Logical reasoning PrepTest 152 · Section 2 · Question 17

Incorrect. The stimulus is about data being collected and corrected, not the theory being accepted, so this answer is out of scope.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
Data-collection errors are generally corrected when examined. In one field, corrections tend to move the data closer to what Jones' theory predicts.

Answer Anticipation:
This is a very technical stimulus, so it's important to move away from that technical language and frame this paradox in a way we can understand. And to do so, we're going to rely on our old friend on the LSAT and Paradox questions in particular—comparisons.

The key comparison here is that, when corrected, data from studies tends to move closer to Jones' theory—in other words, when the data is corrected, it provides more support for Jones' theory (or better matches Jones' theories predictions) than the uncorrected data. But why is that a paradox (we know it is, since the question asks us to explain it)? Well, presumably then, when data is corrected and compared to other theories, the corrected data has more of a mix between moving towards and moving away from those theories.

Let's find an answer that explains why the data only seems to move in one direction for Jones' theories.

Answer Explanation:
This answer choice raises a comparison between results that already support or conflict with Jones' theory—it's in scope, so we should consider it. Going back to why this is a paradox, it's presumably because corrected data shouldn't generally move towards a theory—some should move closer, some should move further away. However, this answer states that data that agrees with Jones' theory—and therefore, when corrected, would move away from the theory—doesn't undergo as much scrutiny. Instead, data that disagrees with Jones' theory does. This means that a source of corrected data moving away from Jones' theory (raw data that agrees with it) is removed from the process, thus increasing the amount of corrected data moving towards the theory. Yes, this is complicated, but the important note here is that this answer brings up a comparison that's within the scope of the argument, so you should have at least deferred on it until looking at the other answers.

Key Takeaway:
This question is very difficult. It's hard to understand the stimulus, why it's a paradox, and why the correct answer is correct. However, the stimulus is about a comparison of data to Jones' theory. There's only one answer that brings up a comparison, data, and Jones' theory. When you're lost in a question, find the answer that matches the key logical features of the stimulus.

Incorrect. Without knowing if these scientists accept Jones' theory, this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. This question asks us to resolve why data that is corrected tends to favor Jones' theory. Without information that missed errors in data correction tend to disfavor Jones' theory, this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. Without knowing more about these studies (Are they more accepted? Do they better describe the phenomenon? Do they generally agree or disagree with Jones?), it's impossible to know how this information intersects with the scenario in the stimulus.