The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth at Maturity:<i>Insights into Elements of Genius</i>

Kell, Harrison J.; Lubinski, David

doi:10.1002/9781118367377.ch19

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Not only did the brightest and the least bright in the sample differ by more than four standard deviations on the Stanford-Binet scale, but the longitudinal research associated with the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth has found substantial differences in performance outcomes in extremely exclusive samples. 5 Even the top 1 in 10,000 in mathematical precocity can be distinguished from those who are "merely" in the top 1%, as in Terman's gifted group. So the problem may reside with the real-world implications of IQ test performance per se.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reverse engineering genius: historiometric studies of superlative talent

Simonton

2016

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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Although genius has been defined in the dictionary as requiring an IQ above 140, this definition depends on an arbitrary methodological decision made by Lewis Terman for his longitudinal study of more than 1500 intellectually gifted children, a study that occupies four of the five volumes of Genetic Studies of Genius. Yet, only the second volume, by Catharine Cox, studied bona fide geniuses, by applying historiometric methods to 301 highly eminent creators and leaders. After defining historiometric research, I examine the difference between historical genius and intellectual giftedness with respect to heterogeneous intellects, personality differences, and early development and show that the actual relation between IQ and genius is small and heavily contingent on domain-specific assessment, the operation of traits like persistence and openness to experience, and the impact of diversifying experiences, including both developmental adversity and subclinical psychopathology. Hence, the dictionary definition of "genius" has minimal, if any, justification. If, using historiometric methods, one works backward from recognized geniuses, such as those studied by Cox, one might not obtain the kind of sample that Terman obtained for his longitudinal study. The two methods produce two distinct subgroups of the larger population.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reverse engineering genius: historiometric studies of superlative talent

Simonton

2016

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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“…Despite the striking contrasts between Terman’s intellectually gifted children and Cox’s eminent achievers, research following the publication of Genetic Studies of Genius has clearly favored the longitudinal approach over the retrospective approach (e.g., Subotnik & Arnold, 1994). A prime example is the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth initiated in the early 1970s that has followed multiple cohorts into adulthood (Kell & Lubinski, 2014). Although such inquiries have greatly advanced our understanding over what was gleaned from the Termites, the alternative approach that Cox advocated has yet to realize its potential contributions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Galton, Terman, Cox: The Distinctive Volume II in Genetic Studies of Genius

Simonton

2020

Gifted Child Quarterly

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With just one exception, all of the volumes in Terman’s Genetic Studies of Genius report the results of a longitudinal study of more than a thousand intellectually gifted children. That single exception is Volume II, Cox’s single-authored The Early Mental Traits of Three Hundred Geniuses, which instead was a retrospective study of 301 eminent creators and leaders, using historiometric methods to estimate their IQs (as well as to assess a subset of 100 on 67 character traits). This article discusses how this volume actually fits with the other four volumes in the set. After giving the historical background, discussion turns to the emergence of Cox’s doctoral dissertation. Then comes a narrative of the aftermath, including subsequent contributions by Cox, Terman, and numerous other researchers extending into the 21st century. The article closes by treating the ways that the intellectually gifted and the historic geniuses are not comparable, thus indicating the need for more recent replications and extensions of her work.

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“…Although not all child prodigies grow up to become adult geniuses (Winner, 2014), a small proportion do manage to make the difficult transition, such as Blaise Pascal, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and John Stewart Mill (three notables in Cox's, 1926, study of 301 geniuses) and Terence Tao, recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship and a Fields Medal (Kell & Lubinski, 2014). For certain domains, such as classical music and mathematics, accelerated expertise acquisition is highly predictive of later adult success (Kell & Lubinski, 2014;Simonton, 2016; see also Cox, 1926).…”

Section: Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

From giftedness to eminence: Developmental landmarks across the lifespan.

Simonton¹

2018

APA Handbook of Giftedness and Talent.

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The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth at Maturity:Insights into Elements of Genius

Cited by 6 publications

References 64 publications

Reverse engineering genius: historiometric studies of superlative talent

Reverse engineering genius: historiometric studies of superlative talent

Galton, Terman, Cox: The Distinctive Volume II in Genetic Studies of Genius

From giftedness to eminence: Developmental landmarks across the lifespan.

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