Parallel ReasoningDiff: Hardest
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: The author concludes that TV is the reason kids read less because reading goes up when TV is gone and goes back down when TV comes back.
Conclusion: The presence of television causes a decrease in the amount of reading done by children.
Reasoning: When television is removed, reading levels increase; when television is reintroduced, reading levels return to their previous lower state.
Analysis: The argument uses a specific causal structure: it identifies a correlation where the effect (reading) fluctuates in direct response to the presence or absence of the suspected cause (television). This is a classic 'Method of Difference' approach to proving causation. To find a parallel, look for a choice that establishes a causal link by showing that an effect appears or disappears whenever the cause is introduced or removed.
Conclusion: The presence of television causes a decrease in the amount of reading done by children.
Reasoning: When television is removed, reading levels increase; when television is reintroduced, reading levels return to their previous lower state.
Analysis: The argument uses a specific causal structure: it identifies a correlation where the effect (reading) fluctuates in direct response to the presence or absence of the suspected cause (television). This is a classic 'Method of Difference' approach to proving causation. To find a parallel, look for a choice that establishes a causal link by showing that an effect appears or disappears whenever the cause is introduced or removed.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage25.The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to the reasoning above?
Correct Answer
A
Choice A mirrors the toggling-causation structure: when the money supply fluctuates, interest rates fluctuate; when the money supply remains constant, interest rates remain stable; thus, keeping the money supply constant stabilizes interest rates. This matches the stimulus’s reasoning—vary one factor and watch the outcome track it, then infer that the factor causes the outcome pattern.
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