QUESTION TEXT: In a recent study of dust-mite allergy…
QUESTION TYPE: Paradox
PARADOX: A study used mite-proof bedding. The group with mite-proof bedding had 69% fewer dust-miter allergens in their mattresses compared to the control group. But, the mite-proof group had no reduction in symptoms.
ANALYSIS: Some things in life are “on/off” and some things in life are “some is ok, a lot is bad”. It could be that dust mites are more “on/off”: any amount of them above a certain threshold will cause about the same level of problems.
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- So? The stimulus didn’t specify what the symptoms were. The main point was that they weren’t reduced.
- So? Let’s say sufferers routinely exaggerate by 50%. If their symptoms go down by 69%, we’d still expect to see a reduction in reported symptoms, even if the new levels were exaggerated.
* e.g. before reduction, actual symptoms are 100, but people report 150.
* after reduction, actual symptoms are 30. People report 45. - There are few things in life we “fully understand”. Since this statement can be applied to everything, it explains nothing.
- CORRECT. This explains it. While dust mite allergens were lower, they weren’t low enough to address the problem.
- This is normal for experiment design, I think. In any case, there was no reduction in either group. If there were a placebo problem we’d see some kind of reduction in both groups.
Recap: The question begins with “In a recent study of dust-mite allergy”. It is a Paradox question. To practice more Paradox questions, have a look at the LSAT Questions by Type page.
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