#14 - Must Be True, Author's Perspective

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=13642)

The correct answer choice is (D)

This question asks what the author would think about the colleagues who advised Dunham not to take part in the dances that she was researching, so as to avoid the extreme physical demands and maintain a detached perspective, which, according to the prevailing belief at the time, was preferable for the researcher. The author does not agree with this belief, as is clear in the author’s admiration for Dunham, who chose to ignore her colleagues’ perspective, and by the fact that the author refers to such a perspective as “unrealistic.”

Answer choice (A): The author never mentions or reflects any concern regarding such risk, nor offers any such concession to the colleagues’ opinions, so this cannot be the right answer to this Must Be True, Author’s Perspective question.

Answer choice (B): There is no mention in the passage regarding the need for such initial caution, nor any support for this answer choice.

Answer choice (C): Many test takers found this choice appealing based on the first half of the answer: The author would agree that the colleagues were incorrect in their recommendations, but there is no reason to believe that the author would make a broad statement that personal investment enhances scientific rigor as a general rule.

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The author points out on line 38 that the anthropologists’ assertion (that research “can and must be conducted from a position of complete detachment”) is now “fortunately recognized as unrealistic.” So, the author is saying, fortunately we have developed a new perspective: it is unrealistic to assert that research can be done from a position of complete detachment, or, as phrased in this answer choice, “in an entirely objective manner.”

Answer choice (E): This was not their assumption; Dunham’s peers did not assume that the same scientific rigor could be achieved, and if they had made such an assumption, the author would not disagree.

[ArizonaRobin]

I am struggling with the correct answer here from a logical perspective. You mention the following:

The author points out on line 38 that the anthropologists’ assertion (that research “can and must be conducted from a position of complete detachment”) is now “fortunately recognized as unrealistic.”

I understand that the author sees the anthropologists' view as unrealistic. However, there are two things that must occur for good research according to this view. Can (is able to be detached) AND must be detached good research. So NOT good research cannot (unable to be detached) OR not required to be detached. When I was reading the passage, I saw the author's viewpoint more as good research does not require detachment in social services even though it is possible. For this reason, I saw D as too strong in saying that researchers in social sciences are not able to gather data in an entirely objective manner. It seemed like the author was supporting Dunham's CHOICE to not gather data entirely objectively but that he would not go so far as to say that she was unable to because that would be slightly denigrating her as a scientist, which isn't supposed to happen in a diversity passage.

I understand why the answer I selected, C, also goes to far, but feel like this question does not actually have a good answer. Any words of wisdom to help me rectify my thoughts with the correct answer here?

[James Finch]

Hi Robin,

To summarize it concisely, the author clearly feels that the unnamed colleagues' advice was wrong because "complete detachment" is "unrealistic." This immediately eliminates answer choices (A) and (B) due to their "partly correct" language. (C) is too strong as we only know that immersion in fieldwork doesn't detract from scientific rigor, not that it enhances it. (D) works because it is paraphrasing the idea that complete detachment is unrealistic, exactly as Prephrased above. (E) also fails as it makes a distinction between dance and other forms of ethnology that the passage doesn't. So only (D) works, and becomes clear with a solid Prephrase.

Hope this helps!