PrepTest 153

Incorrect. Tempting, but no. The stimulus isn't saying art doesn't pay enough. The problem is that the way pay is determined in the arts is unacceptable.

Incorrect. This would certainly be bad logic, but it's not present in the stimulus. This answer choice falsely accuses the author.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Errors in Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Don't choose art as your career (even though you'd be beautifying the world). Artists are paid based on subjective evaluations of their work, which is an unacceptable way to determine pay.

Strategy Overview:
Identify the conclusion, then look for common fallacies in the way the conclusion is supported. If no common fallacies jump out, ask yourself if the premises are sufficiently strong to support the conclusion, and if they are meaningfully relevant to the conclusion.

Answer Anticipation:
If you've ever had a performance review at work, you probably already see the flaw in this argument. The logic here only holds up if there's a workable alternative to choosing a profession where pay is based on subjective evaluations. Otherwise, it's like saying "inhaling something that may contain pollutants is unacceptable, so you shouldn't breathe air."

Answer Explanation:
Yes, this correctly identifies the flaw. We can't single out art as a bad career choice based on a trait it shares with, uh, every other profession.

Key Takeaway:
If you don't see one of the most prevalent fallacies right away in a flaw stimulus, look deeper; remember, these are all word problems rooted in the real world, not abstract math. How would you counter this argument if you wanted to choose art as a career? Sometimes bringing the real world in is useful (as long as you exercise some restraint and don't use real-world knowledge to contradict premises).

Incorrect. The stimulus doesn't overlook this at all! It just points out that the artists who are paid very well are paid that way because of subjective evaluations.

Incorrect. This is an LSAT-gibberish answer that's just here to trick you into choosing it because it's so inscrutable that it seems like it must be right. Job satisfaction is found nowhere in the stimulus.