Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT130 S4 Q20 Explanation

A recent study confirmed

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

TopicsParadox

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Stimulus

A recent study confirmed that salt intake tends to increase blood pressure and found that, as a result, people with high blood pressure who significantly cut their salt intake during the study had lower blood pressure by the end of the study. However, it was also found that some and throughout the study maintained very low blood pressure.

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
20.

Which one of the following, if true, contributes the most to an explanation of the results

Answer choices

  1. Out of Scope2% picked this

    Study participants with high blood pressure who cut their salt intake only slightly during the study did not have significantly lower blood pressure

    The people that need explanation had low blood pressure throughout the study, while these people had very high blood pressure.

  2. Out of Scope23% picked this

    Salt intake is only one of several dietary factors associated with

    The people that need explanation had low blood pressure throughout the study, while these people had very high blood pressure.

  3. Out of Scope3% picked this

    For most people who have high blood pressure, reducing salt intake is not the most effective dietary change they can make

    The people that need explanation had low blood pressure throughout the study, while these people had very high blood pressure.

  4. Out of Scope3% picked this

    At the beginning of the study, some people who had very low salt intake also had

    The people that need explanation had low blood pressure throughout the study, while these people had very high blood pressure.

  5. Correct70% picked this

    Persons suffering from abnormally low blood pressure have heightened salt cravings, which ensure that their blood pressure does

    Why this is right

    This explains why some people with very low blood pressure may need to have a very high salt intake.

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

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