According to the passage, the LRCWA's report recommended that contingency-fee agreements
AneeshUon June 9, 2022
Q5 on Northwood Maple Syrup
Regarding C, why is the criticism that a survey can only cover the opinions of a minority of customers invalid? Isn't that true? Even though C is true of all surveys, how does that have any bearing on whether it is a valid criticism? Isn't it biased to presuppose that a survey is an infallible instrument to determine public opinion?
If D is the correct answer then what's the point of the language 'no IFs, ands or buts'? Doesn't this language mean that people will buy Northwood Maple Syrup even IF the price rises?
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You are right in asserting that criticism can be valid even if it applies to most/all cases. However, if you maintain that having a small sample size relative to the population is grounds for doubting a survey, your stance would necessitate believing that every survey is potentially misleading.
Using statistics, so long as the sample size is reasonable, we can make inferences about the population at large that are quite reliable within a certain margin for error. Even if you are generally skeptical of surveys, the LSAT writers trust a properly done survey, so for this exam, we have to trust them as well.
For a practical takeaway: don’t select an answer choice that suggests a study has too small of a sample size unless the sample size is specifically mentioned and it is unreasonably small (e.g. 10 people out of 10,000).
The no ifs, ands, or buts part is more difficult to defend. It does seem to me that price constitutes an “if”. However, every preference has to be based on some set of factors, so I see this as a potential slippery slope argument.
Suppose someone prefers the syrup for the taste. IF the formula for the syrup is changed, they may no longer prefer that syrup. The same goes for any number of other factors, price included.
So if we interpret the no ifs, ands, or buts part literally, we would be forced to assume that the survey respondents preferred Northwoods Maple Syrup just for being Northwoods Maple Syrup - an untenable conclusion in my opinion.
