Sometimes common, everyday logic does need to be abandoned, especially if a strong confirmation bias means failing to consider possible, if less likely, alternatives. I doubt that anyone was questioning the fact that the treatment that Genie received would make any normal child abnormal. However, if Genie was abnormal to start with treatment like that would make pre-existing problems difficult to diagnose. I don't see what is wrong with considering the possibility that she was abnormal to start with. In either case, she would have been damaged by the years of mistreatment.
On Thu, May 28, 2009 at 10:01 AM, Joan Warmbold <jwarm...@oakton.edu> wrote: > We actually feel we should question if Genie's disabilities should be > attributed to her extensive deprivation and abuse?! OK, you have totally > lost me here. Why have we abandoned common, every day logic? Here's a > little girl chained to a toilet for 12 years with no exposure to language, > minimal social interaction as well as on-going abuse from her father and > we still feel that her disabilities can't be attributed to her deprivation > with certainly? Spare me please. Talk about ludicrous. Are you > considering the possibility that her disabilities preceded her being > chained to the toilet for 12 years? This extreme aversion to attributing > disorders totally to an extremely (REPEAT--EXTREMELY) abnormal first 12 > years is so pathetic considering what we have known about brain plasticity > in the early years. Our brain is sculptured and wired in our early years > and that goes for children raised in deprived environments as well as > those raised in enriched environments. > > BTW, I would highly recommend Earl Woods book, "How to Raise a Tiger," for > a classic example of the impact of an enriched early environment. Tiger's > precocious nature was clearly encouraged and nurtured from his first day > of life. > > Joan > jwarm...@oakton.edu > > > -- Rick Stevens Psychology Department University of Louisiana at Monroe stevens.r...@gmail.com SL - Evert Snook --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
