The Barking Boy and the Almost-Human Chimp: A 1930s Experiment That Changed How We Think About Workplace Adaptation

On a crisp morning in 1931, nine-month-old Donald Kellogg got an unusual sibling — a seven-and-a-half-month-old chimpanzee named Gua. His parents, psychologists Winthrop and Luella Kellogg, weren’t running an exotic pet shelter. They were embarking on what would become one of psychology’s most fascinating experiments in nature versus nurture.

The Great Ape Experiment

The Kelloggs’ hypothesis was audacious yet simple: if they raised a chimp exactly like a human child, could they “humanize” her? Would she develop speech, adopt human mannerisms, and essentially bridge the gap between species? The stage was set for what they called a “cross-nurture” study.

Gua wasn’t just treated like a human baby — she became one in almost every way possible. She wore human clothes, slept in a bed, sat at the dinner table, and followed the same daily routines as little Donald. She learned to take baths, use the bathroom, and even underwent the same psychological tests as her human “brother.”

The results were astonishing, though not in the way the Kelloggs had anticipated.

A Tale of Two Toddlers

Gua proved to be an exceptional learner, often outpacing Donald in physical tasks. She mastered walking upright, learned to respond to verbal commands, and even developed table manners (albeit with occasional lapses when excitement got the better of her). She showed remarkable emotional intelligence, displaying empathy and attachment behaviors that were thoroughly “human.”

But it was Donald’s development that threw an unexpected wrench into the experiment.

The Plot Twist

As Gua was learning to be more human, Donald started showing signs of becoming more… chimp-like. He began mimicking Gua’s food barks, dropping to his hands and knees to crawl like her, and even adopted some of her emotional expressions. The final straw came when Donald, who was lagging behind in speech development, seemed more interested in communicating through chimp vocalizations than human words.

After nine months of the experiment, the Kelloggs faced a difficult decision. Their attempt to elevate a chimp to human status had instead begun to pull their human child toward chimp behaviors. The experiment was terminated, but its implications would echo through the halls of psychology — and organizational behavior — for decades to come.

The Workplace Mirror

The Kelloggs’ experiment, while ethically complex by today’s standards, illuminates a fundamental truth about human nature: we are profoundly influenced by our environment and those around us — sometimes in ways we never expect. This insight has powerful implications for modern workplace dynamics.

The Two-Way Street of Influence

Just as Donald unexpectedly adopted Gua’s behaviors while she was learning human ways, workplace influence flows in multiple directions. When companies focus solely on top-down cultural transformation, they often miss the subtle ways junior team members influence senior leadership, or how new hires reshape established team dynamics.

Consider this: A tech company recently hired a group of Gen Z developers to “modernize” their approach. While these newcomers did indeed adopt many corporate practices, the senior leadership soon found themselves using Slack emoji reactions and embracing more flexible work arrangements — changes they had never planned but that ultimately improved company culture.

The Power of Environmental Design

The Kelloggs created an environment where both Gua and Donald could learn and adapt. They didn’t force behaviors; they created conditions that made certain behaviors natural and inevitable. This principle holds tremendous potential for workplace transformation.

Instead of mandating change through policies and procedures, forward-thinking organizations are redesigning their environments to naturally encourage desired behaviors:

• Open office layouts that organically foster collaboration
• Digital tools that make knowledge-sharing the path of least resistance
• Meeting structures that naturally encourage diverse voices to speak up

The Unintended Consequences of Cultural Engineering

Perhaps the most profound lesson from the Kellogg experiment is about unintended consequences. Just as the scientists didn’t anticipate Donald’s “chimpization,” workplace culture initiatives often produce surprising ripple effects.

A financial services firm implementing a “fail fast” innovation culture discovered their risk management team had become more creative in identifying potential problems early. They hadn’t planned for this outcome, but it emerged naturally from the changed environment.

The Human Element: Adaptability as a Superpower

The story of Gua and Donald reveals something remarkable about human nature: our incredible capacity for adaptation. In just nine months, a human child began adopting behaviors from a different species entirely. This adaptability isn’t a weakness — it’s our greatest strength.

In the workplace context, this means:

1. No culture is set in stone
2. Change is not only possible but natural
3. Everyone has the capacity to learn and adapt
4. Influence flows in all directions

Harnessing the Power of Natural Adaptation

Modern organizations can leverage this natural adaptability by:

1. Creating Intentional Learning Environments: Instead of forcing change, design spaces and systems that make desired behaviors the natural choice.

2. Embracing Bi-Directional Mentorship: Recognize that junior team members bring valuable perspectives and can positively influence senior colleagues.

3. Monitoring Ripple Effects: Pay attention to unexpected changes and be ready to amplify positive unintended consequences.

4. Celebrating Adaptation: Acknowledge and reward flexibility and willingness to learn from others, regardless of hierarchy.

Conclusion

The story of Gua and Donald reminds us that humans are remarkably malleable creatures. This malleability, far from being a weakness, is our greatest asset in creating positive change. When we understand and work with our natural tendency to adapt and influence each other, we can create workplaces that don’t just function better but that bring out the best in everyone.