Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT139 S1 Q20 Explanation

Medical reporter: Studies have consistently

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

TopicsFlaw

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Stimulus

Medical reporter: Studies have consistently found that taking an aspirin a day thins the blood slightly, thereby helping to prevent or reduce the severity of heart disease. Since heart disease is one of the most common types of ill health in industrialized nations, most better health if they took an aspirin a day.

What this question is testing

Flaw

Your task

Describe the reasoning error the argument actually commits.

Common trap

Answers that name a real logical flaw the argument doesn't actually make.

Winning move

Articulate the gap in the reasoning yourself, then match it to the choice that describes that 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.

The reasoning in the doctor's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of

Answer choices

  1. Trap6% picked this

    It takes for granted that if medication can reduce the severity of heart disease, it can also prevent

  2. Correct68% picked this

    It overlooks the possibility that even if a disease is one of the most common in a nation, most people in that nation are

    Why this is right

    Answer B is correct.

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

  3. Trap14% picked this

    It overlooks the possibility that preventing or reducing the severity of heart disease has little or no effect on any of the other

  4. Trap10% picked this

    It fails to address the possibility that taking an aspirin a day is not the single most effective

  5. Trap2% picked this

    It fails to address the possibility that the studies on the beneficial effects of aspirin were conducted

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