The 1931 Kellogg Experiment: When a Baby Was Raised With a Chimpanzee

 

A Bold Experiment in 1931

In 1931, psychologist Winthrop N. Kellogg and his wife carried out one of the most unusual experiments in psychology. They wanted to know:

Could raising a chimpanzee in a human family make it behave more like a human?

To find out, they brought a young chimpanzee named Gua into their home and raised her alongside their 10-month-old son, Donald. Both “children” were treated the same way—fed, clothed, and stimulated equally in learning and play.

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The Nine-Month Experiment

For nine months, Kellogg and his wife carefully observed the development of both the chimpanzee and their baby boy.

• Donald (the human child): Surprisingly, he began picking up chimpanzee-like behaviors—such as climbing, crawling, and imitating ape-like sounds. His normal language development slowed down.

• Gua (the chimpanzee): Despite the same environment, Gua showed no progress in human speech or advanced communication, though she became skilled at following commands and mimicking basic actions.

The results were the opposite of what Kellogg had hoped. Instead of Gua becoming more human-like, Donald became more chimp-like.

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Lessons From the Experiment

The Kellogg experiment highlighted several important truths about human development:

1. Genetics Matter – Environment can shape behavior, but biology sets fundamental limits.

2. Environment Still Plays a Role – Donald learned behaviors from Gua, showing how social surroundings influence development.

3. Humans vs. Chimpanzees – Despite their 98–99% genetic similarity, there are deep biological differences between humans and apes, especially in language development.

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Contribution to Science

Although controversial, the Kellogg experiment became an important case study in psychology and anthropology. It demonstrated the limits of environmental influence and emphasized the role of biology in shaping human behavior.

It also showed the value of comparative studies between humans and animals in understanding evolution, cognition, and social development.

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Final Thoughts

The 1931 Kellogg experiment remains one of the most fascinating and unsettling studies in the history of psychology. While it was short-lived, it left behind a powerful lesson:

🌍 Humans and chimpanzees may share much of their DNA, but the gap between us is defined by more than just environment—it’s written into our very biology.

💬 Question for Readers: Do you think the experiment was ethical, or did Kellogg go too far by risking his child’s development? Share your thoughts in the comments below.