February 1993 LSAT Section 1 Question 10

A large group of hyperactive children whose regular diets included food containing large amounts of additives was obs...

AllisonJ on May 19, 2021

Explanation of E

I am starting to see what E is wrong and why B is right, but could E be further explained so I can have more of a sound proof answer for this?

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Victoria on May 20, 2021

Hi @AllisonJ,

Happy to help!

Answer choice (E) is incorrect because it does not prevent the author from drawing their conclusion.

The author tells us that, originally, nearly 60% of the children exhibited behaviour problems and that, after the change in diet, only 30% of the children exhibited behaviour problems. The author then uses this information to conclude that food additives "can contribute to behaviour problems" in hyperactive children.

While answer choice (E) could be true in that some children exhibit more frequent behaviour problems after the change in diet, the author does not conclude that food additives absolutely cause behavioural problems. Rather, the author says that additives can contribute to behaviour problems, suggesting that there are other factors at play. Therefore, the fact that some children exhibited more frequent behavioural problems after the change in diet does not prevent the author from properly drawing their conclusion.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any further questions.

AllisonJ on June 1, 2021

This is great but could explain why B is right as well