Flawed ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A newsletter points out that retired people who volunteer are generally healthier and happier than those who don't. It concludes that volunteering is what's making them feel so good.
Conclusion: Volunteering is a cause of improved well-being and reduced aging effects in retirees.
Reasoning: There is a clear correlation showing that retired people who volunteer possess better health, mental outlooks, and resources than those who do not volunteer.
Analysis: This argument falls into the most common trap on the LSAT: confusing correlation with causation. Just because volunteers are healthier doesn't mean the volunteering made them healthy. It is just as likely that people who are already healthy, wealthy, and wise are the ones who have the spare energy to go out and volunteer. The author ignores the possibility that 'good well-being' is the prerequisite for volunteering, not the result of it. Look for an answer that identifies this failure to consider an alternative explanation for the observed correlation.
Conclusion: Volunteering is a cause of improved well-being and reduced aging effects in retirees.
Reasoning: There is a clear correlation showing that retired people who volunteer possess better health, mental outlooks, and resources than those who do not volunteer.
Analysis: This argument falls into the most common trap on the LSAT: confusing correlation with causation. Just because volunteers are healthier doesn't mean the volunteering made them healthy. It is just as likely that people who are already healthy, wealthy, and wise are the ones who have the spare energy to go out and volunteer. The author ignores the possibility that 'good well-being' is the prerequisite for volunteering, not the result of it. Look for an answer that identifies this failure to consider an alternative explanation for the observed correlation.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage7.The inference drawn above is unwarranted because
Correct Answer
E
E identifies selection bias/reverse causality: people with better health, resources, and functioning are more able to volunteer. That explains the correlation without granting that volunteering causes the benefits.
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