LSAT 121 – Section 1 – Question 13

LSAT 121 - Section 1 - Question 13

December 2005

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT121 S1 Q13
+LR
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
Value Judgment +ValJudg
A
1%
154
B
2%
154
C
91%
164
D
0%
156
E
6%
156
135
143
151
 +Medium 145.604 +SubsectionMedium

Psychology professor: Applied statistics should be taught only by the various social science departments. These departments can best teach their respective students which statistical methodologies are most useful for their discipline, and how best to interpret collected data and the results of experiments.

Mathematics professor: I disagree. My applied statistics course covers much of the same material taught in the applied statistics courses in social science departments. In fact, my course uses exactly the same textbook as those courses!

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The math professor concludes that non-social science departments should teach applied statistics. This in contrast to the psychologist, who thinks that social science departments are best at teaching their students how to apply statistics to their disciplines. The math professor disagrees, because his applied statistics course covers the exact same content as those taught by the social science departments.

Identify and Describe Flaw
Even if the math professor’s statistics course covers the same material, it may not teach students to apply it to a social science as effectively as a course taught by an expert in the field. That was the point made by the psychology professor, and the math professor didn’t address it.

A
The response gives no evidence for its presumption that students willing to take a course in one department would choose a similar course in another.
Student preference is never mentioned in the response, so this can’t be the flaw.
B
The response gives no evidence for its presumption that social science students should have the same competence in statistics as mathematics students.
The math professor never says anything about student competence, so this can’t be the flaw.
C
The response does not effectively address a key reason given in support of the psychology professor’s position.
The psychology professor’s main claim—that a social science expert is best suited to teach students how to apply statistics in that field—is never addressed.
D
The response depends for its plausibility on a personal attack made against the psychology professor.
No personal attack is made, so this can’t be the flaw.
E
The response takes for granted that unless the course textbook is the same the course content will not be the same.
This is saying: If the content is the same, then the textbook is the same. The math professor doesn’t take this for granted. At most, he’s saying that, if the textbook is the same, the course is the same.

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LSAT PrepTest 121 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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