#25 - A study conducted over a 6-month period analyzed daily

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (B)

A study reveals that fewer people go to the museum when the museum does not feature a special exhibition, but they spend more time there. Given that there are so many ways of explaining the differing average lengths of museum visits, the question stem is asking us to identify the one correct answer that would either confuse the situation, or, more likely, have no impact on it. The four incorrect answers, on the other hand, will resolve or explain the situation.

Answer choice (A): If visitors during special exhibitions tend to focus only on specific exhibits, no wonder they spend a shorter amount of time in the museum. Because this answer choice explains the discrepancy between the average lengths of visits, it is incorrect.

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Just because museum hours are not extended during special exhibitions does not explain why patrons spend less time there. This answer choice can only explain why visitors may not be able to spend more time in the museum during special exhibitions, not why they tend to spend less.

Answer choice (C): If many people attend special exhibitions simply for the prestige of having been there, there would be no reason for them to stay for long. This answer choice explains the discrepancy and is therefore incorrect.

Answer choice (D): If admission tickets to special exhibitions limit the amount of time patrons can spend at the museum, no wonder the average visit during a special exhibition is shorter in length. This answer choice explains the discrepancy and is therefore incorrect.

Answer choice (E): If many people who go to special exhibitions do not have the opportunity to browse, this provides a good reason why they tend to spend less time there. This answer choice explains the discrepancy between the differing average lengths of visits to the museum and is therefore incorrect.

[Jack.darb]

Regarding answer choice D, wouldn't that further contribute to the paradox? It's saying that in order to go to the special exhibits, you must spend an hour of your day, on a specific day (not necessarily the same day as the exhibit is open) in order to see the exhibit. So having to spend an hour of your time in order to see this exhibit, wouldn't you want to get all that you possibly can from your experience, and thus spend as much time as possible? I understand it's a lot of speculation on my part, but I don't see how it explains the paradox. It doesn't say that people go and spend an hour going to get the ticket on the same day that they go to these exhibits.

Thank you in advance!

[Adam Tyson]

Good question, Jack, and I see where you and I are reading that answer choice a little differently from each other.

Your reading as I understand it, is that there is a one-hour period during which a person can buy the ticket to the special exhibition, right? If that were so I think it would not resolve the paradox, nor would it deepen the problem without substantial additional speculation on our part of the sort that you engaged in.

My reading of that answer, and the one I am pretty sure the authors intended, is that the ticket gets you in to the exhibition for a specific one-hour period. That is, you buy the ticket (whenever, no restriction on the purchase) and it allows you to go only for one hour on a certain day (I get one for Thursday from noon to 1pm, you get yours for Monday from 4pm to 5pm). That would mean many of the visitors would only be in the museum for an hour, just the time that their ticket allows them to be there, and then they go quietly or else the bouncer shows them the door (politely, of course - this is a museum, not a seedy nightclub after all!)

I think the key to making the correct interpretation here is the difference between the word "for" and the word "during" - the tickets are issued "for" the one-hour period (to give access during that period; for the purpose of access during that time frame) rather than being issued "during" a one-hour period (tickets are only on sale at that limited time). I get my ticket FOR the noon show on Thursday, not DURING the noon hour on Thursday.

See if that makes more sense to you and helps to resolve the paradox.

Keep up the good work!

[adlindsey]

there is a one-hour period during which a person can buy the ticket to the special exhibition, right? If that were so I think it would not resolve the paradox, nor would it deepen the problem without substantial additional speculation on our part of the sort that you engaged in.

I also choose D for the same reason. If the authors intended for a specific interpretation they should be more clear about it. This question should be removed from scoring! Typical LSAC BS!

[Kristina Moen]

there is a one-hour period during which a person can buy the ticket to the special exhibition, right? If that were so I think it would not resolve the paradox, nor would it deepen the problem without substantial additional speculation on our part of the sort that you engaged in.

I also choose D for the same reason. If the authors intended for a specific interpretation they should be more clear about it. This question should be removed from scoring! Typical LSAC BS!

Adlindsey,

I understand your frustration. What you can take away from this is that if you see a phrase like that agin, you'll know what it means.

Further, answer choice (B) definitely does not resolve the paradox. So you might also ask yourself why you eliminated it. For you, what made that answer choice tempting to eliminate? And do you understand now why it does not resolve the paradox? Every practice question is an opportunity to review and practice skills for the real thing.

[elite097]

If they cant spend more time as per B, then that does explain why they are spending less time. What else could it explain anyway? pls explain correct choice in this context

[Luke Haqq]

Hi elite097!

In resolve the paradox questions, it's important to identify both aspects of the paradox and then see whether an answer choice explains how both of them can be true. An answer choice that addresses one but not the other aspect may look tempting but ultimately won't be correct.

In this stimulus, there's what seems to be a causal relationship--a lack of special exhibitions lowers total attendance and also affects how long people stay.

Answer choice (B) states, "A plan to extend normal museum hours during special exhibitions was considered but not enacted during the period studied." Since this plan wasn't actually enacted and without more information, we don't know how this answer choice would address both the lower attendance and also the longer stays. It's possible that if this plan had been adopted, people would stay even longer. But even if it addressed the length of stay, this answer choice doesn't explain the lower total attendance.

[elite097]

Thanks but this does not really answer me sine the question is bout average length time and not about attendance at all

[Robert Carroll]

elite097,

Let's go back to your original question. If people can't spend more time, that does not at all explain why they would spend less time! If the museum has the same hours on Tuesday and on Monday, then people can't spend more time at the museum on Tuesday. How could that possibly explain why they would spend less time on Tuesday? You could equally argue in the other direction - since Monday and Tuesday have the same hours, people can't spend more time on Monday. Does that even make it likely they'd spend less time on Monday? It can't, or otherwise your judgment contradicts itself.

It looks in answer choice (B) as if hours are the same whether there is a special exhibition or not. So people can't spend more time there during a special exhibition. But they also can't spend more time when there isn't a special exhibition! So this logic is self-defeating - any way this would explain the paradox would turn around on itself and make the paradox worse.

Robert Carroll

[elite097]

Thanks Robert. So if they cant spend more time, then what exactly happens? How much time can they spend? Can you maybe give a numerical exampke as to why they cant spend less time