What prompted Terman’s longitudinal study of gifted individuals? Summarize the results of that study.
Lewis Madison Terman observed various school-children in California over a long time and came to the conclusion that those children, who had higher Intelligence Quotient (IQ) became more successful in life than those who had low IQ. Terman defined those children having an IQ of more than 135 to be geniuses. Terman also isolated 1528 genius school children, based on their IQ tests, which came out to be 151 and their biological age was only 11.
Terman started a longitudinal study of those gifted school-children. He learned everything about them, which included their personality, interests, family history, ambition, health, physical strength and other characteristics. This study started in the year 1921 and carried on till decades. Terman’s belief (children with high IQ are more successful in their life) prompted him to start this decade-long longitudinal study of gifted individuals.
For Terman, the reason for tracking the life of a gifted student is to encourage and monitor his life, so that they can become talented professionals and do justice with their genius and high IQ. In the study, Terman found out the following results:
i. The gifted children had parents with above-average educational backgrounds and had started to indulge in learning and academic activities early in their life.
ii. The children were observed till they grew adults (when they were of age 16 and 29). Terman observed that 70 % of males and 67 % of females had finished college and 56 % of the males and 33 % of the females had obtained some degree.
iii. Most of those gifted students became notable professionals in their lives, such as doctors, business people, engineers, scientists, teachers, lawyers, authors and others.