PrepTest 142, Section 1, Question 22
A study of 20,000 20- to 64-year-olds found(51 more words not shown)
The statements above, if true,(9 more words not shown)
- APeople with high(15 more words not shown)
- BOlder people are(10 more words not shown)
- CSatisfaction with income(5 more words not shown)
- DIn general, people's(15 more words not shown)
- EAn increase in(16 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
How much do you make compared with the people around you?
That appears to matter more here than the dollar amount alone. The study says income satisfaction isn't strongly tied to absolute income; it depends largely on comparison with neighbors. Someone could earn a high salary and still feel behind if the neighbors earn more.
What we’re looking for
We might have guessed that satisfaction depends on improvement over what someone grew up with. But the study gives us the neighborhood comparison, so that's what we'll use. For the supported hypothesis, keep the subject narrow: satisfaction with income. We haven't been told how happy people are with their families, health, or lives as a whole.
Working the answers
- A
A high income doesn't establish a favorable comparison with one's neighbors. A high earner could live among even higher earners, while someone earning less could be doing relatively well within a different neighborhood. The study doesn't support a consistent advantage in income satisfaction for the high-income group.
- B
The study includes a range of ages, but it doesn't compare older participants' satisfaction with younger participants' satisfaction. Knowing the ages included isn't evidence of an age-related difference. The stated relationship concerns income relative to neighbors.
- C
Knowing which neighborhood someone lives in isn't the same as knowing where that person's income stands relative to the neighbors. Two people in the same neighborhood could compare differently with those around them. The study identifies that relative position, not a strong correlation between satisfaction and neighborhood membership itself.
- D
Satisfaction with income isn't satisfaction with life as a whole. Income could have effects on other parts of someone's life that this study doesn't examine. D broadens both the outcome and the conclusion beyond the information we have.
- ECorrect
If everyone's income rises, an individual's increase may do little to improve their standing relative to neighbors whose incomes also rise. For example, an across-the-board proportional raise would preserve who earns more than whom. Since relative standing largely drives income satisfaction here, a general increase needn't produce a large increase in that satisfaction.
The answer says 'not likely to greatly increase,' rather than claiming that no one could become more satisfied. That fits a study identifying an important influence without making it the only influence.
More Must Be True questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Must Be True questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.