argument188 by [728西安]小红莓

小红莓UID：2641349

TOPIC: ARGUMENT188 - A new report suggests that men and women experience pain very differently from one another, and that doctors should consider these differences when prescribing pain medications. When researchers administered the same dosage of kappa opioids-a painkiller-to 28 men and 20 women who were having their wisdom teeth extracted, the women reported feeling much less pain than the men, and the easing of pain lasted considerably longer in women. This research suggests that kappa opioids should be prescribed for women whenever pain medication is required, whereas men should be given other kinds of pain medication. In addition, researchers should reevaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women.
WORDS: 482
TIME: 00:30:00

DATE: 2009-7-12 18:12:27

Merely based on several unsound evidences and dubious reasoning, the author concludes that men and women experience pain very differently from one another and that doctors should consider these differences when prescribing pain medications. The author also claims that kappa opioids should be prescribed for women whereas men should be given other kinds of pain medication and researchers should reevaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women, based on a research cited by the argument. The argument is logically flawed in several critical aspects.

To begin with, the number of the sample of the research cited by the author is too small to have a general conclusion. If the men and women who were having their wisdom teeth extracted in the research only stand for a tiny proportion of the whole group, we should not be so sure about the conclusion. To ensure the result of the research is a representative one, the author should give more evidence to prove it.

Even if the samples are representative, the author fails to convince me that the women really feel much less pain than men. As no scientific statistics have been showed, it's likely that the result is from what the samples say, but not scientific measurement. Even if the women really feel less pain than man, the author fails to rule out the other possibilities that may have the same result. Perhaps the women are much more durable than men so the pain they feel are less. Perhaps what the women's experience make them feel that wisdom teeth extracting is not that pain as what they have experienced, which have not been experienced by men, such as the born of baby. Perhaps those men in research are not as sensitive to painkillers as normal people and therefore have less pain.

Additionally, even if the kappa opiods are really not working on men as women, the author fails to prove that men should be given other kinds of pain medication. Perhaps kappa opiods is the most effective painkiller on men and have better results than any other painkillers. Without clear evidence to show that the kappa opiods is not the most effective painkiller, the author's conclusion is unwarranted.

What's more, the author also fails to prove that researchers should reevaluate the effects of all medications on men versus women. Even if kappa opiods are really not working on men as women, perhaps it is not a general phenomenon in all medications.

To sum up, the argument is unconvincing as it stands. To strengthen it the author should give clear evidence that kappa opiods are really not working on men as women and for man, kappa opiods is not the most effective painkiller so that men should be given other kinds of pain medication. To better assess me, I should also know if it is not a general phenomenon in all medication.


（少了一个反驳点：就算这个理论对牙疼管用，对身体其他地方未必有用）