LSAT 148 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q1

LR Question 1 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: In a recent study of dust-mite allergy sufferers, one…

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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1. So? The stimulus didn’t specify what the symptoms were. The main point was that they weren’t reduced.

2. 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.
3. There are few things in life we “fully understand”. Since this statement can be applied to everything, it explains nothing.
4. CORRECT. This explains it. While dust mite allergens were lower, they weren’t low enough to address the problem.
5. 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.