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 originator of the argument asserts that a recent study has proven the fact that the order of birth affects individual's level of stimulation. This conclusion is buttressed by several evidences which should be carefully scrutinized in order to gauge the soundness of the conclusion.
First of all, we are told that a recent study with rhesus monkey has proven that the order of birth impacts on level of cortisol. The first born monkey has twice as high level of the hormone as its younger siblings. As we know usually rhesus monkey give a birth to one creature at once, therefore, siblings should have a significant differnce in their ages. Perhaps this kind of monkey brings new offspring once in year. Consequently, the first born animal may be fully formed in the contrast with its immature siblings. Thus, the high level of cortisol may be explained by the age difference between siblings.
The second given evidence avers that humans, who were born at the first turn, have higher level of cortisol as well. The rhesus monkey and human beings are relatively close to each other and therefore, the age difference may play its role in this case as well. Moreover, we are social animals and probably the first born child has a spcial relationships with parents. For example, a first born child may feel shortage of parent's attention due to the fact that mother and father have to distribute their attention on all children. It is the well-known fact that first born children get used to be loved by parents but when siblings appears, parents attention is focus on their younger brothers and sisters, consequently, the first born child may react on a parent with higher emotional response to attract parent's attention.
The last evidence which is given to us is that first-time mother monkey has higher level of the hormone. The author assumes that it may cause the higher level of cortisol of the first born monkey. At the same time, a monkey which is going to be a mother undergoes a dramatic body changes, the reproductive system prepares to give a birth, some organs which have never been used before by the future mother become active, for example, the monkey breasts are started to emit milk. Additionally to it, we have no data which supports author's assumption that the stress of mother may impact on the child.
In conclusion, the originator of the argument maintains that the influence on the order of birth on levels of stimulation has been proven. Unfortunately, the given evidences may be explained alternatively and thus the argument is weakened.
Comments
Hello. In other words, to
Hello. In other words, to give a comprehensive answer on this argument I need to use different approach: to combine three points at once. Frankly speaking it is a new level of complexity in particular if this prompt will be accomplished with a new instruction such as give an alternative explanations.
I would like to learn more about these new prompts. May you give me several. The reason is that I have used ETS's service "score it now" which allows a person to acquire a computer based evaluation of submitted essay. The first prompt was familiar to me and I get score 4, the second and third were a relatively new type, I could not understand HOW should I analyze them thus these essays were scored three out of 6. I hope with your help to figure out how solve new and old types of essay.
Consequently, I repeat my entreaty to give me several new topics.
P.s. Thank you for your analyses of my previous essays. It is a time to carefully scrutinized my mistakes and your suggestions. Hope that my next essays will be better.
I want to ask you about this
I want to ask you about this prompt. Usually given arguments are analyzed separately from each other. In this type of prompt I should combine information from all arguments.
- monkeys and humans belong to the same kind - primates.
- the age difference first born are elder than siblings.
-level of hormone increases as an answer on the same type of situations.
To settle these point I need to use information from all three given arguments of the prompt.
Are my thoughts correct?
The last question this prompt seems to have similar structure as other arguments why should we analyze it in a more complex way and how do you discern it from other or usual prompts?
Thank you. I keep asking and with each your answer I understand more. Thank you.
Eugene.
That's the reason it is
That's the reason it is difficult. But hopefully very few of them (or this is the only one. We didn't find more) need such complex analysis.
We would suggest you keep writing normal essays. It may make you confused with difficult ones. and you won't see difficulty ones on real exams except a bad luck.
There are only a few of
There are only a few of difficulty essays, we think. Most of them are normal ones. You may try following two of them.
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The following opinion was provided in a letter to the editor of a national aeronautics magazine: “Manned space flight is costly and dangerous. Moreover, the recent success of a series of unmanned space probes and satellites has demonstrated that a great deal of useful information can be gathered without the costs and risks associated with sending men and women into space. Therefore, we should invest our resources in unmanned space flight.
Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on these assumptions and what the implications are for the argument if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
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Many lives might be saved if inoculations against cow flu were routinely administered to all people in areas where the disease is detected. However, since there is a small possibility that the person will die as a result of the inoculations, we cannot permit inoculations against cow flu to be routinely administered.
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
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Sentence: As we know usually rhesus monkey give a birth to one creature at once, therefore, siblings should have a significant differnce in their ages.
Error: differnce Suggestion: difference
Sentence: Moreover, we are social animals and probably the first born child has a spcial relationships with parents.
Error: spcial Suggestion: special
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argument 1 -- not OK
argument 2 -- not exactly, but close to the correct answer.
argument 3 -- not OK
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Let's see the explanations:
The goal of the statement is to prove:
The birth order can affect an individual's levels of stimulation.
Then it gives three assumptions:
(1) 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;
(2) Firstborn humans also produce relatively high levels of cortisol in stimulating situations (such as the return of a parent after an absence).
(3) The study also found that during pregnancy, first-time mother monkeys had higher levels of cortisol than did those who had had several offspring."
So the alternative explanations could be:
1. Maybe not because of the birth order, but because first born infant monkeys,first-time mother monkeys，and firstborn humans all belong to primates which will show up same behaviors. Suppose the first born pig may not have this behavior..
2. The age difference can play a major role. Look, all of them are talking about first born infant monkeys,first-time mother monkeys，or firstborn humans.
3. Maybe it is related to particular situations because the conditions are like: meeting with an unfamiliar monkey, reunion with a parent after an absence, and first-time birth of baby monkeys.
This is a new GRE arguments essay. over 99% users write the essay out of topic.
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Attribute Value Ideal
Score: ? out of 6
Category: Poor Excellent
No. of Grammatical Errors: 0 2
No. of Spelling Errors: 2 2
No. of Sentences: 19 15
No. of Words: 436 350
No. of Characters: 2088 1500
No. of Different Words: 191 200
Fourth Root of Number of Words: 4.57 4.7
Average Word Length: 4.789 4.6
Word Length SD: 2.558 2.4
No. of Words greater than 5 chars: 146 100
No. of Words greater than 6 chars: 98 80
No. of Words greater than 7 chars: 74 40
No. of Words greater than 8 chars: 43 20
Use of Passive Voice (%): 0 0
Avg. Sentence Length: 22.947 21.0
Sentence Length SD: 9.95 7.5
Use of Discourse Markers (%): 0.842 0.12
Sentence-Text Coherence: 0.36 0.35
Sentence-Para Coherence: 0.571 0.50
Sentence-Sentence Coherence: 0.165 0.07
Number of Paragraphs: 5 5