LSAT Question Stem

The reasoning in the company representative's argument is most vulnerable to criticism because it fails to consider the possibility that 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage. The consumer expresses concern about installing the latest software upgrade due to a friend's negative experience. The company representative responds by stating that out of 3,000 distributed upgrades, they have received fewer than 100 calls about problems, implying that the consumer is unlikely to experience any issues.

The structure of the argument is as follows:

Premise: Nearly 3,000 copies of the upgrade have been distributed.

Premise: Fewer than 100 calls have been received about problems with the upgrade.

Conclusion: It is very unlikely that the consumer will experience any problems with the upgrade.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Are the reported problems an accurate representation of the actual number of problems experienced by users?"

Now, let's discuss the question type and answer choices. The question is a Flaw question, asking us to identify a potential weakness in the company representative's reasoning.

a) The possibility of a future upgrade that corrects current problems is irrelevant to the likelihood of the consumer experiencing problems with the current upgrade.

b) The severity of the problems experienced by users is not directly related to the likelihood of the consumer experiencing a problem. The representative's argument is about the probability of encountering an issue, not the potential impact of such an issue.

c) Correct answer. The representative's argument is based on the assumption that the number of reported problems accurately reflects the number of actual problems. This answer choice points out that there could be a significant number of users who experienced problems but did not report them, which would mean that the likelihood of the consumer facing issues might be higher than the representative suggests.

d) The possibility of the consumer experiencing software problems without the upgrade is not relevant to the representative's argument, which focuses on the likelihood of problems occurring as a result of the upgrade.

e) The cause of the reported problems (i.e., users not following instructions) does not affect the likelihood of the consumer experiencing problems with the upgrade. The representative's argument is based on the number of reported problems, regardless of their cause.

In conclusion, the correct answer is C, as it highlights a potential flaw in the company representative's reasoning by suggesting that the actual number of problems experienced by users might be higher than the reported number, which would affect the likelihood of the consumer encountering issues with the upgrade.