Part of the reason why Genie’s case fascinated psychologists and linguists so deeply was that it presented a unique opportunity to study a hotly contested debate about language development. Essentially, it boils down to the age-old nature versus nurture debate.
Where is Genie Wiley now?
By the late 1970s, Genie had vanished back into obscurity. As she was a ward of California, authorities housed her in state-run institutions, her location secret. Four decades later, she apparently remains in state care.
What did you learn from Genie’s case?
Despite the tragedy that surrounds the case of Genie, her case teaches us an important lesson about language abilities. Telling a story (not necessarily in a grammatical way or even by using words) as well as understanding language are very different from being able to produce grammatical sentences in a language.
How old is Genie Wiley today?
65 years (April 18, 1957)
Genie / Age
Why was Genie important to psychology? – Related Questions
Can Genie speak?
Her communications at first can be described as whispered grunts. Still over time, Genie has shown a remarkable ability to learn to speak and, particularly, to understand speech.
Why can’t Genie learn grammar?
At 24 years old Genie was only able to obtain the language skill of a normal 5-year-old. Genie was not able to learn language at a normal pace because her brain was much more developed than that of a baby/toddler.
How old was Genie when she was removed from normal society?
Genie had been isolated in a small room starting at the age of 20 months until her discovery at 13 years and 9 months old. She spent most of her time naked and tied to a potty chair where she was given limited use of her hands and feet. She was completely cut off from any kind of stimulation.
How old was Genie when she had her first utterance?
This was a moment researchers were waiting for from the very beginning. Genie’s words were “doctor” and “tie”, although by that time she had learned more than a hundred words. But those words were her passive. By the time she produced her first word she was 14 years and a month.
How was Genie’s development stunted?
Genie Wiley was separated from any form of socialization and society for the first 13 years of her life. Her intensely abusive father and helpless mother so neglected Wiley that she hadn’t learned to speak and her growth was so stunted that she looked like she was no more than eight years old.
How did Genie Wiley learn language?
Therefore, Genie was taught similar to “children of a younger age” since all people supposedly can learn despite their differences (TLC Documentary, 2013, 6:16). Bandura’s social-cognitive learning theory relies on teaching by example: Genie imitated what the researchers said in an attempt to learn the language.
What happened Genie’s brain?
This process continued until her brain physically changed. As Genie’s brain was unstimulated, it was unable to develop the capacity for language. This means that, once Genie was found when beginning her teenage years, it was now impossible for her to develop language. These studies proved the theory to be correct.
What does Genie’s case show us about brain development?
Genie’s case illustrates that the brain has critical periods of development and if these periods are missed, the individual is unlikely to develop normally in those areas of life. Once a child has reached the age of ten, their brains begin to reduce some of the connections between brain cells.
What happens if a child is raised without language?
These effects include not only a detrimental impact on language acquisition, but other cognitive and mental health difficulties as well. The effects of language deprivation in deaf children, like hearing children, can include permanently affecting their ability to ever achieve proficiency in a language.
At what age can you no longer learn to speak?
They concluded that the ability to learn a new language, at least grammatically, is strongest until the age of 18 after which there is a precipitous decline. To become completely fluent, however, learning should start before the age of 10.
What happens if a person is never exposed to language?
If spoken language is not fully accessible to the deaf child and sign language exposure is delayed, then there is a strong possibility of permanent brain changes. During the critical period of language acquisition (approximately the first five years of development), there is a high degree of brain plasticity.
What is the forbidden experiment psychology?
The American literary scholar Roger Shattuck called this kind of research study “The Forbidden Experiment” due to the exceptional deprivation of ordinary human contact it requires. Although not designed to study language, similar experiments on primates utilising complete social deprivation resulted in psychosis.
Can babies survive without human contact?
Lack of physical affection can actually kill babies.
But touch is even more vital than this: Babies who are not held, nuzzled, and hugged enough can stop growing, and if the situation lasts long enough, even die.
What is the most unethical experiment in psychology?
The Monkey Drug Trials
In 1969, a research facility began an unethical experiment that would study the effects of drug addiction using animals. A large number of monkeys were trained to inject themselves with morphine, alcohol, cocaine, codeine, and a variety of amphetamines.
Can a baby survive without affection?
Touch is essential for human survival; babies who are deprived of touch can fail to thrive, lose weight and even die. Babies and young children who do not get touched also have lower levels of growth hormone, so a lack of touch can actually stunt a child’s growth.
Why don’t you want to be touched after having a baby?
“From breastfeeding to rocking a fussy baby, it can be so physically intimate and emotionally demanding that you may not want to be touched any more than you already are. You may be in physical pain, or you may feel claustrophobic. You may also just feel protective of your body. These are all normal reactions,” Dr.
