My reflections on: Genie - Russ Rymer

After studying Genie's case as an example of a case study in my Psychology lessons, I felt that the syllabus did not sufficiently satisfy my interest and fascination in this rare case of deprivation and was very eager to start reading this book. I hope that this book will reveal for me whether or not Bowlby's idea of the critical period whereby this is the only period of time that babies are able to form strong relationships. Likewise, this spotlights the nature vs nurture debate in many fields, particularly perception and linguistics. In these debates, I like the philosophical spin. The debates often pose alternative questions such as instead of presenting the question: 'how do children learn', they would instead pose the question: 'How does language flower from a child?'

Also, Rymer explores further case studies which cast light on Genie's condition providing a broad scope of deprivation studies and language acquisition for me, to linguistics. An example of another case study is of a baby who was born at the age of two and managed to walk and talk within 3 days of being born. Once again, this triggered the empiricist/nature debate about language as the baby did not have sufficient external input.

I found it almost rewarding to see Genie develop and progress. I found it also very interesting to hear of her adopting a 'new language' techniques - her own little language. She has been nicknamed among researchers as 'The Great Abbreviator' because phrases like: 'Monday Curtiss come' would be condensed into one or two syllables: 'Munkuh'. In the same way, her drawings are part of her lexicon, used to express things that she cannot through conventional means of communication. Her alternative ways of communicating reinforces how important it is to communicate with others as she strives so much to.

However, this book does not only explore the psychology of Genie, but also exposes the psychology of professionals. I found it upsetting when the book revealed hints of researchers and linguists using Genie and keep her best interest, progress and welfare at heart.

Inevitably, the everlasting nature-nurture debate ended with the conclusion that it is a combination of both. It was suggested that even innate behaviours such as syntax, has to be developed by environmental means.

The idea of the physiology of the brain and localization of function is also expressed. Genie struggled to grasp the concept of grammar, the proposed theory was that she was using the wrong equipment. That a different area of her brain was communicating to overcome the deprivation and the affect on her language acquisition.

Educationally, I fount it invaluable to take my knowledge further and be able to explore how you would overcome the communication between each hemisphere. A methodology that is very different to that of Sperry's as there is the opposite issue as he had the corpus callosum severed to overcome the excessive firing in his brain from his severe case of epilepsy. The methodology consists of whispering in the right ear (which is heard by the left brain) whilst presenting another background noise to the left ear (which is heard by the right hand side of the brain) so that the left hand side of the brain does not hear the noise that the left hand side of the brain is being tested to hear and make sense of.

In addition to this, I got a first-hand account of the personal reflexivity required from a researcher in this controversial case study: "My own position - if I can psychoanalyse myself was not one of expectations but of hope. The sky was not high enough for my hopes, but my expectations were down to earth.'

I will draw my 'review' to an end of a quote about language acquisition:

When it comes to physical growth, no one asks why - why do our arms grow? Learning a new language is like learning to walk, a biological imperative timed to a certain point in development. It's not an emotional process.