While studies of children who have suffered severe deprivation are generally unpleasant, they provide valuable insight into the impact that environmental experiences have on the development of the individual. There is much evidence to suggest that early learning environments literally shape the developing brain (Nelson, 1999).
Some studies have involved mistreated children who, tragically, have spent their first years in cupboards, attics and other restricted environments. When first discovered, these children are usually mute, retarded and emotionally damaged.
Some suffer from deprivation dwarfism, a condition characterised by stunted physical growth associated with stress, isolation or general deprivation. Efforts to teach such severely deprived children to speak and behave normally rarely succeed.
Case Study: ‘Closet child’ now with loving parents:
Becky’s story began to unfold when the Sheriff’s Department responded to a tip like hundreds of others. They found Becky in urine-soaked clothes, asleep on a hard cot in her parents’ bedroom.
‘She was almost like an animal,’ one of the deputies reported. Her world then was the bedroom and its closet, in which she was kept for untold hours. Now Becky lives in a spacious foster home.
Since Becky’s rescue, she has gained 12 pounds and grown 6 inches. But she is still a mite, for she weighed only 24 pounds and stood only 32 inches tall last April.
When she was found, Becky couldn’t even crawl; now she walks. Then, she knew only a few words – now she speaks in sentences. She is, except for the hurt in her eyes, almost like any toddler.
But Rebecca is no toddler. She is nine years old and her paediatrician says she may never catch up.
Information gathered from:
Van Lersel et al. (2005) Nelson Psychology, Thomson Nelson, pg. 114
Questions:
• If most of our development is due to nature, why didn’t Becky go through the normal stages of development?
• What possible explanations could there be for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up?
Answer the above question by responding to this post – you may wish to do some additional research regarding the critical and sensitive period.
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If most of our development is due to nature, why didn’t Becky go through the normal stages of development?
ReplyDeleteAlthough it can be argued that Becky’s stunted development was due to a lack of nurture, could it not be much more likely that Becky achieved her state due to a lack of nature? Humans need energy, warmth, light & stimulation; that is natural, Becky was in a confined space with no stimulation, doubtfully enough warmth or light and possibly very little food for energy. Can it not be argued that these natural factors are what is missing from the child?
What possible explanations could there be for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up?
Due to being in a confined space, Becky could not grow completely. As the body cannot grow, and still has the needs of an infant, the stimulus Becky required to survive was not presented. This is not growing a child in normal conditions, this is not nature, but fabrication of what nature is supposed to be. Although these factors seem to contribute to nurture the fact is neither can work without the other, and nature is being stunted by a lack of nurture. During what many psychologists call the ‘critical’ phase of a child’s growth, it was denied both proper nature & nurture, Becky may never catch up due to not having the childhood that has been bred into humanity over thousands of years.
• If most of our development is due to nature, why didn’t Becky go through the normal stages of development?
ReplyDeleteBecky didn’t go through the normal stages of development because she didn’t receive the necessary stimulation or interactions that a child needs to develop certain abilities during the sensory motor stage from Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Without the knowledge that is gained from the sensory motor stage, such as being able to differentiate oneself from objects and from ‘learning by doing or observing’, Becky was not able to develop in a normal way and turned ‘almost like an animal’ from the lack of contact that a baby normally receives from other people. When Becky was found, it was natural to her to want to be aggressive towards the strangers because she was scared and had had no previous experience with them due to her isolation and was unsure how to react.
• What possible explanations could there be for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up?
Becky’s development hasn’t caught up because she’s has to go through the cognitive stages of development. Children construct their understanding of the world through interaction, so they build their own mental framework for understanding and interacting with the environment. Becky didn’t experience the world as a child and therefore, she could not construct her own view of the world. Becky was also unlikely to produce more complex schemata, from the ones she was born with, that help her to function well in the normal world as she didn’t receive the necessary interaction to understand the world. Without the normal level of knowledge that is usually gained from the sensory motor stages, Becky’s mind was unable to move onto the preoperational stage of development after her initial years of life. During the preoperational stage, children are still dominated by the external world and the appearance of things. Becky’s environment never changed, so she grew accustomed to it the way and became attached to it. Living in the cot possibly also stunted the growth of Becky due to the stress of never being let out of it. Becky’s development has grown so much in the year or so since coming out of the cot in her parents’ bedroom and though she is still very small and may never fully develop, she is gaining more and more knowledge every day from the live and care of her new family and the support that they provide. Nurture has had a major impact on the way in which she has developed. Without the love and support of a family and without the usual amount of nurture, Becky was unable to grow or develop normally, but now that she has a family to care for her and support her, she is making slow progress for a better future. Though her life may never be completely ‘normal,’ Becky’s progress has seen the success of the foster family that looks after her with nurture.
MADDY M 10N
At the story says, Becky couldn’t walk or speak and ‘was almost like an animal’ one of the deputies reported. The reason for this and why she didn’t go through the normal stages of development is easily because nurture has been the affect of her life. Becky was never taught to speak or walk; she never had role models or friends to interact with, because of the environment she was in, it made her act like an animal.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that she didn’t turn out like a normal child is because nurture is the real way people grow up not nature. It could be argued that because she was a girl and at such a young age her DNA couldn’t reflect on her, and if she had smart genes they couldn’t be shown at such a young age, but no. The reason why she was like an animal, could speak or walk and couldn’t no better was because her role models, mum and dad, brought her up like that showing that role models and the environment was the affect here.
An answer to why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up may be because, when she didn’t grow when she was meant to, was the only time that she could grow. But at it said, she gained 12 pounds and grew 6 inches, 6 inches is quite a lot so whose there to say she might not catch up, the paediatrician might need to think again...
Phil 10n
Becky’s unusual development may possibly be from a lack of nature as well as nurture. As Callum stated humans need energy, warmth, light & stimulation, and as a result she unfortunately didn’t have the required amount of nature to fully develop. Because she didn’t receive these vital necessities while in the sensory motor stage, it was difficult for Becky to develop when growing up. This shows how Becky lacked both nurture and nature, and this in turn affected her in her life and who she is today.
ReplyDeleteDue to her confined environment Becky found it difficult to grow mentally and physically. This lack in physical growth may result from two things. The confined space in which she lived or the scarcity of the nutrition which she needed. Also, a lack of exercise may have contributed to this unusual development scheme. As mentioned above, this travesty occurred while in the earlier stages of development which are known as the critical stages. This is because children are mentally fragile and can take in all kinds of information. It is unlikely that Becky will ever fully develop after the way she was treated and the lack of requirements which she needed.
Nick M 10K
As a strong nurture believer, the story above helps prove my point. As Callum stated, there could be a reasonable explanation related to nature that has affected Becky’s growth, but I disagree.
ReplyDeleteBecky has obviously not received the love and commitment from her parents that every child needs. Her guardians have not provided her with a comfortable place to live, substantial food and dietary requirements or a simple hygiene standard. She had been confined to one room, and been given no awareness of life away from her four walls. These factors have all contributed to her stunt in growth and are all cause by a lack of good nurture.
From such an early age, Becky had developed an understanding that the closet she lived in was all that existed. Therefore when she discovered the outside world, she probably could not understand it. You grow a lot in your early years, when your brain can take in huge amounts of information, and Becky was not given that advantage. I believe Becky’s inability of development is strongly related to the lack of nurture and simple living standards when she was younger.
Danika
This article is a great argument point for those on the nurture side of the board, as it really shows what can happen to a kid if they aren't given proper attention, love and care, just like everybody needs. This kid was probably born completely "normal",if you like, and because she's been shut up in a cupboard all her life, she's never had the opportunity to interact with people, or to get attention, any of the normal things kids do. She would have also only known the cold, dark bedroom in which she was kept as her environment. As a result, she was always isolated, and never saw other people.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a question of why, this report clearly shows that our development ISN'T based on nature, otherwise, eventually, she would have learned to walk, talk and o all the other things "normal" kids her age could do. But it's not like that. kids learn to walk by seeing other people do it, they learn to talk bylistening to everyone else. that's why you NEVER swear in front of a baby! it's a guarantee they'll repeat it.
Becky's development hasn't caught up because she went past the 'critical' period of learning- where kids are like sponges- they take everything in. Becky's nine, so she's well past that period, and can decide what she wants to take in and what she doesn't. So even though walking and talking are necessities, it will take her a lot longer compared to other kids to learn these skills. And seeing as she's nine, nature's not going to have much to do with it now, is it?
Fraser 10N
If most of our development is due to nature, why didn’t Becky go through the normal stages of development?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Becky did not go through the normal ‘critical’ stage of development with the necessary requirements, this has left her at a major disadvantage. For example her height, weight and mental abilities are just a few of the issues that her childhood has forced upon her. Children need both nurture and nature to develop, as Callum stated they need warmth, energy, light and stimulation which Becky did not receive. This meant that she could not develop properly; this is due to both nurture and nature.
What possible explanations could there be for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up?
Being locked in a closet or in any confined space does not feed your mind and body with stimulation; this in turn has left Rebecca at a level of development which was much lower than what she would have been in a ‘normal’ household. You are unable to run, play, socialise and interact with other children the same age or even learn the basics that a toddler learns, for example speech. These activities would usually take place in what is called the critical stage of development; toddlers are like a sponge and absorb all kinds of information. If a child is not given the stimulation and information which is necessary to develop in this stage, they start to fall behind and it becomes very difficult to catch up. This would explain why she has not caught up, and the confined spaces and lack of nutrition would explain why she has not grown.
Shannon :)
The depressing story like Becky’s proves the point that a child needs to grow up being nurtured and cared for. Nurture doesn’t necessarily mean being loved, but receiving all the things a child needs to grow up.
ReplyDeleteBecky was deprived from her natural surroundings, and she lived without substantial food, hygiene, warmth and light which are all basic human survival needs. Some may argue that this is a case of nature, which Callum most correctly stated before, but for one to receive the everyday uses of nature, they need to be nurtured. Becky grew up only knowing the four walls she had lived in, oblivious to any outside places or people aside from her parents. Her confined space lacked the ability for her to be able to grow, walk and play like any normal child, and learn basic things such as laughing and talking.
Sadly enough Becky missed out on 9 years of her live, which explains why Becky hasn’t caught up with her development. She’s not going to be able to regain back 9 years of her mental and physical development in a matter of months, and it may take longer than it should have originally. Luckily Becky is living in a wonderful and loving family now, but that’s not going to make up for the previous love she missed out on as an infant. Nature plays no part in how Becky will live on, but the actions and decisions her foster parents place forward for her will all be a role in her future life.
Corrina 10P
1) This case proves that the nature side of this argument is wrong in some ways. The reason that Becky did not go through the normal stages of development is because she was not exposed to the world that we know but to her own world that consisted of a room and a closet. Unlike animals, humans enter this world not knowing how to act, who they are, or what they are meant to be. Her world had no language and was very simple; therefore, in our eyes she could be seen as very uneducated and maybe even dumb. This is because she had no idea who she was or what she was meant to do. These skills have to be learnt, usually taught by the parents of a child, and are added to over time. If nature was right, then Becky would have grown up to be very much the same as anyone of us, with language and knowledge.
ReplyDelete2) Becky may never catch up in her learning because she is way past the age when we learn all the simple little things that make our life work easily. She taught herself what worked for her in her situations (crawling instead of walking, because she was kept in small places and things such as not speaking because she had no one to talk to.) and she had no one to tell her differently. Having to re-learn all these simple things is a very challenging task, similar to learning a second language.
Katie G =P
Becky was never taught to walk, talk or any other natural development stages of a child. She was brought up in an environment where she was severely limited and from this text it can be argued that Becky’s life had very little to do with nature but more to do with nurture. Because Becky was never provided with love or care or taught simple things Becky did not go through the normal stages of development. Callum has said that Becky was severely infected due to the fact that she did not receive the basic human needs of energy, warmth, light and stimulus; however, it can be seen that obviously the lack of companionship and love has affected Becky’s right of development. If you haven’t been learnt to walk or talk, I don’t think a lack of light warmth or energy is going to affect you anymore than a lack of abilities every child needs. It can also be seen that now because Becky has been given the basic human right of love and learning Becky is improving with her development dramatically. The article says that “when she was found, Becky couldn’t even crawl; now she walks. Then, she knew only a few words – now she speaks in sentences”. Therefore, it can be seen that the lack of nurture in Becky’s life affected Becky’s normal stages of development; thus going against Callum and the nature side of this debate.
ReplyDeleteManraj
Becky did not go through the normal stages of development due to a lack of nourishment, care and interaction. These are physical needs, but the mental aspects must be considered as well. Nature comes into this argument, as Callum said, that food, water and light are natural human needs.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the retardation, emotional trauma and lack of social experiences are all a consequence of Becky’s nurture. Becky was highly unlikely to have been born to grow insufficiently in the mind, to suffer from physical damage. She was born as a normal child, but her life in such a confined space triggered deficiency in these areas.
Since her time out of isolation, Becky has not caught up to the normal standards of a child of 9 years. This could be for various reasons. Becky has failed to grow and mature through the sensorimotor and pre-operational stages and is now half way through the concrete operational stage. As she has missed the critical learning stage, and many other important learning opportunities, Becky may be unsuccessful in ever catching up the normal growth of an average woman.
The two behavioural conditioning’s explained by psychology are classic and operant. Operant Conditioning is learnt by reinforcement. As Becky had no role models, and very limited punishment and rewarding, she would have found it extremely difficult to learn properly. With a distorted view on life and the world surrounding her, it is no surprise to see that she is under-developed in her growth.
Anna, 10M
I do not think our development is due to nature, however, assuming there are no alternative side; it would be due to her parents. It is not normal for parents to lock up their child in a closet and nurture their child in the state Becky was found in. They must have had some sort of mental disorder and Becky had biologically inherited this from her parents. Therefore, Becky’s lack of development can be due to some form of disorder inherited from her parents.
ReplyDeleteThe intense and recurring emotional and physical trauma during early development can have an enormous impact on a person’s life. This can potentially lead to various mental disorders such as multiple personality disorder and permanent damage to one’s fundamental development. As Becky’s experience in a closet had been too traumatic and overpowering, it was impossible for her to function properly, let alone develop the way a child would normally develop. Therefore, it had damaged her permanently and to a great extent.
Jess L 10B
As Callum said, Becky did not undergo the normal stages of development due to a lack of nature. I definitely agree that humans need warmth, light and simulation – basic rights in which sadly Becky was denied. When reading this article, it is obvious to the reader that Becky lacked nurture. Becky didn’t go through the normal stages of development because I believe nurture complements nature, without each other neither can thrive, and in Becky’s case this is clearly what happened. If you think about it, although we may carry a certain gene without the correct environment to support it, the gene perhaps will not surface. For example, perhaps being extremely intelligent is hereditary in your family but because of a lack of stimulation, this trait has not surfaced. It could be argued that in this case, Becky’s nature development did not eventuate due to her environmental circumstances. As Maddy said, Becky lacked contact with the outside world and her development consequently suffered which supports my argument – her aggressive behaviour was due to her lack of exposure to people and hence a result of nature.
ReplyDeletePossible explanations for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up could be that the damage done when she was younger was too severe and significant to reverse. As Fraser said, Becky is now outside of the ‘critical’ period of learning. Most children absorb everything at a very young age, and although Becky is only nine years old which may seem young to us, she is too old to be the ‘sponge’ that younger children are. Actions that are basic to us, such as walking, will take a much longer period of time to master than that of an infant. Becky has fortunately made some developments (such as height and weight gain) and is slowly advancing in her mental capacity but will she ever be on the same level as other children of her age? Due to her environment and the hindering of her development, most likely not.
Lily 10G
Becky didn’t go through the stages of development because of the lack of necessities needed for a normal growth. Becky didn’t have love or the chance to go run around at the park with friends. Instead she spent all her days in a cupboard/cot not being able to interact with anyone except occasionally with her parents.
ReplyDeleteA reason for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up yet is because she has passed the critical stage of learning. When children are young their brains are like sponges and they absorb everything, however, at 9 Becky no longer has that ability. Therefore, during her critical stage of learning Becky was lead to believe that the only people that existed was her and her parents and the only room that existed was the cupboard of which she lived in.
Amanda 10J
In a child’s development there are critical times in which the environment has to be right for them develop properly. Children must receive certain stimulus’s so as develop properly as outlined by all of the above students. For example; in the first 6 months of a child’s life they see light so as to develop the nerves leading from the eye, if this does not occur the nerves will die leaving the child blind for life. This shows that nurture does play a part in development, if child was locked in closet for their first 6 months they may well not see again.
ReplyDeleteAtienne 10D
If most of our development is due to nature, why didn’t Becky go through the normal stages of development?
ReplyDeleteBecky didn’t go through normal stages of development because of her isolation in the closet. She did not receive any stimulus during the key stages of development and because of this, she did not develop properly. Her stunted growth may be the result of her lack of food, sunlight water etc.
What possible explanations could there be for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up?
Becky’s mental development hasn’t caught up because of her Lack stimulus during key stages of development. She may never develop the cognitive capabilities of a normal child because of her isolation in the cupboard. This deprived her of normal interactions with the environment and other people limiting her cognitive abilities.
Adrian 10P
Growing is nature. With the help of your parents and loved ones, Becky and a lot of other people that have gone through the same or more severe cases would have a hard time copying and adapting to life other than the restricted environments. Firstly it is not of a naturally way to grow up in such a constrained and manmade environment, kids are born with the intension to be like everyone else run dance and play. However without the guidance of a parent and the unconditional love, and being trapped in a secluded area for a long period of time nature will take its toll in affecting their normal stages of development. Explanations on why this could be possible could be for example, if a child was placed in the jungle and grew up with monkeys. Their brain was almost barricaded from being human, their thoughts and feelings would be based around what a monkey would think and do, because of the environment they would be in.
ReplyDeleteGenevieve :)
If most of our development is due to nature, why didn’t Becky go through the normal stages of development?
ReplyDeleteThis just proves again that we need both nature and nurture because they both plays a huge role in growing up. The reason why Becky didn’t go through normal stages was; one because she lived in a closet and two because Becky didn’t receive the normal nurture aspects that most kids get. Such someone’s love or care, going to school, having experiences that shape who you are and so on.
What possible explanations could there be for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up?
It may be because she is at an age that you cannot do much because she would be old enough to know what is and was going on around her at the time. Also because of the confined space she was in, her body has adapted to it and because she is old enough her body can’t readapt to the normal body thus not being able to grow. Another reason is that she may be traumatised because of this stage in her life and the psychological factors may be a reason that she is not growing or putting on weight.
Alice
~If most of our development is due to nature, why didn’t Becky go through the normal stages of development?
ReplyDeleteThis is obviously a case of nurture, unless by the sheer coincidence that her DNA would have caused her to grow in the same way regardless. It is likely that if she was the case of nature, she would have gone through the normal stages of development. Yet, she obviously didn’t. Nature suggests that people will grow up in the same way regardless of what events may occur. Whereas, nurture may take into account that not everyone has a happy childhood and that the environment around them will have an effect.
So, why didn’t she go through the typical stages of development? Confined, robbed of emotions, thought, free will, speech, dignity and whatever else – it is obvious why. And thus, this confirms that these things do have an impact. So, if these things had an impact on each one of us to a smaller extent, it is quite possible we may find ourselves on a very different path from whatever our DNA implies.
I believe that development does rely a lot on nature. We all have to start somewhere. But slowly, we begin to take in stimulus from around us. If no one teaches her to talk, how can she be expected to?
~What possible explanations could there be for why Becky’s development hasn’t caught up?
It is likely she hasn’t yet caught up due to the fact the time of a critical stage of growth, in her younger years, was taken from her. She will continue to grow, but since her start in life lacked much – it is very unlikely she will catch up. Surely, nature implies that she will reach her full potential no matter what? I doubt this.
Therefore, overall, this is a case of nurture, and shows that nurture in the younger years will have a great impact on growth.
~Emma