Q8 - Because learned patterns of behavior

[ebrickm2]

I was stuck between C and E on this one.

My argument for C as the correct answer was that there were potentially for possible arrangements and that this could be, though not necessarily, dangerous or inefficient. B/c we don't know if this is necessarily dangerous or inefficient we can't make the assumption, though it is possible that it is the case.

My argument for E was that we know that some do (though some could mean all!) possess a characteristic and that it is possible that not all of the population of these devices are made this way, though a case could be made for C on this same point since it says GENERALLY.

An explanation is greatly appreciated.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

It sounds like you're paying special to key words like "all" and "generally." But I cant see the argument you're making for answer choice (C).

Answer choice (E) makes sense that it goes against the principle in that the tape recorders are designed counter than something deeply ingrained in our behavior. But answer choice (C), how is that running counter to a deeply ingrained behavioral pattern?

I'd like to help!

[cyruswhittaker]

My argument for C as the correct answer was that there were potentially for possible arrangements and that this could be, though not necessarily, dangerous or inefficient. B/c we don't know if this is necessarily dangerous or inefficient we can't make the assumption, though it is possible that it is the case.

I've looked at C again and tried to figure out how that could be dangerous but am having difficulty.

Either way, I'm sure there is a case that could be made for it, but as you stated, we can't make the assumption.

This question explicitly says to use the principle (and JUST the details of the principle) to select a choice that is "most clearly violated."

So it allows the option that a choice might or might not violate the principle (depending on if we take the assumptions too far), but we're looking for one that is explcitly contained within the confines of the principle.

[Raymond.Keimer]

Sometimes the test writers can be misleading unnecessarily. What seemed to be a simple question turned difficult because, to me, all the answer choices could be eliminated.

A) eliminated because the manufacturers refused to change the standard, meaning they stuck with what they, or others, would be used to.

B) eliminated because government requires airplane cockpits to be arranged in the same way...again sticking to the norm.

C) eliminated because the principle's acknowledged. The automobile manufacturers generally design their keys in a particular fashion.

D) eliminated because the principle's not violated. One traffic sign is shaped a certain way, cool! Nothing wrong with that.

E) wanted to eliminate because of the word "some" which means one to all. In the most extreme circumstance, ALL start buttons red and stop buttons yellow which does not break with learned patterns. So i thought "Hey, this could be eliminated too!" Who's to say in the LSAT's hypothetical world that is NOT the case?

Help LSAT instructors!

[ohthatpatrick]

Your explanations for (A) thru (D) are on point, and the most important facet of them is that in all cases there was clear language that people WERE adhering to a principle of standardization.

In (E), there's no clear language either way, so it already becomes the most likely answer because it is UNLIKE the other four.

With (E), your potential (but exotic) counterexample is not really a counterexample, because even if all tape recorders have a red "start" button, we could still say that this goes AGAINST the learned pattern of behavior that red means "stop" (think stop signs, traffic lights, etc.)

I'm not in love with (E) because it obviously involves the outside knowledge that in the real world red usually means "stop", not "start".

But it's the only answer with any chance of violating the principle, so we have to go with it.

Have you ever heard the old expression, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good"?

If not, or if you have heard it but found it cryptic and weird, it's just saying, "Don't hate on something that works just because it's not perfect".

That's a really important mantra throughout LSAT. There are going to be a lot of correct answers that aren't technically perfect ... for example, a lot of correct answers to "must be true" Inference questions don't technically have to be true, but we can clearly see they're more supported or more provable than any other answer choices.

In modern RC, there will be correct answers that aren't 100% provable from the text, but they are markedly better than all the other choices.

In short, you can go overboard with being analytical. As one of our instructors is keen to say, "We have to let the easy questions be easy."

We want to appreciate the context of a question (where it comes in a test / how tempting any other answer choice is) influence how tightly we examine the answers.

Hope this helps.

[bharbin1544]

Unfortunately, I picked C on a timed run and on Blind Review. The reason I picked C is because I placed too much emphasis on designers not creating machines that are "inefficient". Why I zeroed in on that one particular portion of it is beyond me, but at least I know my error.