LSAT 153 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q25

LR Question 25 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Ecological terms like “invasive species” invoke human cultural…

QUESTION TYPE: Principle

FACTS: Ecological terms like “invasive species” invoke human cultural standards to the natural world.

These terms can influence opinions before data is gathered and should therefore be avoided.

ANALYSIS: The important thing to do first is to figure out what the principle in the stimulus is that the correct answer will conform to. We want to break down what the stimulus is saying and the main idea behind it. The principle in this stimulus seems to be that we should not use terms that apply human cultural standards to where it doesn’t apply when it influences our perceptions of something.

___________

1. This is a tempting answer because it uses the idea of how some terms are contextually charged, but the point is that using these terms is supposed to change opinions. The answer brings up the presumption of innocence, which doesn’t have to do with unconsciously influencing opinion.
2. This does not mention how opinions will be influenced by specific terminology.
3. Our original example worried that language would cause negative perceptions about the target of the term, not the user.
4. CORRECT. This is the best answer because it ticks all the boxes from our original principle. Not only does it caution against using terms that influence perceptions, but it also importantly references human cultural standards in places where it doesn’t belong. Human cultural standards don’t apply in nature just like they don’t apply in programming. That is what sets this answer apart from some of the other answers.
5. The original example did not rely on how frequently anything was correct, but on how opinions were subconsciously influenced.

Recap: The question begins with “Ecological terms like “invasive species” invoke human cultural”. It is a Principle question. Learn how to master LSAT Principle questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.