The cruelest experiment in the history of Psychology: David Reimer

The case of David Reimer is one of the most disturbing experiments in psychology.

The case of David ReimerOne of the most scandalous cases in the history of psychology.

Who was David Reimer? In today's article we are going to recall one of the most terrible cases in the history of Psychology. In a brief discussion with several professionals, when asked what was the most ruthless psychological experiment they had ever known, most of them brought up the case of David Reimer.

David Reimer: a scarred childhood

David Reimer was born in 1965 in Winnipeg, Canada, the monozygotic twin brother of another baby named Brian. In the northern United States and Canada, the circumcision is customary, and David and Brian's parents decided, on the recommendation of their doctor, to have their offspring circumcised.

So far so normal, but during David Reimer's operation the surgeon in charge could not be present and the assistant had to perform the circumcision. Inexplicably, a malfunction occurred with the electric cautery, which caused David's penis to be completely burned off.. Subsequently, the penis went into necrosis, and a few days later, it detached from the body.

Possible solution: transsexualization of David Reimer

The development of genital reconstruction surgery was at a very early stage, which meant that there were few options for little David. However, David's parents were alerted to the existence of a Baltimore doctor whose theory advocated a Baltimore doctor whose theory was that there was no innate sexuality, and that it was therefore possible to change the way a child was born.and that it was therefore possible to change a child's sexuality through development. John Money was a sexologist with a good reputation whose idea about the superiority of environmental influence over Biological influence had earned him some recognition within the environmentalist circles of the study of psychology. Money was convinced that upbringing determined the behavior of the subjects.

When David's parents decided to ask Money for advice, he saw a good opportunity in the case, since he would have a subject to analyze and experiment with, David, and another control subject, Brian, with which to compare the differences that arose according to the education received, since it is clear that at the genetic level David and Brian were practically symmetrical.

Money advised the Reimer family that David should undergo an operation to reconstruct an artificial vagina.Once the operation was completed, David should receive an education in accordance with his new gender: that is, the education that a girl would receive. From then on, David was called Brenda. Thus, the precepts to be followed by the parents were simple: it was enough to treat Brenda in the same way as if she were a child, and not to mention under any circumstances the subject of her artificial sexuality.

Evidence casts doubt on the doctor's theory.

So the family began to carry out the plan. However, Brenda hated girl's toys such as dolls, and used to tear their dresses off.. The parents' fear that one day Brenda would realize her true sexuality was growing, but the problems were just beginning. As Brenda continued to grow, the hormonal effects began to show, despite her estrogen treatment, and she began to develop unfeminine musculature and stature. According to her brother Brian, the only feature that differentiated Brenda from him was her long hair, and based on the children's unconsciousness, one can imagine the cruelty with which Brenda must have been treated during her school years.

The siblings frequently went to John Money's office to have him evaluate the children's development. According to both siblings, Dr. Money's therapy had disturbing consequences for them. In his biography, David Reimer recounts how the doctor would show them sexual photographs, which Money said were necessary to redirect their sexuality. One of the most shocking scenes of the therapies with Money, according to David, is that the doctor forced them to take off their clothes against their will.He forced Brenda to get down on all fours while his brother Brian performed pseudo-sexual movements and touching against his sister's rear end in a scene they called a "sex rehearsal". Brian could never get over those years. However, the doctor always denied these practices.

Suffering in adolescence

Brenda grew older and her life progressively deteriorated.. She refused to undergo further operations and her suicide attempts were becoming serious. Gradually, Dr. Money distanced himself from the family, and it was at this point that Brenda's father decided to tell him the whole truth of her story. After hearing the story, Brenda changed sex again, officially becoming a man again. David married years later, but before long his story was out in the open, losing his job and his wife. A few years later, his brother Brian reportedly committed suicide because of the deep guilt he felt at having come out of the circumcision operation well, and years of frustration at seeing his brother's suffering.

Money's research was highly regarded at the time, because according to his supporters, Brenda Reimer's case was the empirical demonstration that sociocultural conditioning factors determined the subject's sexuality.. It was a partial triumph of the environmentalist branch of psychology, since it was confirmed that certain of Brenda's behaviors were indeed modulated by the education received, and genes could do little to counteract this learned conditioning, although some of David's later attitudes and statements qualified this issue.

A tragic story

Despite the advances made by the research, the human consequences of the research were catastrophic. David Reimer had an unhappy and unfortunate life. His life was given to a researcher who altered his will for selfish gain. If anything can be drawn from the story, it is that determinisms must always be questioned. determinisms must always be questionable.. We are the result of an accumulation of combinations, circumstances and coincidences that end up shaping our way of being, and this way of being should never be a scenario where outsiders can manipulate for the sake of a science that, in this case, despised human life.

David Reimer, finally, ended his life on May 4, 2004.when he was only 38 years old.

Documentary on the life of David Reimer