Medium LSAT Resolve the Paradox Questions Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

LSAT Resolve the Paradox questions present two seemingly contradictory statements and ask you to find the piece of information that makes them compatible. These questions do not contain a formal argument with a conclusion; instead, they provide a set of facts that appear to clash. To solve these, you must identify the "paradox" (the tension between Fact A and Fact B) and select an answer choice that provides a bridge or an alternative explanation. This process relies on your ability to perform logical reasoning by looking for a missing variable that allows both facts to be true simultaneously. Unlike inference questions, where you must prove a statement based on the text, Resolve the Paradox questions require you to bring in new information from the answer choices to fix the discrepancy. Success on these questions often involves moving away from the assumption that the facts are wrong and toward the realization that the context is incomplete.

Solved Examples

Analyzing how to reconcile conflicting data is a core skill for any prospective law student. Here are three examples demonstrating the process of resolving a logical discrepancy.

1. Example: The Agricultural Yield
   Fact 1: Farmers in Region X used 20% more fertilizer this year than they did last year.
   Fact 2: The total crop yield in Region X was significantly lower this year than last year.
   Solution: To resolve this, we need a reason why more fertilizer didn't lead to more crops.
   1. Identify the tension: More input (fertilizer) usually equals more output, but here it resulted in less.
   2. Look for an external factor: What else affects crops? Weather, pests, or soil quality.
   3. Correct answer: "Region X experienced a record-breaking drought that neutralized the benefits of the fertilizer." This explains why the yield dropped despite the increased effort.
2. Example: The Luxury Car Sales
   Fact 1: The price of the Zenith luxury sedan increased by $10,000 this year.
   Fact 2: Zenith sold 15% more sedans this year than it did last year.
   Solution: Usually, higher prices lead to lower demand. We need a reason why demand went up.
   1. Identify the tension: Price up, sales up.
   2. Look for a shift in value or market: Perhaps the competition disappeared or the car was redesigned.
   3. Correct answer: "The only major competitor for the Zenith sedan went out of business early in the year." This explains why buyers flocked to Zenith despite the price hike.
3. Example: The Health Initiative
   Fact 1: A city implemented a strict ban on sugary sodas in public schools to reduce childhood obesity.
   Fact 2: A year later, the average caloric intake from sugar among students remained unchanged.
   Solution: Why did the ban fail to lower sugar consumption?
   1. Identify the tension: Restricted access at school did not change total intake.
   2. Look for a compensatory behavior: Where else do kids get sugar?
   3. Correct answer: "Following the ban, local convenience stores located within walking distance of schools reported a massive surge in soda sales to students." This shows students simply moved their consumption elsewhere.

Practice Questions

Test your skills with these Medium LSAT Resolve the Paradox Questions. Each question requires you to find the missing link that allows two conflicting facts to coexist.

1. In the town of Millersville, the number of traffic citations issued for speeding has decreased by 40% over the last three years. However, the number of high-speed accidents reported by local hospitals has increased during that same period. Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy?

2. Recent studies show that people who take a daily multivitamin have a higher incidence of certain vitamin deficiencies than people who do not take any supplements at all. Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the findings of the studies?

3. A corporate law firm recently moved from a traditional office layout with private cubicles to an open-plan office designed to encourage collaboration. Despite the design change, the firm’s internal data shows that face-to-face interactions between employees have actually decreased since the move. Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the paradox?

4. Many marine biologists were surprised to find that a specific population of coral reefs in the northern Pacific is thriving, even though the surrounding water temperatures have risen to levels that typically cause coral bleaching and death. Which of the following, if true, provides the best explanation for the reef's survival?

5. Over the last decade, the total number of books borrowed from the public library system in City Y has doubled. Paradoxically, surveys of City Y residents indicate that the average time spent reading books has decreased by 30% during that same timeframe. Which of the following helps reconcile these results?

6. An environmental organization reported that the use of recycled paper in the country of Arcania increased by 50% last year. However, the total number of trees harvested for paper production in Arcania also increased significantly last year. Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain this result?

7. A pharmaceutical company released a new drug that is significantly more effective at treating chronic pain than the previous market leader. However, sales for the new drug have been stagnant, while sales for the older, less effective drug have remained high. Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the stagnant sales?

8. In a certain country, the government increased the minimum wage by 15% to help low-income families. Surprisingly, statistics gathered six months later showed that the poverty rate in the country had actually increased. Which of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the paradox?

Answers & Explanations

Review the detailed breakdowns below to understand the logic behind each resolution. These explanations focus on identifying the specific mechanism that bridges the gap between the two premises.

1. Answer: The local police department recently shifted its resources away from traffic patrols to focus on investigating violent crimes.
   Explanation: If there are fewer police officers on the road to give tickets, the number of citations will drop even if people are speeding more and causing more accidents. This explains why citations are down while accidents are up.
2. Answer: People often begin taking a multivitamin only after they have been diagnosed with or suspect they have a vitamin deficiency.
   Explanation: This is a classic case of reverse causality. The vitamins aren't causing the deficiency; the existing deficiency is causing the people to take the vitamins.
3. Answer: To avoid being distracted by the noise of the open-plan office, employees have begun wearing noise-canceling headphones and communicating primarily via instant messaging.
   Explanation: The open plan created a new problem (noise) that forced employees to adopt behaviors (headphones/messaging) that actively discouraged the face-to-face interaction the office was meant to foster.
4. Answer: A deep-sea current recently shifted, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the base of these specific reefs, offsetting the surface temperature rise.
   Explanation: This provides a localized cooling mechanism that explains why this specific reef is safe while others in the same general region might be dying.
5. Answer: Residents are increasingly borrowing picture-heavy cookbooks and children's books, which take much less time to read than the novels they used to borrow.
   Explanation: If the type of book changed, people could borrow more items while spending less total time reading, as each item requires less of a time commitment.
6. Answer: Arcania began exporting massive quantities of paper to neighboring countries last year, whereas previously it only produced paper for domestic use.
   Explanation: Even if recycling increased, a massive jump in total production (for exports) would require harvesting more trees to meet the new, much higher demand.
7. Answer: Most major health insurance providers refuse to cover the new drug because it is priced five times higher than the older drug.
   Explanation: Effectiveness doesn't matter if the drug is unaffordable. The high price and lack of insurance coverage explain why patients stick with the less effective, cheaper option.
8. Answer: Many small businesses, unable to afford the higher wages, laid off a significant portion of their staff shortly after the law took effect.
   Explanation: While the wage per hour went up, the loss of jobs entirely for many workers would naturally lead to an increase in the poverty rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a paradox and a flaw?

A paradox is a set of facts that seem to contradict each other but are both true, whereas a flaw is an error in the logic used to reach a conclusion. In paradox questions, you are not looking for a mistake; you are looking for a missing piece of information that makes the situation make sense.

Should I look for the conclusion in a Resolve the Paradox question?

No, these stimuli rarely contain conclusions because they are not arguments. Instead of looking for a conclusion, you should focus on identifying the two facts that are in tension with one another.

Can the correct answer introduce information not mentioned in the stimulus?

Yes, the correct answer must introduce new information. Since the paradox cannot be solved using only the facts provided in the stimulus, you need an outside factor to bridge the gap between the two premises.

How do I identify a Resolve the Paradox question from the prompt?

Look for keywords like "resolve," "explain," "reconcile," "account for," or "discrepancy." Prompts usually ask which choice "most helps to resolve the apparent paradox" or "best explains the surprising result."

What if two answer choices seem to explain the situation?

Compare how much of the paradox each choice resolves. The correct answer will address the specific tension between both facts, while the incorrect choice will likely only address one fact or provide a very weak, indirect explanation.