The Forbidden Experiment

As previously discussed, psychologists are interested in the role of nature and nurture on human development. It is almost impossible to remove the influence of either nature or nurture to study only the influence of the other. Case studies of feral children have provided one method for scientists to examine development free of the influence of human nurture. Some refer to this concept as “The Forbidden Experiment” since it would be wholly unethical to conduct an experiment in which children were purposely raised in isolation, away from human contact.

A feral child (also called a wild child) is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age and therefore has had little or no experience with human care, behavior, or language. Feral children may have experienced severe abuse or trauma before being abandoned or running away, and others may have lived within a human household but locked away with limited interaction. There are several confirmed cases of such children and other speculative ones.  Historically, these cases have been somewhat difficult to prove and document, which is why Genie’s case has become so popular.

The following three cases are examples of feral children who spent part of their lives isolated from normal human society, which limits the influence of nurture on their early development. From these cases, we can see that some traits clearly develop, which we can attribute to nature. For example, these children’s eyesight develops properly and many of them are mobile in some way even without the social aspect of development. However, there are developments that are clearly hindered without the influence of human nurture. For example, language and social engagement. Examining these cases helps us better understand the role of nature and nurture. Note some of the differences between these cases and consider why these differences may exist.

Oxana

Oxana was born in Ukraine in the 1980s. Due to the neglect of her caregivers while she was a toddler, Oxana sought comfort and shelter with a pack of wild dogs. Oxana continued living amongst the dogs through middle childhood until she was reported to the authorities and moved into a rehabilitation facility. Those who cared for Oxana reported that her grasp on language was limited and that her mannerisms resembled those of the dogs she was raised with.

Click the image to watch a video about Oxana.

John

In the 1990s, John was discovered living with a group of monkeys in the jungle. He was approximately 5 years old and is believed to have been living with the monkeys for about a year. John was taken into the care of a family and was enrolled in school. Though John has learned how to use spoken language, it is in a somewhat limited capacity.

Click the image to watch a video about John.

Genie

Genie is, by far, the most popular case of a feral child. This is simply because, once Genie was discovered, she was studied intensely by scientists from various fields. Genie was discovered by child welfare authorities in 1970. She had been living in her family’s home but under isolated, neglectful, and abusive conditions. Genie could not use spoken language and had not developed typical social skills. She spent a number of years in hospitals and foster homes being rehabilitated and studied. The extensive testing conducted on Genie and the data gathered from her case have sparked discussions surrounding ethics.  Though much valuable information was gathered from this case, was it done so at the close of Genie’s well-being?

Click the image to watch a video about Genie.​