argument53【0906G三月底AW“永不言弃”互改小组第一周第三次作业】by 3号

cuttlefishwangUID: 2592092

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: ***
TIME: 严重超时
DATE: 2009-2-6 11:08:30


In this memo, researchers draw a conclusion that a sort of hormone which affect some brain functions have trend to increase in response to decreased daylight, which is the unique reason that devotes to a sense of shyness to infants and even their followthrough(subsquent) lives. To stand a solid supporter on his conclusion, researchers cites (1) Those infants who were conceived in the early autumn is likely to have a relatively high rate of melatonin compared by others and that(2) More than half of the children shown signs of distress indentified themselves as shy after 13 years. Correctly correlation seems to be built up between them at the first sign of this argument, however, close scrutiny of each of these facts reveals that none of them lend a credible support to the conclusion.


To begin with, the argument unfairly assumes that so-called melatonin will certainly contribute to a sense of shyness which had not been mentioned at any place in this argument. No material was put on the table to support if this object will have any effect on infants or on their mothers .And there are parallels with other reactions to unfamiliar stimuli , excitement, for instance, as well as shyness according to the researchers without providing an strong evidence which set upon that the only effect of melatonin is a feeling of shyness. For that matter, the consequence is on another direction in which event melatonin may lead to several other emotions and hence formed a illegitimately conclusion. What's more, the argument incorrectly assumes the demographic trend in specific group where only 25 infants are accounted into this research reflects the general trend upon which the argument relies. Moreover, whether these infants are stimulated in the same way was not mentioned in the argument, The quickly reaction toward stimuli is just a kind of uncomfortable and for that matter, researchers fails to offer any evidence to substaintiate(maintain) their conclusion.


Secondly, researchers scant evidence to prove the influence of melatonin certainly lasts during the procession of growing up of those infants. Other possibilities, be they one's own feeling with others, family and school environment
can really help shape one's character in a large part.


Thirdly, it is presumptuous to judge the result of the melatonin according to only one group of infants without any given material. If another group of infants who are not so sensitive with stimuli are tested at the same time, and that they are cultivated at the same way as the other group do, then the conclusion will become more persuasive


In sum, the researchers illegitimately connected one thing with another without
logically coherent and necessary
conditions. Rather than providing enough evidence , they should think about there internal terms of connection that molatonin is exactly the cause of the sense of shyness, and that this kind of sense has a constant effect on human bodies, and that whether it can cause other reaction aside from shyness, and so
forth.