Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT148 S1 Q9 Explanation

Some managers think that the best

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

TopicsSufficient Assumption

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Stimulus

Some managers think that the best way to maximize employee performance is to institute stiff competition among employees. However, in situations where one competitor is perceived to be clearly superior, other competitors become anxious and doubt their own ability the result it was intended to achieve.

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
9.

The conclusion of the argument can be properly drawn if which one of the

Answer choices

  1. Out of Scope2% picked this

    Those who are perceived to be clearly superior almost

    This may be supported by the argument's premise, but does not represent the gap between the premise and conclusion. The issue is not whether or not the employee wins, but whether the average performance of the employees has been increased.

  2. Out of Scope0% picked this

    The winner of a competition is often the competitor who exerts

    One cannot determine the level of performance from the level of effort alone.

  3. Weakens2% picked this

    When competitors perceive the competition as winnable, their overall performance

    The argument asserts that in some cases competition can undermine overall performance, while this answer suggests that in some cases competition can improve performance.

  4. Correct95% picked this

    Doubting one's own ability to perform can decrease one's

    Why this is right

    This answer provides the link between doubting one's own ability and a lower performance that is assumed in the argument.

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

  5. Out of Scope1% picked this

    Competitors who work to undermine the confidence of other participants often do

    The argument does not address competitors who work to undermine the confidence of other participants. Furthermore this fails to provide a connection to employee performance at work.

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