Genie The Wild-Child

Concluison

Analysis: Interpretation of Psychological Concepts in Genie's Case Study

Attachment Theory

Nature versus Nurture

Critical Periods

UNVEILING GENIE: THE WILD-CHILD

Attachment theory posits that early relationships with caregivers are crucial for social and emotional development. Genie's severe isolation and lack of a primary attachment figure had devastating effects on her ability to form relationships and develop social skills. Her case illustrates how critical early bonds are for emotional and social health. Without a stable, nurturing caregiver, Genie struggled with basic social interactions and emotional regulation, highlighting the vital role of secure attachments in early development.

Genie's severe developmental delays were not due to any inherent genetic deficits but rather the result of extreme environmental deprivation. This underscores the importance of nurture, or environmental factors, in shaping human development. Genie's situation highlights how detrimental environments can drastically alter developmental trajectories, regardless of an individual's innate potential. Conversely, her case also demonstrates the limits of nurture; despite significant efforts to provide a nurturing environment after her rescue, her early deprivation had lasting effects that could not be entirely fixed.

The critical period hypothesis suggests that there are specific windows of time during which certain skills, particularly language acquisition, must be developed for typical outcomes. Despite intensive efforts to teach Genie language skills after her discovery, she never achieved full linguistic competence. This supports the idea that the ability to acquire language is highly dependent on early exposure and interaction during a critical developmental window. Genie's lack of exposure to language during her formative years severely limited her linguistic abilities, illustrating the crucial role of early experiences in language development.

Resilience

Social Isolation's Effects on Development

Despite the severe abuse and neglect she experienced, Genie's case also highlights aspects of human resilience. Her ability to learn some language skills, develop basic social interactions, and show emotional responses after years of isolation demonstrates the potential for recovery and adaptation, even in extreme cases. This resilience points to the inherent capacity for growth and change in humans, even when early experiences are profoundly negative.

Genie's extreme social isolation had profound impacts on her overall development, demonstrating the importance of social interaction for cognitive and emotional growth. The lack of interaction with others during her early years led to severe deficits in social, linguistic, and cognitive skills. This aligns with theories suggesting that human development is inherently social and that isolation can impede normal developmental processes. Genie's case provides a stark example of how essential social interaction is for healthy development.

Ipek Arabacı

Introduction

Ethical Considerations

Purpose of the presentation

What is a Wild-child?

Children with disordered or inhumane behaviour who have been raised in an abusive environment and have been deprived from social interaction are referred to as "wild-child" or "feral child"

"our morality doesn’t allow us to conduct deprivation experiments with human beings; these unfortunate people are all we have to go on."

-Harlan Lane

Genie's case raises significant ethical issues regarding research with vulnerable populations. The extensive studies conducted on her, while contributing to scientific knowledge, also brought up questions about her consent, privacy, and well-being. Her exploitation as a research subject underscores the importance of ethical standards in psychological research, particularly the need to prioritize the well-being and rights of individuals over scientific gains. Researchers must balance the pursuit of knowledge with the responsibility to protect and respect their subjects.

The purpose of this presentation is to analyze Genie's case study in order to understand the meaning behind her psychological state after deprivation and associate it with certain psychological concepts.

Victor of Aveyron

Background Information & Case Presentation

References

Genie (Susan) Wiley

Timeline

Cherry, K. (2024, March 18). The Story of Genie Wiley. verywellmind: https://www.verywellmind.com/genie-the-story-of-the-wild-child-2795241 adresinden alındı

ND. (2023, October 6). Chomsky’s Universal Grammar. practicalpie.com: https://practicalpie.com/chomskys-universal-grammar/ adresinden alındı

ND. (2023, September 13). Genie - The Feral Child. practicalpie.com: https://practicalpie.com/genie-the-feral-child/ adresinden alındı

1975

1970

After Study

Genie's Discovery

Genie's Physical Condition

Genie, who is often referred to as the “feral child” has endured extreme cases of deprivation, isolation, and abuse in her formative years. The effects of deprivation during early development and the societal influence on an individual's upbringing can be explored through the complexities of a feral child’s developmental trajectory.

Various psychological topics such as “the critical period hypothesis”, “ Language acquisition”, “developmental psychology” and “the attachment theory” are associated with Genie's case. All of the mentioned psychological topics include insight into deep-rooted issues originating from a person's childhood, therefore they will provide various perspectives on Genie’s case.

1975-Present-Later Life

1970-1975

Interventions & Rehabilitation

Genie's Case Study

1957-1970

Genie’s extreme case of abuse and deprivation attracted the attention of many psychologists and was associated with studies about critical periods, developmental stages, linguistic development, and many more.

Conflicts in Treatment

• Genie's current location and condition is unknown.
• She is predicted to be in a adult care institution
• If she is alive, she would be 66-67 years old today.