Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT136 S4 Q15 Explanation

Carpal tunnel syndrome

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

TopicsParadox

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Stimulus

Carpal tunnel syndrome, a nerve disorder that affects the hands and wrists, is often caused by repetitive motions such as typing on a keyboard. A recent study of office workers found that, among those who do similar amounts of typing, workers reporting the least control over their own work tunnel syndrome as did those who reported the most control.

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
15.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain the

Answer choices

  1. Out of Scope29% picked this

    Office workers who have the most control over their own work tend to do significantly less typing than do those who have the

    The study looked at office workers with similar amounts of writing.

  2. Correct65% picked this

    Feeling a lack of control over one's own work tends to put one under emotional stress that makes one

    Why this is right

    This connects workers with the least control over their own work with another contributing factor of carpal tunnel syndrome.

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

  3. Applies to Both1% picked this

    The keyboards on which office workers type tend to put typists' arms and hands in positions that promote the

    This applies to both those who have control over their work and those who do not, so it cannot explain the different likelihood of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

  4. Too Weak2% picked this

    Among office workers who rarely use keyboards, the rate of carpal tunnel syndrome is much higher for those who feel that they

    This might extend the relationship beyond those office workers who frequently use keyboards, but it does not provide any indication for why those with the least control experience higher rates of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

  5. Deepens the Paradox4% picked this

    Office workers who have the most control over their own work tend to perform repetitive motions other than typing more often than do office

    This would increase the likelihood of developing carpal tunnel syndrome for those who have control, and yet these people were less likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.

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