Discussion
Which one of the following, if true, would most
strengthen the therapist’s argument?
*This question is included in Free Complete Section: LR-B, June '07 LSAT, question #13
| (A) | Psychological problems are frequently caused by unconscious beliefs that could be changed with the aid of psychotherapy. |
| (B) | ... |
| (C) | ... |
| (D) | ... |
| (E) | ... |
| (F) | ... |
The solution is
Posted: 05/30/2012 14:18
Im having a hard time understanding why the correct answer is b and not d
Posted: 05/30/2012 16:49
Natalie, statement B is almost a restatement of the argument, which is: psychotherapy will be effective if it changes beliefs that are under the patient's direct conscious control.
Statement D is tempting. However, unlike the argument, which COMPARES the two forms of psychotherapy and says that one is superior than the other one, statement D makes one form of psychotherapy a conditional dependent of another one using the conjunction "unless".
Statement D is tempting. However, unlike the argument, which COMPARES the two forms of psychotherapy and says that one is superior than the other one, statement D makes one form of psychotherapy a conditional dependent of another one using the conjunction "unless".
Posted: 09/25/2012 12:27
Why does C not work? It seems a "stronger" statement.
Posted: 09/26/2012 19:02
Hi, Keli -
C is, as you say, a strong statement. The reason it is not the correct answer is that it doesn't strengthen the therapist's argument; even if true, it is essentially irrelevant.
The bare bones of the therapist's argument can be paraphrased as "Cognitive therapy focuses on mental states that the patient can control. Therefore it is more likely to be effective than therapies that focus on mental states that the patient cannot control."
Answer B is correct because it articulates a hidden assumption (that therapies that focus on mental states beyond the patient's control are less likely to be effective). By contrast, answer C does nothing to either strengthen or weaken the argument; the existence or not of an alternative therapy with the same asset (focusing on conscious beliefs) has no bearing on the probability that cognitive therapy would be more effective than a treatment without that asset.
I hope this helps. Please post again if you have further questions.
Best,
Lyn
C is, as you say, a strong statement. The reason it is not the correct answer is that it doesn't strengthen the therapist's argument; even if true, it is essentially irrelevant.
The bare bones of the therapist's argument can be paraphrased as "Cognitive therapy focuses on mental states that the patient can control. Therefore it is more likely to be effective than therapies that focus on mental states that the patient cannot control."
Answer B is correct because it articulates a hidden assumption (that therapies that focus on mental states beyond the patient's control are less likely to be effective). By contrast, answer C does nothing to either strengthen or weaken the argument; the existence or not of an alternative therapy with the same asset (focusing on conscious beliefs) has no bearing on the probability that cognitive therapy would be more effective than a treatment without that asset.
I hope this helps. Please post again if you have further questions.
Best,
Lyn
Posted: 05/15/2013 05:57
What seems to be problem with E? It also emphasizes how the form of psychotherapy that deals with conscious beliefs is effective.
Posted: 06/12/2013 16:19
Same here, why E is incorrect? Thanks!
Posted: 06/12/2013 22:06
Hi, guys --
Answer E essentially consists of two statements:
(1) All of a patient's conscious beliefs are under the patient's conscious control
(2) other psychological states cannot be controlled effectively without psychotherapy
Of these, (2) doesn't make sense in context, as cognitive therapy IS a form of psychotherapy, not an alternative to it. (Note that if the word had been "with" rather than "without", there would be a much better case for answer E.)
As for (1), it is an extremely strong statement, but it doesn't directly support the argument, which already states that conscious beliefs are under the patient's control. Indeed, the argument doesn't require that ALL conscious beliefs be under the patient's control, as long as some useful and relevant ones are.
Hope this helps -- please post again if you have further questions.
Best,
Lyn
Answer E essentially consists of two statements:
(1) All of a patient's conscious beliefs are under the patient's conscious control
(2) other psychological states cannot be controlled effectively without psychotherapy
Of these, (2) doesn't make sense in context, as cognitive therapy IS a form of psychotherapy, not an alternative to it. (Note that if the word had been "with" rather than "without", there would be a much better case for answer E.)
As for (1), it is an extremely strong statement, but it doesn't directly support the argument, which already states that conscious beliefs are under the patient's control. Indeed, the argument doesn't require that ALL conscious beliefs be under the patient's control, as long as some useful and relevant ones are.
Hope this helps -- please post again if you have further questions.
Best,
Lyn