In the 1930s, a controversial and heart-wrenching psychological experiment attempted to answer a question that blurred the lines between nature and nurture. Winthrop Niles Kellogg, a psychologist, and his wife, Luella, raised their infant son alongside a chimpanzee, igniting debates that continue to this day. What started as a groundbreaking study ended in tragedy, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions.
The Birth of a Bold Experiment
Animal psychologist Winthrop Niles Kellogg and his wife Luella embarked on an experiment that would raise eyebrows for decades. They decided to raise their 10-month-old son, Donald, alongside a 7.5-month-old chimpanzee named Gua. Their goal was to explore the effects of environment versus genetics on behavior and development.
The two “siblings” were treated equally, from wearing baby clothes to eating in high chairs and receiving a bedtime kiss. Kellogg documented the process in his book, The Ape and the Child, asking, “What would be the nature of the resulting individual who had matured… without clothing, without human language, and without association with others of its kind?”
Testing the Boundaries of Nature and Nurture
For nine months, Gua and Donald lived side by side. The Kelloggs conducted daily tests to observe behavioral changes. One particularly unsettling test involved spinning both children in chairs until they cried. These experiments sought to determine if Gua would adopt human traits or if Donald would exhibit chimpanzee behaviors.
As Theodore Dumas later explained in Adult Health and Early Life Adversity: Behind the Curtains of Maternal Care Research, the goal was to determine if genetics or environment played a more significant role in shaping behavior. If Gua became more humanlike, it would highlight the importance of upbringing. Conversely, if she retained her chimpanzee traits, genetics would take precedence.
A Shocking Conclusion
Initially, the experiment was planned to last five years. However, the Kelloggs ended it prematurely after noticing alarming changes in Donald’s behavior. He began grunting for food, wrestling with Gua, and even biting—behaviors more typical of a chimpanzee than a human child. Fearing for Donald’s development and safety, the parents decided to stop the study.
Another theory suggests that Gua’s growing strength raised concerns about potential harm to Donald as she matured. Regardless of the reasons, the experiment’s conclusion left lasting scars on both children.
The Tragic Aftermath
When the study ended, Gua was sent away from the Kellogg household to a laboratory environment. This sudden shift from a loving family to a barren cage filled with other chimpanzees proved devastating. According to Dumas, Gua succumbed to pneumonia within a year, just shy of her third birthday. Her death was described as a result of a “broken heart.”
Donald’s fate was equally tragic. After growing up under the shadow of this experiment, he took his own life in 1973 at the age of 43, just a year after losing his parents.
The Legacy of a Controversial Study
The Kelloggs’ experiment remains a poignant reminder of the ethical dilemmas in scientific research. While it aimed to explore profound questions about human and animal behavior, the emotional and psychological toll on both Gua and Donald highlights the consequences of such interventions.
Today, the story of Donald and Gua serves as a cautionary tale, urging scientists and society alike to prioritize empathy and ethics in the pursuit of knowledge.
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