A) Provide an Informal Analysis of the Following Passage; or

question 100

Essay

A) Provide an informal analysis of the following passage; or
B) in analyzing the passage, do the following:
a. Identify the causal hypothesis at issue.
b. Identify what kind of study it is.
c. Describe the control and experimental groups.
d. State the difference in effect (or cause) between control and experimental groups.
e. Identify any problems in either the study or the report of it, including but not necessarily limited to uncontrolled variables.
f. State the conclusion you think is warranted by the report.
"Exercise can temporarily disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle, according to Boston University research published in the May 23 [1985] New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers monitored the daily hormone levels in 28 college women who did not exercise regularly and had a history of regular menstrual cycles. The women were then sent to summer camp and participated in a rigorous exercise program-an initial 4-mile daily run, working up to 10 miles a day after five weeks, in addition to three and one-half hours daily of moderate sports such as biking or tennis. Only four, three of whom were on a high-calorie weight maintenance diet, had a normal menstrual cycle during that time. The researchers concluded that, regardless of whether the women lost weight, strenuous exercise disrupted their reproductive function. 'If very active women are having trouble getting pregnant, they probably should slow down intense exercise,' says exercise physiologist Gary Skrinar of BU."
-Science News

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Definitions:

Clear And Present Danger

A doctrine used to test whether limitations may be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, or assembly when the exercise of these rights presents an immediate danger.

Affirmative Action

Policies or measures that favor individuals belonging to groups known to have been discriminated against previously, often related to education and employment.

Future Sum

The amount of money or value to be received or paid at a specified date in the future.

Interest Rate

The fee, represented as a fraction of the initial sum, that a creditor levies on a debtor for asset utilization.