Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT134 S1 Q11 Explanation

In considering the fact

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

TopicsSufficient Assumption

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Stimulus

In considering the fact that many people believe that promotions are often given to undeserving employees because the employees successfully flatter their supervisors, a psychologist argued that although many people who flatter their supervisors are subsequently promoted, flattery generally is not the reason for their success, because is obvious even to those toward whom it is directed.

What this question is testing

Sufficient Assumption

Your task

Find the assumption that, if added, guarantees the conclusion follows.

Common trap

Answers that only partly bridge the gap, leaving the conclusion unproven.

Winning move

Identify the new term in the conclusion and pick the choice that links it to the evidence.

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

The question
11.

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the psychologist's conclusion to

Answer choices

  1. Too Weak4% picked this

    People in positions of responsibility expect to

    This might mean that supervisors are on guard for flattery, but this does not ensure that supervisors would not let it influence them.

  2. Too Weak5% picked this

    Official guidelines for granting promotion tend to focus

    Having good guidelines is a far cry from knowing that those guidelines are being effectively implemented.

  3. Negation6% picked this

    Flattery that is not noticed by the person being flattered

    This negates the ~O ? RP argument’s assumption.

  4. Weaken1% picked this

    Many people interpret insincere flattery as

    This weakens the argument by making it more likely that flattery would be effective at influencing supervisors on decisions about who gets a promotion.

  5. Correct84% picked this

    Supervisors are almost never influenced by flattery when they

    Why this is right

    This bridges the gap O ? ~RP between being obvious to those who are being flattered and not influencing their decisions on whom to promote.

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

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