Question

case study: genie the feral child
introduction
the debate over nature vs. nurture - whether human behavior is shaped more by biological inheritance (nature) or environmental experiences (nurture) - has long fascinated psychologists. few real - life cases highlight this debate as dramatically as the story of genie wiley, sometimes called the \feral child.\ genies life circumstances provided researchers with a rare opportunity to study human development under conditions of extreme deprivation, though her case also raises important ethical questions.
background
genie was born in 1957 in california. from a very young age, she was subjected to horrific abuse and neglect. her father confined her to a small, dark room, often strapped to a potty chair or bound in a sleeping bag. she was almost entirely isolated from human interaction. during the day, she received little stimulation, and at night she was kept in a crib covered with wire mesh. she was forbidden to make noise and punished harshly for attempting to vocalize.
as a result, when authorities discovered her in 1970 at age 13, genie was severely underdeveloped. she could not speak more than a few words, walked awkwardly, and showed limited social behaviors. she weighed only 59 pounds and had the appearance of a much younger child. doctors, psychologists, and linguists quickly became involved in her case, eager to understand what her development - or lack thereof - might reveal about human growth and learning.
critical period hypothesis
one major focus of research was genies language development. the critical period hypothesis in linguistics suggests that humans must acquire language during a specific developmental window (early childhood), or they will never be able to master it fully. because genie had passed this critical period without exposure to language, her case provided evidence for this theory.
questions for case study: genie the feral child
direct / recall questions

1. who was genie wiley, and why is she sometimes called a \feral child\?
2. describe the conditions of genies early life under her fathers care.
3. at what age was genie discovered by authorities, and what was her physical and social condition at that time?
4. what is the critical period hypothesis in linguistics?

Explanation:

1. Genie Wiley was a girl born in 1957 in California. She was called a "feral child" because she was severely isolated and deprived of normal human interaction and language exposure in her early life.
2. Genie was subjected to horrific abuse and neglect. Her father confined her to a small, dark room, often strapped to a potty chair or bound in a sleeping bag. She was almost entirely isolated from human interaction, with little stimulation during the day (kept in a crib covered with wire mesh) and forbidden to make noise (punished harshly for attempting to vocalize).
3. Genie was discovered by authorities at age 13. At that time, she was severely underdeveloped. She could not speak more than a few words, walked awkwardly, showed limited social behaviors, weighed only 59 pounds, and had the appearance of a much younger child.
4. The critical period hypothesis in linguistics suggests that humans must acquire language during a specific developmental window (early childhood), or they will never be able to master it fully.

Answer:

1. Genie Wiley was a girl born in 1957 in California. She is called a "feral child" due to her extreme isolation and deprivation in early life.
2. Confined to a small, dark room, strapped/bound, isolated from interaction, little stimulation, forbidden to make noise (punished for vocalizing).
3. Discovered at age 13. Severely underdeveloped: few words, awkward walk, limited social behaviors, 59 - pound weight, younger - looking appearance.
4. Humans must acquire language in early childhood (specific developmental window) to fully master it.