The discussion centers around the effects of birth order on levels of stimulation, as suggested by a study involving rhesus monkeys. Participants explore the implications of the study's findings and the validity of the claims made regarding cortisol production in firstborns compared to their siblings.
Participants express disagreement regarding the legitimacy of the study, with some believing it to be a real study and others asserting it is merely an essay example. The discussion remains unresolved as to the validity of the claims made about birth order and cortisol levels.
There is uncertainty regarding the source of the study mentioned, as it may not be a peer-reviewed research article but rather an illustrative example for a standardized test. This raises questions about the reliability of the claims presented.
EXAMPLES OF ARGUMENT TOPICS.
Each Argument topic consists of a passage that presents an argument followed by specific task instructions that tell you how to analyze the argument. The wording of some topics in the test might vary slightly from what is presented here. Also, because there may be multiple versions of some topics with similar or identical wording but with different task instructions, it is very important to read your test topic and its specific task directions carefully and respond to the wording as it appears in the actual test.
1) 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.