genie wiley notes

• Genie's case highlighted the critical period hypothesis in language development, suggesting that there may be a limited window of opportunity for language acquisition during early childhood. Genie's severe deprivation during this critical period likely contributed to her inability to fully develop language skills, even with intensive intervention later in life.
• Most of the scientists who were apart of Genie’s case agreed Genie developed brain damage because of the way she was developed, her childhood and upbringing. This means they agree that nurture primarily  was what influenced Genie to be the way she is, not genes or nurture.
• Scientists in Genie's case

  Agreed Genie developed brain damage primarily due to her childhood and upbringing, indicating nurture as the main influence on her development
• Piaget's theory of cognitive development

  • Genie missed key milestones associated with the four stages of cognitive development
  • At age 14, she was still in the sensorimotor stage, which typically occurs from 0-2 years
  • Genie struggled to develop proper language speaking skills, remaining at the pre-operational stage
• Emotional attachment (attachment styles)


  • Genie had the capacity to form attachments and relationships
  • Took a few years to develop this capacity due to her upbringing
  • Initially unable to form attachments due to lack of interaction during infancy
• Sensitive & Critical Periods

  • Genie missed the critical period for language development due to lack of exposure to speech during childhood
  • Language critical period typically starts at age 2 and ends at puberty
  • Genie will need additional guidance to learn language as she missed the critical period for mere exposure
• Genie Wiley was an isolated and abused child discovered by a social worker.
• Given Genie's circumstances, she may have exhibited traits of disorganized attachment, characterized by conflicting behaviors and responses in social interactions, often resulting from experiences of trauma or severe neglect. However, it's important to note that Genie's case goes beyond typical attachment theory frameworks because her development was profoundly affected by extreme deprivation and isolation, making it challenging to fit her experiences neatly into established categories.
• Her mother suffered from severe mental illness and believed that talking would cause harm to her daughter.
• Genie was kept locked away in a small room without any toys or stimulation.
• In Genie's case, she missed the critical period for language development due to lack of exposure to speech during childhood. This means that if she were not exposed to language during this time frame, she would be less likely to acquire language proficiency later in life.
• If someone misses their critical period for a particular skill, they may still be able to learn it but with greater difficulty and potentially lower levels of proficiency compared to individuals who learned the skill within the critical period.
• Scientists in Genie's case

  Agreed Genie developed brain damage due to her childhood and upbringing, not genes or nurture
• Genie had an abnormal brainwave pattern when she slept, indicating the presence of a mental disorder
• Genie had too many sleep spindles when she slept, considered abnormal
• Genie's father isolated and abused her by locking her up in a room and never interacting with her besides feeding her
• Genie was not mentally deficient in any typical sense according to Susan Curtis
• Genie's mental age increased one year every year after she was discovered, not typical for mentally retarded individuals
• Piaget's theory of cognitive development

  1. Genie missed key milestones associated with the four stages of cognitive development

  2. At 14, she was still in the sensorimotor stage

  3. She was unable to develop proper language speaking skills

  4. Her sentences did not make sense and were a combination of words in the incorrect order

  5. Proper language skills are usually developed at the pre-operational stage
• Emotional attachment


  1. Genie had the capacity to form attachments and relationships

  2. It took a few years for her to show reactions to the psychologist's coming or going

  3. Before, she was unable to form attachments due to her upbringing
• Erik Erikson's 8 Psychosocial Stages


  Genie was never able to move past any psychosocial crisis
• Sensitive & Critical Periods

  1. Genie missed the critical period for language development

  2. She never fully learned another language, speaking in single words or sentences in the wrong order

  3. Genie's case supports the critical language hypothesis
• Genie had many un-human behaviors and characteristics like spitting and clawing
• Genie expressed the ability to use language while describing past events
• Genie's foster parents taught her language using sign language rather than verbal speech
• Throughout the time scientists studied Genie, she made substantial advances in her overall mental and psychological development. Within months, she developed exceptional nonverbal communication skills and gradually learned some basic social skills, but even by the end of their case study, she still exhibited many behavioral traits characteristic of an unsocialized person. 
• Some experts believe that Genie's lack of socialization during childhood may have permanently damaged her brain, leading to cognitive deficits and other issues later on in life.
• Genie (born 1957) is the pseudonym of an American feral child who was a victim of severe abuse, neglect, and social isolation
• Genie's circumstances are prominently recorded in the annals of linguistics and abnormal child psychology
• When Genie was approximately 20 months old, her father began keeping her in a locked room, severely malnourished, and almost always strapped her to a child's toilet or bound her in a crib with her arms and legs immobilized
• Genie did not acquire language during her childhood due to the extent of her isolation
• Genie's abuse came to the attention of Los Angeles County child welfare authorities in November 1970 when she was 13 years and 7 months old, after which she became a ward of the state of California
• Psychologists, linguists, and other scientists focused a great deal of attention on Genie's case to gain further insight into language acquisition skills and critical periods for language learning
• Throughout the time scientists studied Genie, she made substantial advances in her overall mental and psychological development, developing exceptional nonverbal communication skills and some basic social skills
• Genie exhibited many behavioral traits characteristic of an unsocialized person even by the end of the case study
• Genie continued to learn and use new language skills but ultimately remained unable to fully acquire a first language
• Authorities arranged for Genie's admission to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where a team of physicians and psychologists managed her care for several months
• Genie's living arrangements became the subject of debate, living with her teacher initially, then with the family of the scientist heading the research team, and later in institutions and foster homes for disabled adults
• Genie's physical and mental health severely deteriorated, and her language and behavioral skills regressed due to extreme physical and emotional abuse in the institutions and foster homes
• In early January 1978, Genie's mother abruptly forbade all scientific observations and testing of her. Little is known about her circumstances