LSAT Logical Reasoning: Strengthen and Support Questions 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A criminologist argues that neighborhood watch programs reduce residential burglary rates. A skeptic claims the reduction is due to gentrification, not the programs. Which of the following most strengthens the criminologist's position against this skepticism? (A) Neighborhood watch programs have existed for over four decades in the United States. (B) Burglary rates declined in neighborhoods that implemented watch programs but did not experience significant demographic or income changes. (C) Participants in neighborhood watch programs report feeling safer in their communities. (D) Burglary tends to be an opportunistic crime that is sensitive to perceived risk of detection.
- Neighborhood watch programs have existed for over four decades in the United States.
- Burglary rates declined in neighborhoods that implemented watch programs but did not experience significant demographic or income changes. (Correct answer)
- Participants in neighborhood watch programs report feeling safer in their communities.
- Burglary tends to be an opportunistic crime that is sensitive to perceived risk of detection.
Correct answer: Burglary rates declined in neighborhoods that implemented watch programs but did not experience significant demographic or income changes.
Option B eliminates the confounding variable (gentrification) by showing the programs work even in neighborhoods where gentrification did not occur.
Question 2: A dietitian argues that eating breakfast daily improves students' academic performance. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens this argument? (A) Students who eat breakfast tend to come from households with higher incomes and more parental involvement. (B) In a randomized study, students assigned to receive school breakfasts showed greater improvements in test scores than a control group, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors. (C) Schools that offer free breakfast programs have higher overall attendance rates. (D) Students often report feeling more alert in morning classes when they have eaten breakfast.
- Students who eat breakfast tend to come from households with higher incomes and more parental involvement.
- In a randomized study, students assigned to receive school breakfasts showed greater improvements in test scores than a control group, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors. (Correct answer)
- Schools that offer free breakfast programs have higher overall attendance rates.
- Students often report feeling more alert in morning classes when they have eaten breakfast.
Correct answer: In a randomized study, students assigned to receive school breakfasts showed greater improvements in test scores than a control group, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors.
Option B provides the strongest support through a randomized controlled study that controls for confounding factors like socioeconomic status, isolating the effect of breakfast on performance.
Question 3: A forest service manager argues that controlled burns prevent devastating wildfires by reducing accumulated fuel load. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens this argument? (A) Areas that underwent controlled burns in previous years sustained significantly less damage when wildfires later swept through the region compared to adjacent unburned areas. (B) Controlled burns require significant resources and careful planning to execute safely. (C) Some environmental groups oppose controlled burns because they release carbon dioxide. (D) The number of wildfires has increased nationally over the past two decades.
- Areas that underwent controlled burns in previous years sustained significantly less damage when wildfires later swept through the region compared to adjacent unburned areas. (Correct answer)
- Controlled burns require significant resources and careful planning to execute safely.
- Some environmental groups oppose controlled burns because they release carbon dioxide.
- The number of wildfires has increased nationally over the past two decades.
Correct answer: Areas that underwent controlled burns in previous years sustained significantly less damage when wildfires later swept through the region compared to adjacent unburned areas.
Option A provides direct comparative evidence showing the predicted protective effect of controlled burns when actual wildfires occurred.
Question 4: A psychologist argues that regular meditation practice reduces symptoms of anxiety disorders. Which of the following most strengthens this argument by addressing a potential weakness? (A) Many people who try meditation for anxiety report finding it helpful. (B) A meta-analysis of 40 clinical trials found that meditation reduced anxiety symptoms significantly more than no treatment, with effects persisting at 6-month follow-up. (C) Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years in various cultures. (D) Meditation can be practiced without a therapist, making it a low-cost intervention.
- Many people who try meditation for anxiety report finding it helpful.
- A meta-analysis of 40 clinical trials found that meditation reduced anxiety symptoms significantly more than no treatment, with effects persisting at 6-month follow-up. (Correct answer)
- Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years in various cultures.
- Meditation can be practiced without a therapist, making it a low-cost intervention.
Correct answer: A meta-analysis of 40 clinical trials found that meditation reduced anxiety symptoms significantly more than no treatment, with effects persisting at 6-month follow-up.
Option B provides the strongest support through a meta-analysis of multiple trials showing both efficacy compared to no treatment and durability of effects over time.
Question 5: A linguist argues that children who are raised bilingual develop stronger executive function skills than monolingual children. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens this argument? (A) Bilingual children often outperform monolingual children on tasks requiring attention switching and inhibition of competing responses. (B) Learning a second language requires significant time and effort that could be spent on other activities. (C) Some researchers have questioned whether the bilingual advantage in executive function is as large as initially reported. (D) Children raised in bilingual households tend to score slightly lower on vocabulary tests in each individual language.
- Bilingual children often outperform monolingual children on tasks requiring attention switching and inhibition of competing responses. (Correct answer)
- Learning a second language requires significant time and effort that could be spent on other activities.
- Some researchers have questioned whether the bilingual advantage in executive function is as large as initially reported.
- Children raised in bilingual households tend to score slightly lower on vocabulary tests in each individual language.
Correct answer: Bilingual children often outperform monolingual children on tasks requiring attention switching and inhibition of competing responses.
Option A directly supports the claim by showing that bilingual children outperform on the specific cognitive tasks that constitute executive function.
Question 6: A marketing executive argues that a company's recent increase in sales is due to its new social media advertising campaign rather than a seasonal uptick. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens this argument? (A) The company's social media following grew substantially during the campaign period. (B) Competitors in the same industry who did not run similar campaigns did not experience comparable sales increases during the same period. (C) The company has run social media campaigns in previous years with varying results. (D) Consumers increasingly report discovering products through social media platforms.
- The company's social media following grew substantially during the campaign period.
- Competitors in the same industry who did not run similar campaigns did not experience comparable sales increases during the same period. (Correct answer)
- The company has run social media campaigns in previous years with varying results.
- Consumers increasingly report discovering products through social media platforms.
Correct answer: Competitors in the same industry who did not run similar campaigns did not experience comparable sales increases during the same period.
Option B rules out the seasonal explanation by showing competitors (who would also experience a seasonal uptick) did not see similar increases, isolating the campaign as the cause.
Question 7: A public safety advocate argues that lowering the speed limit on a particular highway from 65 mph to 55 mph will reduce fatal accidents. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens this argument? (A) Fatal accident rates on highways are influenced by many factors including weather, road design, and driver behavior. (B) Studies show that crash fatality risk increases exponentially with vehicle speed, and the difference between 55 and 65 mph is associated with a 20-30% increase in fatality risk. (C) Reducing the speed limit will increase commute times for drivers using the highway. (D) Some drivers regularly exceed posted speed limits regardless of their level.
- Fatal accident rates on highways are influenced by many factors including weather, road design, and driver behavior.
- Studies show that crash fatality risk increases exponentially with vehicle speed, and the difference between 55 and 65 mph is associated with a 20-30% increase in fatality risk. (Correct answer)
- Reducing the speed limit will increase commute times for drivers using the highway.
- Some drivers regularly exceed posted speed limits regardless of their level.
Correct answer: Studies show that crash fatality risk increases exponentially with vehicle speed, and the difference between 55 and 65 mph is associated with a 20-30% increase in fatality risk.
Option B provides the quantitative evidence and mechanism (exponential risk increase with speed) directly linking lower speed limits to reduced fatality rates.
LSAT Logical Reasoning: Strengthen and Support Questions 4
A criminologist argues that neighborhood watch programs reduce residential burglary rates.
A skeptic claims the reduction is due to gentrification, not the programs.
Which of the following most strengthens the criminologist's position against this skepticism?
(A) Neighborhood watch programs have existed for over four decades in the United States.
(B) Burglary rates declined in neighborhoods that implemented watch programs but did not experience significant demographic or income changes.
(C) Participants in neighborhood watch programs report feeling safer in their communities.
(D) Burglary tends to be an opportunistic crime that is sensitive to perceived risk of detection.