[a习作temp] argument53 [jet小组]第五次作业 [复制链接]

月亮熬的汤
UID: 2382325

寄托新兵

Rank: 2

声望: 0
寄托币: 259
注册时间: 2007-8-14
精华: 0
帖子: 3

电梯直达

楼主

发表于 2008-2-13 11:02:10 |只看该作者 |倒序浏览

Argument 53:Thirteen years ago, researchers studied a group of 25 infants who showed signs of mild distress when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli such as an unusual odor or a tape recording of an unknown voice. They discovered that these infants were more likely than other infants to have been conceived in early autumn, a time when their mothers' production of melatonin—a hormone known to affect some brain functions—would naturally increase in response to decreased daylight. In a follow-up study conducted earlier this year, more than half of these children—now teenagers—who had shown signs of distress identified themselves as shy. Clearly, increased levels of melatonin before birth cause shyness during infancy and this shyness continues into later life.
WORDS: 487 TIME: DATE: 2008-2-4

The author maintains that shyness during infancy was caused by increased levels of malatonin, a kind of hormone, and this shyness continues into later life. This assertion was based on a study of 25 infants conceived in early autumn, who showed mild distress when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli and when they grow into teenagers they still show sings of distress. It seems to be somewhat convincing, but after careful examine, several logical flaws are revealed.

To begin with, the whole assertion is based on a unwarranted study. In the first place, what institution conducts this study? It is possible that this study is conducted by totally irresponsible institution, which leaves the result of the study dubious. Second, how this study is conducted is also key to the validity of the study. What expressions of the infants are defined as mild distress? At last, the author fails to provide evidence to show that these 25 infants involved are picked up randomly and scientifically. Therefore, it is hard to believe that this study is representative.

Even if this study is warranted, there is still no causal relationship between malatonin and the mild distress those infants show when they are exposed to unfamiliar stimuli. The conclusion cannot be drawn based on mere time proximity. The author should firstly provide necessary information about melatonin, which can justify its effect on brain functions. There are many other possibilities. For example, malatonin has totally no relationship with brain functions or its effect has nothing to do with shyness. In addition, there are clearly many other factors which will result in infants' mild distress, such as uncomfortable body postures and hunger and so on. Without ruling out all other possibilities, the author can not draw such conclusion.

Even if there is really causal relationship between malatonin and the shyness during infancy, the conclusion that this shyness will continue into later life still can not be drawn based on the information the author provides. It was cited a study that shows more than half of these children identified themselves as shy when they are teenagers. This study suffers from several flaws. First, is the result of the study reliable with only more than half of the children identified themselves as shy. Maybe only 13 children showed shyness while the other 12 children are passionate, which leaves the study unrepresentative at all. Second, people all have different definition about shyness and there is no evidence to show that there is a fixed definition in this study, so even for those children who identified themselves as shy, their characteristics may still be totally different.

In sum, this argument is based on unwarranted basis, the causal relationship of malatonin and shyness during infancy is not valid, and the conclusion lacks necessary information. To make this argument more convincing, the author needs to provide adequate information about the effect of malatonin and the reliability of the two studies.

0 0

使用道具举报

sunneptune
UID: 2451588

初级会员

Rank: 3 Rank: 3

声望: 0
寄托币: 319
注册时间: 2008-1-26
精华: 0
帖子: 0

沙发

发表于 2008-2-14 00:29:13 |只看该作者

The author maintains that shyness during infancy was caused by increased levels of malatonin, a kind of hormone, and this shyness continues into later life. This assertion was based on a study of 25 infants conceived in early autumn, who showed mild distress when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli and when they grow into teenagers they still show sings of distress. It seems to be somewhat convincing, but after careful examine, several logical flaws are revealed.(作者论据提的是不是有点少？）

To begin with, the whole assertion is based on a unwarranted study. In the first place, what(which) institution conducts this study? It is possible that this study is conducted by a totally irresponsible institution, which leaves the result of the study dubious. Secondly, how this study is conducted is also a key to the validity of the study. What expressions of the infants are defined as mild distress? At last, the author fails to provide evidence to show that these 25 infants involved are picked up randomly and scientifically. Therefore, it is hard to believe that this study is representative.

Even if this study is warranted, there is still no causal relationship between malatonin and the mild distress those infants show when they are exposed to unfamiliar stimuli. The conclusion cannot be drawn based on mere time proximity. The author should firstly provide necessary information about melatonin, which can justify its effects on brain functions. There are many other possibilities. For example, malatonin has totally no relationship with brain functions or its effect has nothing to do with shyness. In addition, there are clearly many other factors which will result in infants' mild distress, such as uncomfortable body postures and hunger and so on.(two and?) Without ruling out all other possibilities, the author can not draw such conclusion.

Even if there is really causal relationship between malatonin and the shyness during infancy, the conclusion that this shyness will continue into later life still can not be drawn based on the information the author provides. It was cited a study that shows more than half of these children identified themselves as shyness when they are teenagers. This study suffers from several flaws. Firstly, is the result of the study reliable with only more than half of the children identified themselves as shyness. Maybe only 13 children showed shyness while the other 12 children are passionate,(dispassionate) which leaves the study unrepresentative at all. Secondly, people all have different definition about shyness and there is no evidence to show that there is a fixed definition in this study, so even for those children who identified themselves as shyness, their characteristics may still be totally different.

In sum, this argument is based on unwarranted basis, the causal relationship of malatonin and shyness during infancy is not valid, and the conclusion lacks necessary information. To make this argument more convincing, the author needs to provide adequate information about the effect of malatonin and the reliability of the two studies.

使用道具举报