Please rate my argument essay!!
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10 Aug 2014, 23:44
The following appeared as part of a letter to the editor of a scientific journal.
"A recent study of eighteen rhesus monkeys provides clues as to the effects of birth order on an individual's levels of stimulation. The study showed that in stimulating situations (such as an encounter with an unfamiliar monkey), firstborn infant monkeys produce up to twice as much of the hormone cortisol, which primes the body for increased activity levels, as do their younger siblings. Firstborn humans also produce relatively high levels of cortisol in stimulating situations (such as the return of a parent after an absence). The study also found that during pregnancy, first-time mother monkeys had higher levels of cortisol than did those who had had several offspring."
Write a response in which you discuss one or more alternative explanations that could rival the proposed explanation and explain how your explanation(s) can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument.
The argument proposed is very unilateral as it fails to eliminate other possible explanations for the increased level of cortisol stimulation in firstborn’s. There are several loopholes in the argument and many questions that are unanswered. The correlation between the order of birth and hormonal stimulation has not been clearly established due to a lack of delineation of how the study had been conducted. It also gives very little information on the subjects of the study.
The argument’s presupposition that the order of birth has a crucial role in determining the level of cortisol stimulation is flawed. The argument proposed is very presumptuous as it fails to account for other explanations for this phenomenon. Moreover, the survey conducted is limited only to eighteen monkeys; a wider number of subjects for the study would have helped strengthen the author’s argument. Also the study does not take into account the age of the monkeys to eliminate age as a factor contributing to increased cortisol stimulation. The increased hormonal levels may be attributed to puberty, which is experienced earlier by firstborn’s than their younger siblings. In order for the argument to be sound, the author should compare the hormonal levels of the younger siblings when they reach the same age as that of their older siblings. The study also concludes that the same correlation between birth order and hormonal levels in monkeys holds true for the increased level of cortisol stimulation in humans. It does not help the argument by comparing two different species to make the same conclusion in other words it fails to account for the differences between the two species. However there are redeeming qualities for the argument, as it could be said that the increased level of cortisol stimulation may be attributed to the evolutionary role conferred upon firstborns to protect their siblings in the absence of a parent.
The argument does not make an effort to eliminate other possible factors responsible for the increased level of cortisol in firstborn’s. Also the fact that first time mothers experience increased hormonal stimulation is not relevant to the argument. Therefor it can concluded that the argument lacks evidence to support its theory.