Flawed ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A psychology professor wants stats taught within social sciences for better context; a math professor argues that since the books are the same, the math department's teaching is just as good.
Conclusion: The mathematics professor disagrees that applied statistics should only be taught by social science departments.
Reasoning: The math professor's course uses the same textbook and covers the same material as the courses taught in social science departments.
Analysis: The math professor is talking past the psychology professor. The psych professor's point isn't about the 'what' (the raw data or formulas), but the 'how' and 'why' (the application and interpretation within a specific field). The math professor's rebuttal is flawed because it assumes that identical course materials guarantee identical educational value. When analyzing this, look for the error where the professor ignores the specific 'contextual' benefit the first speaker emphasized.
Conclusion: The mathematics professor disagrees that applied statistics should only be taught by social science departments.
Reasoning: The math professor's course uses the same textbook and covers the same material as the courses taught in social science departments.
Analysis: The math professor is talking past the psychology professor. The psych professor's point isn't about the 'what' (the raw data or formulas), but the 'how' and 'why' (the application and interpretation within a specific field). The math professor's rebuttal is flawed because it assumes that identical course materials guarantee identical educational value. When analyzing this, look for the error where the professor ignores the specific 'contextual' benefit the first speaker emphasized.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage13.Which one of the following most accurately describes a questionable aspect of the reasoning in the mathematics professor's response to the psychology professor?
Correct Answer
C
C is correct because the math professor’s response does not address the psychology professor’s central rationale—specialized, discipline-specific instruction—relying instead on content and textbook similarity, which misses the point.
Upgrade Your Prep
Ready to go beyond free explanations?
LSAT Perfection is the #1 modern LSAT prep platform, trusted by thousands of students for comprehensive test strategies, advanced drilling, and full analytics on every PrepTest.
Detailed explanations for 59 PrepTests
Advanced drillset builder
Personalized analytics
Built-in Wrong Answer Journal