An analysis of the number and severity

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

TopicsParadox

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Stimulus

An analysis of the number and severity of health problems among the population of a certain community showed that elderly people who were born in the community and resided there all their lives had significantly worse moved there within the past five years.

What this question is testing

Paradox

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

Each of the following, if true, contributes to an explanation of the difference in health between these

Answer choices

Helps Explain1% picked this
People who have the means to relocate tend to be in
This offers a distinction about the new residents. They tend to have better-than-average health. So the long time residents could have average health and look worse off than the robust newcomers.
1%
Correct85% picked this
Although most people who have moved into the community are young, most people who have lived in the community
Why this is right
Young people who move into the community are not being compared in the statement. A valid explanation should address why elderly people who move to the community are healthier than elderly people have lived their entire lives in the community.
Skill tested: Paradox · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
85%
Helps Explain8% picked this
The quality of health care available to the community is lower than that for the
This offers a distinction between long term residents and new ones. The long term residents have gotten lower-quality health care all their lives. The new residents were previously enjoying higher quality health care, so they are showing up to this town in better shape.
8%
Helps Explain3% picked this
Changes in one's environment tend to have a beneficial effect on
This is a positive trait that would be associated with the people who recently moved to town. This could explain why those who relocated to the community were in better health than those who had lived in the community their entire lives.
3%
Helps Explain3% picked this
People in good health are more likely to move to new communities than are people
This suggests that the people who move to new towns are more likely to be in good health to begin with. It also suggests that people in poor health would be more likely to stay in the same town. This can explain why the newer residents seem to be in better health than the longtime residents.
3%

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