[0906G 文以载道三月四月作文小组] 第二周第二次作业 by lilianli

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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.
13年前，研究者研究了一组在受到不熟悉的刺激比如不寻常的气味和未知声音的录音时表现出轻微紧张的25名婴儿。他们发现这些婴儿比其他婴儿更可能在早秋怀孕，而早秋是他们的母亲分泌的melatonin--一种已知会影响一些大脑功能的荷尔蒙--因日照的减少而增加的季节。在今年早些时候所作的跟踪调查中，这些表现出紧张迹象的儿童--现在已经是十几岁--有一半以上认为自己害羞。显然，出生前melatonin的增加导致婴儿期的羞涩并且这种羞涩将延续至生命更晚的阶段。


[提纲]：
1.      this study is inaccurate to support the claim that the baby is nervous due to the time when they were born . The number of the participated babies is not enough to get any conclusion. Also, the infants’ gender, health condition and other factors may affect the study.
2.      In early autumn, their mothers’ bodies may have other changes. Such as the metabolism was reduced and more energy was accumulated, this can be the possibility to affect baby’s character
3.      even if increased levels of melatonin before birth cause shyness during infancy ,we can’t assert it will last for a long time, because the growth experience of children can lead to shyness or this is the common character of adolescents.

[正文]

In this argument, the author claims that increased levels of melatonin before birth cause shyness during infancy and this shyness continues in later life. To support this claim, they made a research and discovered that infants who showed signs of mild distress when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli were more likely than other infants to have been conceived in early autumn, a time when their mothers’ production of melatonin increase. In the meantime, a follow-up study dictates that more than half of these children-now teenagers-who had shown signs of distress identified themselves as shy. As discussed below, the argument suffers from several logical flaws and is therefore unconvincing as it stands.

To begin with, the accuracy of the study on a group of easily nervous babies is uncertain and the reasons causing their nervousness may be varied. First, in the study, the number of the participated babies is not enough to get the conclusion and there is no evidence to support these infants are representative. Second, conditions of participants such as gender, health situation and so forth play a important role in study and each of the conditions may indirectly result in babies’ mild distress. For instance, all of the 25 infants are girls who are more sensitive to the external influence and therefore signs of mild distress when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli were showed .

In addition, the author points out the babies’ mothers who conceived in early autumn, product more melatonin which leads to babies’ mild distress. In fact, people’s bodies may have other differences at that time. Such as the metabolism is reduced as well as more energy is accumulated during the early autumn, and the dry climate in autumn also makes people lack of water. All of these changes in mothers’ bodies can be the possibility to affect baby’s character.

Last but not least, even if increased levels of melatonin before birth cause shyness during infancy, the author’s claim that this shyness continues into later life is unwarranted. There is the possibility that the effect of melatonin is temporary and with the growth of children, the mild distress alleviates and finally disappeared. The factors result in shyness of the teenagers  may be the growth experience in family as well as in school. The rigorous parents and strict teacher are responsible for teenagers’ shyness. Also, to some extent, it is the common character of adolescents to be shy. Thus, the researcher’s claim is dubious.

In sum, the author failed to convince me that melatonin is the factor which leads to the shyness of infants and this shyness lasts for a long time. To better evaluate this argument the author should provide more evidences which can assure the study is representative and creditable to show the effect of melatonin on infants’ mild distress. I also need more information about the growth circumstance of these children which may affect their personalities.

[ 本帖最后由 lilianli 于 2009-1-19 00:11 编辑 ]