Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT127 S3 Q12 Explanation

Advice columnist: Several scientific

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

TopicsPrinciple-Strengthen

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Stimulus

Advice columnist: Several scientific studies have shown that, when participating in competitive sports, those people who have recently been experiencing major stress in their lives are several times more likely to suffer serious injuries than are other participants in competitive sports. Since risking serious used as a method for coping with stress.

What this question is testing

Principle-Strengthen

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
12.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the

Answer choices

  1. Correct78% picked this

    If people recently under stress should avoid a subset of activities of a certain type, they should avoid

    Why this is right

    This bridges the gap (CS → ~W) → (S → ~W) between competitive sports being unwise to use as a method for coping with stress and the broader category of sports being unwise to use as a method for coping with stress.

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

  2. Wrong Trigger1% picked this

    A method for coping with stress should be used only if it has been subjected

    This suggests that if a method ~SS → ~W for coping with stress has not been subjected to scientific study, it should not be used [unwise to use]. However, participating in competitive sports has been subjected to scientific study.

  3. Out of Scope7% picked this

    People who have not been experiencing major stress in their lives should participate

    The argument is about those who are coping with stress.

  4. Contradiction1% picked this

    When people have been under considerable stress, they should engage in competitive activities in order

    This contradicts the inference CS → W of the argument’s premises.

  5. Out of Scope12% picked this

    People with a history of sports injuries should not engage in sports activities if they have

    The argument is not about people with a history of sports injuries, but rather about people who have recently been experiencing major stress.

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