LSAT Logical Reasoning: Weaken the Argument Questions 2 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: A city council argues that installing more streetlights in high-crime areas will reduce crime because criminals prefer to operate in darkness. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?
- Studies show that most crimes in the city occur during daylight hours. (Correct answer)
- Streetlights are expensive to install and maintain.
- Some criminals use disguises to avoid identification.
- Residents in well-lit areas report feeling safer.
Correct answer: Studies show that most crimes in the city occur during daylight hours.
If most crimes occur during daylight, darkness is not a primary enabling factor, undermining the premise that lighting deters crime.
Question 2: A nutritionist claims that people who eat breakfast every day are more productive at work because breakfast provides essential morning energy. Which weakens this argument most?
- Many productive workers also exercise regularly.
- Productive people tend to have disciplined routines that include breakfast, not the other way around. (Correct answer)
- Breakfast cereals are heavily marketed to working adults.
- Some workplaces provide free breakfast to employees.
Correct answer: Productive people tend to have disciplined routines that include breakfast, not the other way around.
This reverses the causal direction, suggesting discipline causes both productivity and breakfast habits rather than breakfast causing productivity.
Question 3: A school board concludes that students who own pets perform better academically because caring for pets teaches responsibility. Which most weakens this conclusion?
- Responsible parents who instill discipline are more likely to both allow pets and support academic achievement. (Correct answer)
- Some students are allergic to common pets.
- Academic performance is measured differently across schools.
- Pets require significant time that could otherwise be spent studying.
Correct answer: Responsible parents who instill discipline are more likely to both allow pets and support academic achievement.
A common causeāresponsible parentingācould explain both pet ownership and academic success without any causal link between them.
Question 4: A pharmaceutical company argues its new drug is effective because 80% of trial participants reported improvement. Which most weakens this argument?
- The drug was tested over a six-month period.
- The trial had no placebo control group, so the improvement may reflect natural recovery. (Correct answer)
- The drug has mild side effects in some patients.
- Participants were recruited from hospitals in three cities.
Correct answer: The trial had no placebo control group, so the improvement may reflect natural recovery.
Without a placebo group, the improvement cannot be attributed to the drug rather than natural disease progression or the placebo effect.
Question 5: An economist argues that raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment because employers will hire fewer workers when labor costs rise. Which most weakens this argument?
- Higher wages increase worker purchasing power, stimulating demand and potentially creating more jobs. (Correct answer)
- Minimum wage increases are politically popular.
- Some industries rely heavily on part-time workers.
- Other countries have higher minimum wages than the US.
Correct answer: Higher wages increase worker purchasing power, stimulating demand and potentially creating more jobs.
Increased consumer spending from higher wages could raise demand for goods and services, leading employers to hire more rather than fewer workers.
Question 6: A psychologist claims that watching violent television programs causes aggression in children because children who watch more violent TV exhibit more aggressive behavior. Which most weakens this argument?
- Violent television programs are rated for mature audiences.
- Children with aggressive temperaments may be more drawn to violent programming, rather than the reverse. (Correct answer)
- Parents should monitor their children's television consumption.
- Aggressive behavior can take many different forms.
Correct answer: Children with aggressive temperaments may be more drawn to violent programming, rather than the reverse.
Pre-existing aggression may drive children to seek out violent content, reversing the causal direction of the argument.
Question 7: An architect argues that open-plan offices boost employee collaboration because surveys show open-plan offices have more spontaneous interactions between coworkers. Which most weakens this conclusion?
- Open-plan offices are more cost-effective than private offices.
- Research shows that spontaneous interactions in open-plan offices are often superficial, while deep collaborative work decreases due to noise and distraction. (Correct answer)
- Some employees prefer to work from home.
- Architects often recommend the office designs they find most aesthetically appealing.
Correct answer: Research shows that spontaneous interactions in open-plan offices are often superficial, while deep collaborative work decreases due to noise and distraction.
If open-plan offices increase shallow interactions while reducing substantive collaboration, more interactions do not equate to better collaboration.
LSAT Logical Reasoning: Weaken the Argument Questions 2
A city council argues that installing more streetlights in high-crime areas will reduce crime because criminals prefer to operate in darkness.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?