argument53 [OB小组] 第11次作业 melatonin&shyness

xiao8686UID: 2266881

TOPIC: ARGUMENT53 - 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: 700          TIME: 00:30:00+15          DATE: 2007-7-24 15:01:31

In this argument, the arguer states that the increased levels of melatonin--a hormone known to affect some brain functions before birth result in shyness during infancy and the shyness continues into later life. To support his/her point, s/he cites the research that studied the reaction of 25 infants while being exposed to unfamiliar stimuli like unusual odor or unknown voice. The resultant mild distress revealed by these infants is linked by the arguer with the later discovery that they are more likely to be conceived in early autumn when the melatonin level of mothers grow. Moreover, the arguer points out, follow-up study demonstrated that more than half of these children identified themselves as shy when they grow up to be teenagers. Therefore, the arguer draws the conclusion, the melatonin released by their mothers causes the shyness and this shyness will maintain in the future. However, close scrutiny suggest that this argument is poorly reasoned and suffers from several critical flaws.

First of all, the arguer made the fallacy of " A and B happen at the same time, then A must be the reason of the occurrence of B". Though these studied infants showed signs of mild distress when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli and they are more inclined to be conceived at the time their mothers' melatonin level increase, it does not necessarily mean the two facts have anything to do with each other. It is in all likelihoods that the anxious reactions of these infants were merely natural responses of human beings, which could happen whoever those infants were. Or such reactions may result in other possible hormones instead of melatonin secreted by their mothers. In sum, the arguer arbitrarily connected two facts while there is a large chance that they may have no causal relations at all.

Second of all, the follow-up study in which these children-now teenagers considered themselves as shy lend little credible evidence to the arguer's points. For one thing, there are no explicit and certain criteria about shyness. Given the obscurity of the standards of shyness, the analysis of whether a person is shy or not is not unreliable thereby.  For another, the remarks given by these teenagers about themselves are far from objective, thus the methods of self-evaluating is unfeasible. It is quite possible that they are actually not shy at all but gave the incorrect assessment about themselves. To summarize, the follow-up study is quite unscientific and therefore it can hardly be supportive to this argument.

Thirdly, the arguer is too hasty in concluding that the melatonin causes the shyness and the shyness will prolong into their later life. On the one hand, even these teenagers appeal to be shier than other peers. It does not follow that the shyness is caused by the melatonin. As a matter of fact, various factors can be influential to the personality and characters of an individual, including shyness. For example, the environment of a family can be a critical factor. If the parents seldom allowing children to go out but force him/her stay at home, it is highly possible that this child may turn out to be shy considering the rare contact s/he had with others. Furthermore, the arguer neither provides any information to prove that such shyness will continues into their later lives. Perhaps, after these teenagers get involved with the society more while they grow up, they would become more outgoing and less shy. In a nutshell, the arguer can not convince me with little evidence to espouse that melatonin is the reason why these teenagers are shy and the shyness would prolong in the future.

Finally, whether the specimen of the research is scientifically selected and 25 infants are sufficient enough for this study is questionable as well. Otherwise, the further deduction based on the research is groundless and without any credible merits at all.

In conclusion, the argument is not persuasive as it stands. To make it more convincing, the arguer needs to collect more data and evidence to prove that melatonin result in the shyness. Yet, they still needs more scientific methods to evaluate the degree of shyness and whether the shyness will continue requires further verifications in future.