Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT138 S4 Q7 Explanation

Psychologist: Research has shown that a weakened

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

TopicsNecessary Assumption

Keep going in LSAT Lab

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Free to start

Full official LSAT questions are available through LawHub. This page provides LSAT Lab's explanation, strategy, and review tools without republishing the full official question.

Stimulus

Psychologist: Research has shown that a weakened immune system increases vulnerability to cancer. So, cancer-patient support groups, though derided by those who believe that disease is a purely biochemical phenomenon, may indeed have genuine therapeutic value, in such groups reduces participants' stress levels.

What this question is testing

Necessary Assumption

Your task

Find the assumption the argument requires in order for its conclusion to hold.

Common trap

Answers that would help the argument but aren't strictly required (sufficient, not necessary).

Winning move

Negate each choice — the right one breaks the argument when negated.

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

The question
7.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the

Answer choices

  1. Out of Scope1% picked this

    Cancer patients can learn to function well under

    Out of Scope: learn to function well Too Strong: extreme stress Nothing in this argument is talking about whether or not cancer patients learn to work well under stress.

  2. Too Strong: not at all1% picked this

    Disease is not a biochemical phenomenon

    The author hasn't committed herself to the insanely strong position that disease is not biochemical at all. However, the author apparently assumes that disease is not totally biochemical, because she thinks that psychological things like support groups / stress can help your cancer disease.

  3. Correct88% picked this

    Stress can weaken the immune

    Why this is right

    We knew the author must have been connecting stress to immune system, because otherwise there was no relationship between the premise that mentions "cancer support groups" and the premise that mentions "vulnerability to cancer". If stress has no effect on the immune system, this would weaken the argument by making the two premises have no connection to each other, and the author is hoping to connect those two premises in order to attach "cancer support groups" to "helps your cancer (genuine therapeutic value)".

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

  4. Too Strong: eliminates5% picked this

    Discussing one's condition eliminates the stress of being in

    The author said that support groups reduce stress. She didn't commit herself to the position that discussing your condition eliminates stress.

  5. Reverses Causal Direction5% picked this

    Stress is a symptom of a weakened

    The author needs to think that "by getting rid of stress, cancer support groups help your immune system". Stress needs to be a causal factor that influences the immune system. This answer is saying that the immune system is a causal factor that influences stress.

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free