PrepTest 112

[lcid:3546] Prep Test 112 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S3 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Anthropologist: All music is Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: D

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Flawed

Question Type

Errors in Reasoning Questions

Stimulus Summary

Background - There are a few main types of scales, and society’s are pretty diverse. If nature determined music preference, there’d be a mix of preference for diatonic and nondiatonic scales.
Phenomenon - Diatonic scales have always been dominant in most of the world’s mustic
Explanation - Nature completely determines what music we like

Answer Anticipation

Before we even dive into the logic of this argument, we should discuss a topic that frequently shows up on the exam and the answer that’s usually associated with it. That topic? Nature vs. Nurture. Here, the argument debates whether “social conditioning” (i.e., nurture) or “innate dispositions of the human mind” (i.e., nature) determine musical preference. When an argument wades into this debate, the correct answer usually brings up that both nature and nurture probably contribute to whatever phenomenon it’s discussing. Here, the conclusion stating that it’s “only” nature that contributes backs this up - the argument is likely flawed because it fails to consider that nature could play a large role, but there’s still room for nurture to have an effect.
Now, let’s dive into the argument itself.
The Anthropologist dives into some background about the world’s music, stating that there’s a diversity of societies making music based on diatonic and nondiatonic scales, but the former are much more popular. If this popularity were based on social conditioning, we’d expect the popularity to be more mixed based on the aforementioned diversity of societies (i.e., societies that nurture people in different ways). Since there isn’t such a mix of popularity, the Anthropologist concludes that the popularity of the diatonic scales can be explained by nature - innate dispositions of human minds.
Whenever an argument concludes an explanation for a phenomenon, we should consider alternative explanations. And when the argument brings one up, we should consider whether that explanation was fully ruled out or if it could still be valid.
Here, the Anthropologist does establish that nurture can’t fully explain the preference for diatonic music, since if it did control our musical preferences, there’d be more of a mix. However, that doesn’t mean it plays no role in our preferences for music. As such, let’s find an answer pointing out that the argument determines that something plays no role when it has established only that it doesn’t play a determinative or complete role.

Answer choices

  1. A
    consider the possibility that Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    The argument states that diatonic scales have “dominated” the music of the world. A few people who prefer nondiatonic scales doesn’t undercut the established fact that the vast majority of people clearly don’t, since the diatonic scales are dominant.
  2. B
    explain how innate dispositions Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    The argument concludes that innate dispositions are the reason for the dominance of diatonic scales in the world’s music, so how those dispositions increase appreciation for nondiatonic music would cut against the argument. As such, this answer isn’t something the argument fails to explain - you don’t need to explain something that would hurt your argument!
  3. C
    explain the existence of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Arguments don’t need to explain how/why things exist - that would make every argument unbelievably long and unwieldy!
  4. D
    consider that innate dispositions Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D matches the stem
    This answer brings up an explanation that the argument neglects in concluding that it’s “only” nature that has led to the popularity of diatonic music. Even if it’s predominantly innate dispositions that have led to the dominance of diatonic music, social conditional may play a role, as well. In bringing up an explanation that the argument fails to consider, this answer correctly describes a flaw in the reasoning.
  5. E
    consider whether any appreciation Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Since the conclusion explains the dominance of diatonic music with innate dispositions of the “human mind,” this answer about nonhuman animals is out of scope.

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