Q3 - A recent study proves that

[chike_eze]

This is an example of a question where I was caught over-thinking.
I took the #48 test untimed, and I missed this question.

I narrowed it down to A and C, and chose A. I now see why C is correct. I also see that B is irrelevant, D weakens, and E is out of scope. But I need some help explaining why A is incorrect.

[chike_eze]

I think I may have answered my own question. Please provide feedback either way.

(A) is wrong because it is incomplete. In this answer choice, we are told that the subjects claim that they were watched most of the time. But, we are not told whether their claim (about being watched most of the time) is actually true. So, even though they claimed that they were watched most of time, it is possible that they were wrong (or right) most (or some) of the time. We just don't know.

In my opinion, it neither strengthens nor weakens the argument.
Thoughts??

[bbirdwell]

Sure, I think that's a fair assessment.

If anything, at a stretch, it could weaken. What if, since they were in front of a window, 99/100 people said "I'm being watched"?

All of a sudden it's not much of a study.

[patmichaelsmith]

The conclusion of this argument is as follows:

"A recent study proves that at least some people possess an independent 'sixth sense' that allows them to detect whether someone is watching them."

Because the recent study is so central to the conclusion, wouldn't an answer choice backing up another study be out of scope as it has no influence on the conclusion?

I know this is a strengthen question where answer choices can and do contain extraneous information, but to me, choice C doesn't help support the conclusion that the first study is what's responsible for proving an independent sixth sense.

Can anybody help me clear this up?

[timmydoeslsat]

The question stem asks us to strengthen the conclusion reached from the first study. So our conclusion is really that at least some people contain that sixth sense.

[tzyc]

Is (C) correct because even they were watched on video monitor (through screen/different ways) they could answer well as the first experiment, and that supports/adds evidence to the conclusion?

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Exactly right tz_strawberry! If the subjects could correctly say when they were being watched by means of a video camera that adds a second form in which the subjects could correctly identify whether or not they were being observed.

Answer choice (C) helps to eliminate the possibility (however unlikely) that the subjects through some sort of reflection or whatever could see the observer through the window!

[eapetrilli]

I correctly chose C but had a different reason. I thought that them being watched by camera strengthed the argument because it strengthened the likelihood that the experiment had been adequately controlled. Maybe the subjects had some tricks up their sleeve that only a camera could detect, but C rules out that possibility because of that duplicated result in a more controlled setting.

[pewals13]

I think that's perfectly fine, the duplication under slightly different circumstances decreases the chance that a variable unique to the original test conditions was responsible for the result.

[QingyiY938]

I was also between A and C. I ultimately chose A because the conclusion was saying that people with 6 sense could tell when people were watching and the study gave the support that 60 percent of the time they could tell if ppl were watching or not. I think I kind of read too deeply into the stimulus and thought A gave more support for the "watch" portion. I liked C but chose A because of that reason. However, reading A again, I think it actually weakens the argument because it suggests that maybe these people were guessing and don't actually have a 6th sense.