Argument167 ~~~熊熊组

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The argument introduces a folk remedy for insomnia, which contains the use of lavender flowers.  The author cited the a recent study as the only evidence to support his suggestion that lavender cure insomnia.  However, the author ignores some significant points that will support his argument and makes the article unsubstantiated.

To begin with, the author bases his argument on the study in which the volunteers were monitored their sleep.  The author regard the "long and soundly sleep" as the cure of insomnia, which, however, is usually defined as having difficulty to fall asleep.  Absent a clear definition of "insomnia", the author's concern that lavender flowers cure insomnia is simply unjustified.

Next, the study mentioned by the arguer contained a sample of 30 volunteers who were monitored.  Only 30 people may be insufficient to draw the conclusion.  What's more, whether the 30 people represent all people who suffer from insomnia still remains unknown.  It is entirely possible that people inclined to be involved in the study were mostly favor of the treatment of lavender flowers, which will undoubtedly taint the result of the study.  Lacking the proper explanation of the sample of the study, the author cannot justifiably rely on the study to draw any conclusion.

Furthermore, the author does not provide the sleep condition before the volunteers took pills and slept on lavender pillows.  The vital evidence is ignored by the author, which is useful in comparison with the effect of lavender pillows.  Thus, the lack of comparison is equal with the ungrounded argument, from which the author may draw a wrong conclusion.

Finally, the volunteers took sleep medicine during the first week, and the improvement of sleep appeared in the following two weeks.  Then, the author fails to rule out the possibility that the medicine will still work after some time and the improvement may be caused by the post effect of the first-week medicine.  However, even if the medicine did not influence sleep during the later two weeks, other factors will probably have effect except that of lavender.  The volunteers may merely make up for lack of sleep they lost previously.  The chance also exists that they were used to the perhaps offensive scent of lavender during the third week.  Thus, without ruling out these possible factors, the article remains unconvincing.

To sum up, the author should firstly define "insomnia" and provide proper symptoms of it.  Next, he would have to have a close study on the evidence before the volunteers use lavender pillows.  Then, he is expected to enroll more people in the study and ensure those people would be representatives of the whole population with the same disease.  Last but not least, the author would not convince the readers unless he rules out the effect of the sleep medicine taken before and other factors.

[ Last edited by staralways on 2005-8-9 at 17:24 ]