Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

particularly intellectually gifted.
Although the stereotype associated with the gifted suggests that they are awk-
ward, shy social misfi ts who are unable to get along well with peers, most research 
indicates that just the opposite is true. The intellectually gifted are most often outgo-
ing, well-adjusted, healthy, popular people who are able to do most things better than 
the average person can (Lubinski et al., 2006; Guldemond et al., 2007; Mueller, 2009). 
For example, in a famous study by psychologist Lewis Terman that started in 
the early 1920s, 1,500 children who had IQ scores above 140 were followed for the 
intellectually gifted
The 2%–4% 
segment of the population who have 
IQ scores greater than 130.
Study Alert
Remember that in most cases 
of mental retardation, there 
is no apparent biological 
defi ciency, but a history of 
mental retardation exists in 
the family.
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298 Chapter 
9 
Intelligence
rest of their lives. From the start, the members of this group were more physically, 
academically, and socially capable than their nongifted peers. In addition to doing 
better in school, they also showed better social adjustment than average. All these 
advantages paid off in terms of career success: As a group, the gifted received more 
awards and distinctions, earned higher incomes, and made more contributions in art 
and literature than typical individuals. Perhaps most important, they reported greater 
satisfaction in life than the nongifted (Hegarty, 2007). 
Of course, not every member of the group Terman studied was successful. Fur-
thermore, high intelligence is not a homogeneous quality; a person with a high over-
all IQ is not necessarily gifted in every academic subject but may excel in just one 
or two. A high IQ is not a universal guarantee of success (Shurkin, 1992; Winner, 
2003; Clemons, 2006). 
Although special programs attempting to overcome the defi cits of people with 
mental retardation abound, programs targeted at the intellectually gifted are more 
rare. One reason for this lack of attention is that although there are as many gifted 
individuals as there are those with mental retardation, the defi nition of gifted is 
vague, especially compared with defi nitions of mental retardation. Furthermore, 
there is a persistent view that the gifted ought to be able to “make it on their own”; 
if they can’t, they really weren’t gifted in the fi rst place (Robinson, 2003; Parke, 2003; 
Sparks, 2007). 
More enlightened approaches, however, have acknowledged that without 
some form of special attention, the gifted become bored and frustrated with the 
pace of their schooling and may never reach their potential. Consequently, pro-
grams for the gifted are designed to provide enrichment that allows participants’ 
talents to fl ourish (Adams-Byers, Squilkr, & Moon, 2004; Delcourt, Cornell, & 
Goldberg, 2007).
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