Film Studies: The Wild Child
1. Who is Noam Chomsky? What is he famous for?
Noam Chomsky is famous linguist who studied and taught for many years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When a person studies linguists they are studying how language is used and how language is understood. Chomsky’s doctoral thesis on linguistics was titled ‘Transformational Analysis.’ I think he meant to use the title to indicate the opposite of traditional analysis; he was trying to explain how all languages have some similar aspects but other aspects become transformed by the grammar (Chomsky, pp. 110-111). It evolved into his lifelong study of ‘The Logical Structure of Linguistic Theory.’ He is considered the expert on syntactic theory which is an analysis of transformational syntax (Chomsky, p. 104). Syntax is how sentences are put together in different languages. The trick is to separate the grammatical parts of a sentence from the ungrammatical parts. (Chomsky, pp 88-89)
After World War II psychological-linguists often followed the “developmental studies of Jean Piaget and the model of language acquisition proposed by Noam Chomsky” (Chapman and Conroy, p. 114). This meant studying the grammar and meaning as structures of language instead of concentrating on the verbs of languages because of Professor Chomsky’s work on linguistics (Chapman and Conroy, p. 114).
2. Who is Eric Heinz Lenneberg? What is he famous for?
Eric Heinz Lenneberg was a clinical neuropyschologist who developed original theories on the subject of language acquisition. Chapman and Conroy (2002) explain that he developed a whole new field of study; the study of “the biology of language” (p. 354). He had a holistic approach which meant collecting data from many disciplines to try to understand the brain and language. His focus was to understand “the extent to which language has biological foundations, and is a cause and effect of human evolution” (Chapman and Conroy, 2002, p. 354).
Both Professors Chomsky and Lenneberg hypothesized that language is genetically acquired. Professor Lenneberg hypothesized further that a child needed to be taught a language. So if a child didn’t learn by the time they reached adolescence (ages 13 to 18 years) they would never be able to learn a language. Lenneberg thought there was a deadline for learning. He thought that if a first language was not learned by puberty that a “critical period” had passed and the time for learning language would be lost (Chomsky, 1990, p. 121).
The experiences of the French boy from the forest and of Genie demonstrate the validity of the theory that there is a developmental period after which a child cannot learn a language.
3) What ethical problems may arise in research on humans? List and describe the three principles researchers are supposed to be guided by, in resolving ethical dilemmas?
(a) Respect for Persons. A person should be treated in a way that they have independence and make their own decisions. It isn’t ethical to bully or force a person to take part in an experiment against their will. On the other hand there is a point at which a person cannot take care of themselves and they need protection. The investigators need to be sensitive to the person by protecting them to the degree the person needs protection. This could be a very sensitive issue with many different points of view about the same person.
(b) Beneficence. Investigators have an obligation to secure the well-being of participants in research projects says the Belmont Report (1976). They should “do no harm” as in the medical profession and they should not allow the participants to be in risk of harm. This can be difficult to judge when the harm is not yet known. The rules are stated this way in The Belmont Report: (a) “do not harm” and (b) “maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms” (1976, #2. Beneficence, para. 1).
(c) Justice. Justice is a general term that can be hard to define. There are five points that are expected to be considered in making decisions on justice during a research project. Each person should be given an equal amount but also they should be given enough to meet their needs. A person should expect to receive a just amount based on their effort, based on their contribution to society and based on their merit. Evaluating who gets what and how much in order to be just has to be thoughtfully decided. It is a complicated issue.
4) (A) In the movie “Nell” did Dr. Jerry Lovell and Dr. Paula Olsen violate any research ethics by camping out and in essence, “living” with Nell? Why or why not? Explain.
Yes, they did because first of all they did not ask for Nell’s consent. It would have been difficult to gain her consent though until they established some way to communicate. Their activities seemed voyeuristic and somewhat creepy but when they are put into the context of making sure the young woman would be safe or trying to assess her needs . . . then the actions seem reasonable. They did try to respect her by keeping their distance. Their intentions were good; they did not want to do any harm. They were aware of their ethical obligations and discussed them.
(B) What research or personal dilemmas did they encounter in their involvement with Nell? Did Dr. Lovell and Dr. Olsen help Nell or not? Explain.
Dr. Lovell seemed to relate very much to Nell’s loneliness. He was curious if it was really possible to be happy living cut off from the rest of the world. It seems that he thought this might be an attractive way to live. So his personal life overlapped into her personal life experiences.
Dr. Olsen also seems to be a loner like Nell. We come to understand that her childhood was unhappy but we don’t know any details. She was closer to using unethical behavior especially by filming Nell without her permission; that probably was clearly unethical.
Also there was the dilemma for Dr. Lovell when Dr. Olsen encouraged him to take off all his clothes so Nell could experience a naked man who was kind and non-threatening. It was risk that could have been traumatic or beneficial for Nell.
As the movie proceeded more and more ethical dilemmas faced both doctors. Dr. Lovell seemed more aware of the ethical problems from the very first, but Dr. Olsen understood them more after she had gotten to know Nell. Making the decision to take Nell to the hospital to keep her out of the media and give her privacy was a difficult decision to make. There was a good chance that living in the hospital might be worse for her because she was so used to living in nature.
Yes, I think they helped Nell. She became aware that there was another world around her. She was able to make friends in the community. She learned that she could make her own choices. Her life was improved because she met them.
5) (A) In the documentary “Secret of the Wild Child,” did Dr. Rigler and his wife violate any research ethics by having Genie live with them and their children for 4 years? Why or why not? Explain.
The lawyers at the end of the NOVA documentary said that there was no ethical boundary between the investigators and the subject. If so then the Riglers made an unethical choice. The Belmont Report describes the boundaries necessary to meet ethical requirements. The Report calls for a boundary between ‘practice’ and ‘research.’ Practice is supposed to make sure the participant’s well being is protected and must meet the three ethical requirements of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. On the other hand The Belmont Report explains that often research is done to solve a problem or better understand some behavior. A lot of research is done to determine if the therapy being used is the best possible or if something better can be designed; this is why the two can easily become blurred.
I don’t think that the Riglers violated ethics. I don’t think anyone more kind or good could have been found to take care of her. She needed twenty fours care and she was in a home where the mother was willing to dedicate hours to teaching Genie even though the family had four of their own children. It made sense to me that the Riglers were helping her learn skills that would help her in the world. All of these points put together say that the Riglers were interested in the well-being of Genie, they treated her with respect, and they treated her in a just way.
(B) Did the Riglers help Genie or not? Explain. Yes, the Riglers helped Genie a lot. She was a very troubled person, with very unique problems. Her behavior was very difficult to handle since she was the age of thirteen years but had no social skills and no experience of a normal life. They offered her a safe refuge for learning and they treated her with kindness.
The problem that I saw was the terrible system that is in place for children with no one to take care of them. When Genie left the hospital she lived with her mother for awhile but her mother could not take care of Genie properly. Therefore Genie was put into foster homes. The condition of the foster care social system is truly a disaster according to Genie’s experience. She was put into homes where she was abused.
My question after watching the NOVA documentary is: Who is at fault for the state of the foster care system? The most vulnerable people in the country aren’t safe if they lose or are abused by their parents.
The Rigler’s did not abandon her. They did what they could. They were still there to support her when she was back in the hospital.
Biography of Noam Chomsky. (2002) MIT Linguistics Program. Chomsky.info Retrieved from http://www.chomsky.info/bios/2002----.htm
Chomsky, Noam. (1965). Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Boston, MA: MIT Press/
Chomsky, Noam. (1990) On Language. New York, NY: New Press.
IRB Guidelines. (2011). Pennsylvania State, Population Research Institute. http://help.pop.psu.edu/research-funding-resources/irb-guidelines
“Nell.” (1994). Feature film. Director: Michael Apted Writers: Mark Handley (play), William Nicholson and Mark Handley (screenplay). Production Companies: Egg Pictures, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
“Secret of the Wild Child”. NOVA Documentary. Original broadcast October 18, 1994. Pbs.org, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/programs/2112_wildchil.html
