LSAT 151 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q14

LR Question 14 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: A new computer system will not significantly increase…

QUESTION TYPE: Complete the Argument

CONCLUSION: The new computer system won’t make a significant improvement to productivity. [Expected conclusion]

REASONING: Significant productivity increase ➞ require new way of working.

The new system will not require a new way of working.

ANALYSIS: The reasoning sets up a conditional statement, and negates the necessary condition. So we can take the contrapositive of the conditional statement and conclude the necessary condition of that. This is a great question to redo if you missed it, as it’s classic conditional reasoning; a skill you should master 100%.

Require new way of working ➞ significant productivity increase

___________

1. CORRECT. I didn’t like this: I thought it was only valid to say there would be no “significant” increase in productivity. Like, maybe 5% would occur, but nothing significant.
    
   However, this is clearly the best answer.
2. This is just playing on outside ideas about computer systems having bugs. The stimulus said nothing about computer malfunction. The only question is whether the employees themselves will do better with a new system.
3. It’s possible that the leaders simply are unaware that large productivity improvements require new ways of working. In that case the leaders might care about productivity but be wrong about how to achieve it.
4. Like B, this also plays on outside ideas about computers. Yes, computers often automate stuff, but this wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the argument. The only key factor mentioned in the stimulus was whether a computer system will require new, more productive ways of working.
5. The stimulus doesn’t mention anything about learning the new system. The only relevant factor was whether the new system requires new ways of working.