Genetic studies of genius. II. The early mental traits of three hundred geniuses

Abstract

The study proper is confined to Part I, pp. 1-219. It constitutes a companion volume to “The Mental and Physical Traits of One Thousand Gifted Children” (1925). The purpose of the latter, in the broadest terms, was to determine the degree of eminence attained by children showing high intelligence-test abilities; that of the present study is the converse—to estimate the most probable mental-test abilities in childhood of persons who attained eminence. The subjects were chosen from the top of Cattell’s list of eminent men. The true I. Q. for the group, however measured, is substantially above the estimated ratings. A correction was devised to allow somewhat for this fact. Analyses of the I. Q. ratings occupy Chapters 6 to 10. Chapter 11 is devoted to character ratings. The ratings were made by the writer and one assistant, whose reliabilities were measured by correlations (between first and second ratings of the same cases) of .80 (8 cases) and .76 (4 cases). The reliability coefficient of the trait rating itself was measured by the correlations between the two raters; these values ranged from .13 to .83, average .53. Exhaustive analyses of the significance of these ratings occupies Chapter 12. The most general character finding is a striking superiority in traits exhibiting strength of character, activity, mental power, persistence, and self-reference. Chapter 13 summarizes the total conclusions in five pages. Part II, Chapters 14 to 24 (pp. 223-741), is devoted to condensed case studies. Appendix I gives a case study in full, that of Schelling. Appendix II (pp. 761-815) contains excerpts from the early writings of young geniuses, selected and arranged by Professor L. M. Terman. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)