#24 - A movie studio’s script readers discard all proposed scripts that

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Parallel Flaw. The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[ikim10]

Hello, I was stuck in between answer choices (B) and (C). I chose (B) by process of elimination in that I couldn't match (C) to the stimulus.

Could you walk through the diagramming for the stimulus, the flaw identification, and how to match the parts of (C) that make it the correct answer?

[Luke Haqq]

Hi ikim10!

To start with identifying the flaw, this stimulus mistakes necessary and sufficient conditions. Having the script submitted by an agent and correctly formatting are necessary conditions to avoid being discarded (if it's not submitted by an agent or if the formatting is incorrect, then it's discarded). However, just because someone has done those two things doesn't guarantee that it won't still be discarded. Perhaps they also discard any that are submitted without a name, or on the wrong type of paper, etc.

This flaw is similar to what is going on in answer choice (C). The first two sentences of this answer choice give us two sufficient conditions (exercising daily and quitting smoking)--if Bob does these things, his fitness level will improve. But the answer choice then goes on to treat these as necessary for his fitness level to improve--it indicates that if he doesn't do these two things, then his fitness level will not improve. However, it's possible that Bob can do some other things (e.g., eat healthier) that could also improve his fitness level.

[addtravel]

Why is A incorrect? I don't understand

[Adam Tyson]

Answer A is not paralleling the flaw in the stimulus because it isn't flawed, addtravel. It's a valid contrapositive. Being accepted requires two things: a completed form, and a postmark by the deadline. If either of those necessary conditions fails to occur, the entry will not be accepted. So, missing the deadline proves that the entry will not be accepted. When the necessary condition does not occur, the sufficient condition cannot occur.

To parallel the flaw in this argument, we need an answer with a Mistaken Negation. We know from the stimulus that if a script has either of these two characteristics (not submitted by an agent or not correctly formatted) it will be discarded. Being discarded is necessary in those two instances. That does not prove that if those sufficient conditions do not occur that the script will not be discarded, because the necessary condition (being discarded) may occur even if the sufficient conditions do not occur.

If these terms - necessary, sufficient, contrapositive, mistaken negation - are unfamiliar, you will want to review whatever resources you have that cover Conditional Reasoning, which is argumentation based on if/then statements. This type of reasoning is tested frequently on the LSAT, and there are some rules around it that are worth memorizing. The PowerScore course deals with them, and we also talk about them in some of our free public webinars, as well as in the Logical Reasoning Bible.