LSAT Explanation PT 24, S2, Q4: Because quitting smoking is very stressful

LSAT Question Stem

Each of the following, if true, provides some support for the argument EXCEPT: 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The passage states that quitting smoking is difficult because it is stressful and leads to weight gain. However, the key to quitting may be replacing an unhealthy activity (smoking) with a healthy one (aerobic exercise). The passage presents a study as evidence, where half of the participants were assigned to a smoking-cessation program alone, and the other half were assigned to the same program plus fifteen weeks of aerobic exercise. The results showed that none in the first group had quit, but 40 percent of those in the second group had not smoked after one month.

The structure of the argument is as follows:

- Premise: Quitting smoking is difficult due to stress and weight gain.

- Premise: A study showed that adding aerobic exercise to a smoking-cessation program led to higher success rates in quitting smoking.

- Conclusion: The key to quitting smoking may be replacing an unhealthy activity with a healthy one.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Does the addition of aerobic exercise to the smoking-cessation program directly cause the increase in success rates for quitting smoking?"

Now, let's look at the question type and the answer choices. The question type is Strengthen, and it asks us to identify the answer choice that does NOT provide support for the argument.

a) Regular exercise prevents weight gain: This answer choice strengthens the argument by addressing one of the difficulties of quitting smoking (weight gain) and suggesting that aerobic exercise can help mitigate this issue.

b) Each group in the study included four hundred randomly selected participants: This answer choice strengthens the argument by suggesting that the study was credible and not biased, adding support to the evidence presented in the passage.

c) Nonsmokers accustomed to regular exercise do not gain weight when they stop exercising: This answer choice does not provide support for the argument, as it does not relate to the process of quitting smoking or the benefits of aerobic exercise for smokers trying to quit. Instead, it discusses what happens to nonsmokers when they stop exercising. Therefore, this is the correct answer.

d) Aerobic exercise can stimulate the brain's production of endorphins, which reduce tension: This answer choice strengthens the argument by addressing another difficulty of quitting smoking (stress) and suggesting that aerobic exercise can help reduce stress, making the quitting process easier.

e) Of those in the second group in the study, 38 percent had not smoked at the one-year mark: This answer choice strengthens the argument by showing that the effects of aerobic exercise were not temporary, and that exercise may have a lasting impact on quitting smoking.

In conclusion, the correct answer is C, as it does not provide support for the argument.