LSAT Discussion Forum

I am having trouble with this assumption question about distribution with estate. AC (A) and (D) both look attractive. I applied the Negation Test (below) and they both seem to hurt the conclusion
(A) Some ppl wants his or her estate to go to someone s/he has never met
(D) Ppl are generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed

Am I not applying the Negation technique correctly?
What makes (D) a superior choice?

Thanks in advance

ylikate wrote:I am having trouble with this assumption question about distribution with estate. AC (A) and (D) both look attractive. I applied the Negation Test (below) and they both seem to hurt the conclusion
(A) Some ppl wants his or her estate to go to someone s/he has never met
(D) Ppl are generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed

Am I not applying the Negation technique correctly?
What makes (D) a superior choice?

Thanks in advance

Hello ylikate,

About answer A, it may not weaken the conclusion if there is one human being somewhere who wants his estate to go to somebody (maybe not a relative?) whom he's never met. Or if it does, it might weaken it so little as hardly to make a difference.
D, by contrast, if negated, shows that people don't care how their estates are distributed, which hurts the stimulus, since the stimulus seems to say that people might well be annoyed if their beloved friends get nothing, etc.

Hope that helps,
David

So, I had the same exact difficulty as ylikate. But your explanation, David, is not what I know to be true about the Assumption Negation Technique. I thought if you negate it and it weakens the argument (including weakening a lot OR a little), it the correct answer choice..

Hi AA,

The way the Assumption Negation technique works is that we know that if the conclusion is true, the assumption must be true as well (as it is a necessary condition for the conclusion). So we take the contrapositive of that and test our Contenders by negating both and flipping the arrow. So we end up with:

1. ConclusionTrue AssumptionTrue

2.AssumptionNot True ConclusionNot True

So in choosing between answer choices (A) and (D) here, we see that:

(A) negated: Some people want their estate to go to someone they have never met
One need not have a will stating how one wishes one's estate be distributed.

(D) negated: People are generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed One need not have a will stating how one wishes one's estate be distributed.

Looking at the logical negations, we can see that in (A), the negated conclusion does not necessarily follow from the negated assumption, as the only way for those people who do want their estate to go to someone they have never met to be assured of that happening is to actually have a will specifying that. (D), on the other hand, follows perfectly as indifference need not have.

Hope this clears things up!

Hi, Powerscore,
Why the "generally" in D does not make the AC wrong right away? I have learned that >50% words like generally, majority, etc. are almost always wrong in NA since the negation of them would not make that much difference

Hi, power score,
I also have a general question related to AC A. "no' in AC A makes it too strong thus it is wrong. However, NA questions sometimes also like to have rule out language such as no, only, not. How can I know when it is too strong when it is the lovable ruling out language in NA

Hi CJ 123245:!

Regarding words like "generally" and "majority," I'm not aware of any rule of thumb that would suggest an answer choice is likely to be wrong if it uses such words on an assumption question.

Here, the presence of "generally" in answer choice (D) doesn't affect the fact that applying the Assumption Negation technique to it, as James does above, makes the argument fall apart. If people were generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed, then it wouldn't follow that it is obvious that one ought to have a will stating how one wishes one’s estate to be distributed. This confirms that it is an assumption on which the argument depends.

Regarding answer choice (A), the language of "no" isn't necessarily too strong. For example, if (A) had instead said, "Few people want their estates to go to someone they have never met," this wouldn't make the answer choice better than (D).

ylikate wrote: ↑Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:50 am I am having trouble with this assumption question about distribution with estate. AC (A) and (D) both look attractive. I applied the Negation Test (below) and they both seem to hurt the conclusion
(A) Some ppl wants his or her estate to go to someone s/he has never met
(D) Ppl are generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed

Am I not applying the Negation technique correctly?
What makes (D) a superior choice?
As exams approach, preparation becomes paramount. Collaborating with study buddies and free nursing essays can enhance your understanding and retention. Discussing topics, sharing notes, and teaching each other can solidify your grasp on difficult concepts. Additionally, dividing topics among group members for in-depth exploration ensures comprehensive coverage. Utilize online resources and apps for collaborative study sessions, enabling real-time discussions and problem-solving. Remember to review individually to reinforce your understanding. With the support of study partners, you can tackle exams confidently and achieve academic success. So, gather your study squad, share knowledge, and conquer those exams together!
Thanks in advance

For (A), negating it to “No one wants their estate to go to someone they’ve never met” doesn’t necessarily break the argument’s logic. However, for (D), negating it to “People are not generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed” suggests that people do care, which could directly impact the distribution process and thus weakens the conclusion significantly.

Therefore, (D) is a superior choice because its negation directly challenges the conclusion, indicating it’s a critical assumption for the argument’s validity. Remember, the best assumption is the one whose absence would make the conclusion untenable.

justinmz wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:15 am

ylikate wrote: ↑Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:50 am I am having trouble with this assumption question about distribution with estate. AC (A) and (D) both look attractive. I applied the Negation Test (below) and they both seem to hurt the conclusion
(A) Some ppl wants his or her estate to go to someone s/he has never met
(D) Ppl are generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed

Am I not applying the Negation technique correctly?
What makes (D) a superior choice?
As exams approach, preparation becomes paramount. Collaborating with study buddies and free nursing essays can enhance your understanding and retention. Discussing topics, sharing notes, and teaching each other can solidify your grasp on difficult concepts. Additionally, dividing topics among group members for in-depth exploration ensures comprehensive coverage. Utilize online resources and apps for collaborative study sessions, enabling real-time discussions and problem-solving. Remember to review individually to reinforce your understanding. With the support of study partners, you can tackle exams confidently and achieve academic success. So, gather your study squad, share knowledge, and conquer those exams together!
Thanks in advance

For (A), negating it to “No one wants their estate to go to someone they’ve never met” doesn’t necessarily break the argument’s logic. However, for (D), negating it to “People are not generally indifferent about how their estates are distributed” suggests that people do care, which could directly impact the distribution process and thus weakens the conclusion significantly.

Therefore, (D) is a superior choice because its negation directly challenges the conclusion, indicating it’s a critical assumption for the argument’s validity. Remember, the best assumption is the one whose absence would make the conclusion untenable.

Great work, Justin!