Logical Reasoning

PT118 · S3 · Q4 Psychiatrist: Take any visceral emotion

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Psychiatrist: Take any visceral emotion you care to consider.

Conclusion (So)

There are always situations in which it is healthy to try to express one's anger.

Evidence

There are always situations in which it is healthy to try to express [any visceral emotion you care to consider].

Evaluate / Goal

Given the parallel structure of the evidence and the conclusion, we're just trying to match up where they diverge.

If the argument is saying, , then the missing assumption is "Coke is delicious".

Since the argument is saying, , then the missing assumption is "Anger is a visceral emotion".

The correct answer definitely has to have "anger" in it, since we're trying to prove a conclusion about "anger" but received no facts (i.e. premises) so far about "anger".

4.

The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?

  1. Anger is always expressible.

    Unrelated to Goal

    The only means we have of proving that "it's always healthy to try to express anger" is if we're told that it's a visceral emotion, because we were told that "it's always healthy to try to express visceral emotions". This answer tells us something about "anger", so it was worth reading, but without being told it's a visceral emotion, we wouldn't be able to combine this with the evidence and logically derive the idea that "it's healthy to try to express anger".

    3% picked this

  2. Correct

    Anger is a visceral emotion.

    Why this is right

    On Sufficient Assumption, we need to convince ourselves that Correct Answer + Evidence = Conclusion Anger is a visceral emotion + It's always healthy to try to express any visceral emotion. It's always healthy to try to express anger.

    Skill tested: Sufficient Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    92% picked this

  3. Some kinds of emotions are

    Unrelated to Goal

    This answer doesn't mention "anger", and neither of our two premises mentioned "anger", so we wouldn't have any way to mathematically derive this conclusion about "anger".

    1% picked this

  4. All emotions that are healthy

    Unrelated to Goal

    This answer doesn't mention "anger", and neither of our two premises mentioned "anger", so we wouldn't have any way to mathematically derive this conclusion about "anger".

    3% picked this

  5. An emotion is visceral only

    Unrelated to Goal

    This answer doesn't mention "anger", and neither of our two premises mentioned "anger", so we wouldn't have any way to mathematically derive this conclusion about "anger".

    1% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free