Q6 - Scientist: Laboratory animals have access

[mshinners]

Question Type:
Necessary Assumption

Stimulus Breakdown:
The scientist concludes that providing a ton of food and little exercise can mess with experiments using rats. Why? Because the studies assume that the rats in the study are healthy.

Answer Anticipation:
When an LSAT question brings up an assumption itself, it's usually a good idea to start your thought process there.

Here, we learn the studies assume healthy animals. Since the author is trying to conclude our studies are bad studies, she's definitely assuming the rats in question are unhealthy. To prove this, she relies on their excessive diets and lack of exercise. Does that make rats unhealthy? We don't know (though it's taking it's toll on me!), so we should look for an idea that connects these ideas.

Correct Answer:
(B)

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) Illegal negation. The argument relies on a bad diet and lack of exercise creating unhealthy animals; this answer choice states what makes for healthy animals.

(B) Bingo. The conditions in this lab might lead to unhealthy animals. Negating it says that these conditions cannot make animals unhealthy, which kills the argument.

(C) Out of scope. This answer choice tries to make the rats in the lab more similar to wild rats. However, the argument doesn't rely on the lab rats being representative of wild rats; instead, it relies on these rats being healthy. Maybe wild rats are all pretty unhealthy, too!

(D) Out of scope. The argument doesn't care about other animals. This answer also doesn't deal with the health of the animals, just the living conditions. The argument, with this answer, is still missing that connection.

(E) Out of scope. The question is whether this type of diet is unhealthy, not whether it varies.

Takeaway/Pattern: When a question presents you with a stated assumption, start your process there!

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