Logical reasoning PrepTest 152 · Section 4 · Question 23

This answer aligns with the scenario described, in that the new device is hard for even the most experienced thieves to detect. It certainly explains why it increases the odds of apprehending the car thief. However, it doesn't explain the dramatic drop in cities where only a few cars are using the device.

By stating that the number of cars stolen in these cities is low, it might explain why car thefts are low with just a few devices. However, it still doesn't explain why the number of thefts dropped dramatically after the devices were put into use.

This answer aligns with the scenario, but it doesn't explain the precipitous drop in thefts with only a few devices installed. The given scenario already told us that the odds of apprehension are much higher with the device; it doesn't really matter if those odds started low or high.

This is probably an answer that will trap many students because it sounds good and it's hard to pin down exactly what impact it would have, but it sounds like it would have an impact.

This answer states most stolen cars are stolen from owners who live in different cities. The scenario as described states that cities with even just a few of these devices installed see a drastic reduction in stolen cars. But this answer states that the stolen cars are from different cities, where we don't know about the adoption of the new antitheft device. It's either higher, in which case we have an explanation (but one based on a huge, unstated assumption); or it's the same, in which case we're left with the same paradox; or it's lower, in which case the paradox is worse!

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
A new antitheft device makes it easier to apprehend people after they've stolen a car. In cities where even only a few people are using it, auto theft has dropped a lot.

Answer Anticipation:
The first oddity here is that the device can only help apprehend people after they've stolen a car, not before, so the car thefts are already happening. The second oddity is that it's so effective even with only a few cars equipped with it. What could help explain these paradoxes?

We do know that apprehensions increase drastically with the new device. So people are getting arrested. How could a few arrests drastically lower the overall car theft rate? If getting a few car thieves off the street has a dramatic impact on theft rates, we have our explanation, so let's look for that.

Answer Explanation:
Here's our explanation! If a few car thieves steal most of the cars, it wouldn't take many apprehensions before the majority of car thieves were off the streets and thus not stealing cars.

Key Takeaway:
When an answer choice lays out a complex scenario that seems to have an impact on a paradox, walk through the possibilities to see what impact that would be. If there's more than one potential impact depending on assumptions being made, it's safe to say that the answer choice is a trap.