Children Above 180 IQ Stanford-Binet: Origin and DevelopmentHollingworth, Leta Stetter
Science
Children Above 180 IQ Stanford-Binet: Origin and Development
Hollingworth, Leta Stetter
Gifted children; Stanford-Binet Test
Q. What do you think is the most interesting vocation? What
would you like to be when you grow up?
A. Well, the answer to those two questions is not the same one.
Q. Then tell us first what you think is the most interesting
vocation.
A. Science, especially astronomy.
Q. And what vocation would you like to follow when you grow
up?
A. To be a medical doctor.
Q. But why not be what is most interesting?
A. Because a person cannot make much money being an astronomer.
I never heard of anyone at the Lick Observatory earning
fifty thousand dollars a year.
Q. But do medical doctors earn fifty thousand dollars a year?
A. It is possible for one to do it. Some of them do.
Q. Do you think being a medical doctor is the most lucrative
occupation?
A. No. It would be more lucrative to get into Standard Oil.
Q. Then why not go into Standard Oil?
A. Because it isn't so interesting as being a medical doctor.
Q. Which is the more useful occupation--medical doctor or
astronomer?
A. Medical doctor. Because a man does not care much for a
blazing star a million miles away if his wife is sick. Anyone
cares more for a _person_ two feet away than for a _thing_ a
trillion miles away.
The ambition to become a medical doctor has persisted for three
years and gives an impression of permanency. [1]
Scores of anecdotes could be cited to illustrate the interests and
the fine intelligence of this boy. In walking through the halls of
the college with him, on one occasion when he had come for a mental
test, the present writer saw what seemed to be an exhibition of
Chinese costumes in a glass case, and called C's attention to it,
saying, "Look at this exhibition of Chinese work." C looked
closely at the exhibit for several moments without comment,
and then said, "Well, I believe it is Japanese work, isn't it?"
He then proceeded to point out certain minute differences which
are found between the work of Japanese and Chinese and which were
later verified by an authority on the subject.
When he went with his class to visit a new high school building
in the city, he was missed as the others began to move from one
corridor to another. After search, he was found in the chemical
laboratory copying in a notebook the names of all the chemicals
in the bottles as they appeared on the labels.
In the Opportunity Class C was appreciated by these children
of more than 150 IQ as he had never been by the unselected children
in the regular classes. They recognized his encyclopedic knowledge
and respected it. They eventually elected him to two posts of
responsibility among them. These were totally new experiences for C.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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