link between medical…

QUESTION TYPE: Identify the Conclusion

CONCLUSION: Two major studies … are flawed

REASONING: Since the disease is so rare, a much larger sample size is required for studies to be valid.

ANALYSIS: First sentences are often the conclusions of arguments (like this sentence). No linking word such as “thus” or “therefore” is required when a conclusion is at the start. In a properly drawn argument, all of the premises will support the conclusion. Check each sentence and see if it is supporting another sentence, or if it is being supported.

Some people are tempted to choose the final sentence: “researchers would need … many more … people … to detect even a doubling …” This is important information, but it is not the conclusion. It is a reason for the conclusion. The studies are flawed (conclusion) because the samples are too small (premise).

___________

1. This is tempting, but it goes too far. We don’t have any evidence that procedure X does actually cause disease Y. We only have evidence that the two studies that found it didn’t cause the disease were flawed.
2. CORRECT. Yes, this goes only as far as the scientist does: the studies are flawed. No more, no less.
3. We might think they should try to settle this question, but the scientist didn’t express an opinion. He only said that previous attempts were flawed.
4. The two studies did reach a conclusion, and the scientist thinks it was improperly founded.
5. This is broader than the scientist’s conclusion. He only expressed an opinion on the two studies, not whether a causal connection had been established. Scientists are often very precise, and so is the LSAT.

Recap: The question begins with “Statistician: Two major studies found no causal link between medical”. It is a Identify The Conclusion question. Learn how to master LSAT Identify questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.

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