PrepTest 154

Incorrect. This is an appealing trap answer, but the argument has intentionally started with a comparison between video games and other past forms of pop culture. And the first half of the concluding sentences again highlights the comparison, by bringing in novel-reading and reminding us that this is today considered an acceptable hobby. So, we need to complete the comparison by bringing in the other half of the analogy, video games.

Incorrect. This conclusion goes way too far, and actually seems to disagree with the argument. Someone who was wary of novels when they first appeared in pop culture would have missed out on what the first half of the conclusion reminds us is generally regarded as a perfectly acceptable way to spend your time. There's also no "should" rule in the premises to justify a "should" conclusion.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Argument Completion

Stimulus Summary:
Video games are currently being criticized because they allow players to pretend they're doing something considered immoral in real life. But basically every other form of pop culture was criticized for the same reason when it was new. So since we're over this concern when it comes to novels (insert conclusion here).

Answer Anticipation:
This is one of those gentler Must Be True questions, where you only need to find something very strongly supported, not absolutely true. Which is a good thing, because there's a giant temporal fallacy embedded in this argument-by-analogy. Just because public opinion softened over time in the past does not mean the same will certainly be true in the future. However, the argument does support that society's views on video games will probably evolve over time in the same way society's views on novels, rock-n-roll, and movies have evolved over time. So we'd like to complete the argument by making that implication into an explicit conclusion, thereby completing the analogy between novels and video games.

Answer Explanation:
Yes, exactly. This completes the analogy. The argument has established that video games and novels are similar in one way, namely that they were criticized for the same reasons when they first became a part of pop culture. We complete the argument with a claim that they will be similar in another way, namely that these criticisms will fade over time.

Key Takeaway:
If you struggle with Must Be True questions, you might need to spend some time learning more about prominent argument forms found on the LSAT, such as argument by analogy. If you understand the construction of the argument, you can understand what it intends to prove.

Incorrect. This is the opposite of what the author wants us to believe. We now generally consider it silly to think that reading novels is morally corrupting. When solving a Must Be True, any answer choice that explicitly contradicts a premise can be eliminated without further consideration.

Incorrect. A premise of the argument acknowledges that video games allow people to picture themselves transgressing ordinary morality, so the author probably does think it would be silly to deny that. However, we're looking to complete an analogy in the conclusion, and this answer choice fails to do that. The argument is constructed to support a comparison, so we can't complete it without completing that comparison.