Logical Reasoning

PT138 · S2 · Q7 Several companies that make herbal

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Several companies that make herbal teas containing ginseng assert in their marketing that ginseng counteracts the effects of stress.

Conclusion (thus)

These marketing campaigns make false claims. rephrase: ginseng does not counteract the effect of stress

Evidence

No definitive study links ginseng with the relief of stress.

Evaluation

The author's argument is saying,

But just because a study hasn't proven X is true doesn't mean that X is false. Maybe the right study hasn't yet been conducted that could prove X is true.

LSAT wants us to recognize the distinction between an idea that has not been sufficiently proven and an idea we know to be untrue.

This is one of the 10 Famous Flaws, and it goes by the name Unproven vs. Untrue.

Goal

Look for an answer saying, , or for a more abstract answer like, .

7.

The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that the argument

  1. rejects an argument because of

    Not Ad Hominem

    Whenever a Flaw question takes the form of a Rebuttal argument, we immediately look out for the 2 famous flaws that test rebuttals: 1. Ad Hominem (what this answer describes) 2. Unproven vs. Proven False (what this argument did) According to this answer choice, the argument was saying, "we should not listen to these marketer's claims, after all, a marketer wants you to believe that a product will have beneficial effects. (the source is biased)" But the argument was, "these marketer's claims are false, after all, no definitive study has supported them being true".

    1% picked this

  2. Correct

    concludes that a claim is

    Why this is right

    This is the Unproven vs. Proven False answer we were looking for. If we're not familiar with our 10 famous flaws, then we simply look at this answer's structrure: concludes X on the grounds that Y and then ask ourselves whether X matches the conclusion and whether Y matches the evidence. Was the conclusion saying a claim is false? Totally. "Thus, these campaigns make false claims (when they say that ginseng counteracts stress)." Was the evidence saying that the claim has not been shown to be true? Yes. "No definitive study has linked ginseng with the relief of stress." Since the parts match up, and since that reasoning move is definitely a sketchy one, we'd be safe to pick this.

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

    91% picked this

  3. draws an inference on the

    Not Sampling

    This refers to one of the 10 Famous Flaws, Sampling, which occurs when an author's conclusion generalizes from a sample that might be too small, biased, self-selecting, or unrepresentative. This argument didn't rely on any sample. Its evidence considers all definitive studies and says that none of them have made this link. And the conclusion is saying that a certain claim is false, not making a generalization that what was true in a sample population will be true on a broader scale.

    0% picked this

  4. fails to address the possibility

    Not an Objection

    Since this answer begins with fails to consider / overlooks the possibility, we can treat it like a Weaken answer choice and ask ourselves whether it would hurt the argument if we said, "many people buy teas with ginseng for the flavor". It would not. The author isn't telling people they shouldn't drink ginseng. He's only saying that ginseng doesn't have the causal effect of counteracting stress.

    2% picked this

  5. fails to address the possibility

    Not an Objection

    Since this answer begins with fails to consider / overlooks the possibility, we can treat it like a Weaken answer choice and ask ourselves whether it would hurt the argument if we said, "there's some other ingredient in herbal teas that reduces stress; it's not the ginseng." That would strengthen, not weaken. The author agrees that ginseng does not reduce stress.

    6% picked this

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