Out of Scope v. New Information

[mmedinao]

Hi, Chapter 7 of the LR Bible, which focuses on Weaken questions, says that Out of Scope answer choices appear frequently. The chapter also says that in Weaken questions, answer choices with "new" information are okay because the answer choices are accepted as given. What is a good way to differentiate between an answer choice that is out of scope, and an answer choice that simply offers new information? Also, would you please point me towards a question that I can reference as an example?

Thank you!

[Dave Killoran]

Hi M,

Good question! You ask a question that doesn't come up often, but it's an excellent one because it references a line that isn't clearly defined. Basically, New Information is allowed within the sphere of the question topic, whereas something Out of Scope addresses issues that are beyond the topic in the stimulus. While that's easy enough to describe, you are right to ask for some examples to show how that works since that will really clarify it. I'll give you an example of what I mean and that should help make this clearer:

• Let's imagine you have a stimulus about gardening, and the rates of speed that different plants grow at.
  
  A new information answer might bring new facts about certain plant varieties, or perhaps that growth rates were affected by climate. In other words, answers that related to gardening, plant varieties, and growth rates or factors that affected the items named in the stimulus.
  
  An out of scope answer would most easily be identified if it was on a nearly unrelated topic altogether (like banking), but answers like that would be too easy to dismiss, so instead answers of this type tend to go beyond the specifics of what was discussed in the stimulus. For example, an out of scope answer on this subject might address the taste of the plants or perhaps that chefs prefer plants with certain colors—answers in the zone of the topic but not within the "umbrella" of what was discussed. A thin line to be sure, but hopefully that makes some sense.

Please let me know if that's a helpful start. Thanks!

[mmedinao]

Thank you, Dave! That was very helpful. -M

[LSAT2018]

As an extension of this discussion, I would like to ask how out of scope answers and irrelevant answers differ. When I review answers, I have a tendency to say 'this answer is beyond the scope of the argument' or 'this answer is irrelevant' and immediately eliminate the answer choice, without really give much needed thought on how it is beyond the scope or irrelevant to the argument. I am trying to avoid doing this, and thought that a little more clarification on these labels will help. Are out of scope answers based on whether or not the subject that is discussed in the stimulus, and irrelevant answers just extraneous/additional information that have no effect on the argument whatsoever?

By the way, these might just be labels that ultimately mean the same thing so please correct me if I am wrong.

[Dave Killoran]

The two have the same ultimate meaning (the answer is wrong) and are often used interchangeably, which I find reasonable. However, if one were to really want a specific answer, I would say that out of scope relates in some way to the topic of the argument (such as the taste of the plants above) but isn't within the purview of what the author is discussing; irrelevant answers are on another topic altogether (which is so uncommon that it hardly ever happens, providing further evidence that out of scope and irrelevant mean the same thing).

Again, however, I personally wouldn't make that distinction because something out of scope is typically irrelevant by strict definition so to me I see them in the same vein.

Thanks!