Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-23

This was also true Of the parents Of the 800
children studied by DR.. Cox, who had become
world renowned. Their parents had likewise
been distinctly above the average in intelli-
gence and many of them were men and women
of high intellectual attachments; some them
selves were celebrated geniuses.
THE next most prevalent superstition about
~ exceptionally brilliant children is that they
lack In emotional balance and moral develop
ment. The records of both the 800 child
geniuses Of the past and these ] 900 gifted chill
dren has also buried this belief in the great
graveyard where science has erected so many
tombstones over the graves of superstitions
it has killed. Very elaborate tests Of emo
tonal stability and temperamental attitudes
were given TO these child prodigies and when
they were compared with the records Of crdi-
nary children ON the same tests the brilliant
children ranked distinctly higher on every item.
But the happiest and most encouraging dis
covery Of all the researches was that the
brilliant children were not only better morally,
sounder in their moral judgments and attitudes
than other children Of the same age, but that
they were great deal better.
Numerous special tests Of such things as
trustworthiness, persistence, sympathy. gen
crosby, self-conndence, prudence, cheerfulness,
popularity, leadership desire to excel, freedom
from vanity, common sense and the like were
given both to the thousand gifted and TO
hundreds Of unsolicited children.
The astonishing result that the gifted
children showed the same average moral de-
ve1opment, conduct and Judgment Of the right
thing to do In moral situations at the age OF
that average children show at the age Of il.
Tce 800 child genilses Of history we're likewise
carefully rated by number Of judges ON
IS character traits similar to those just mem
toned, and, contrary to ordinary popular belief
about the childhood Of great geniuses, they
showed the same superiority as did Prof.
Terman's gifted children.
still another assumption about child prodigfes
Is that they are unadjusted socially Numerous
tests were given on this point, and the gifted
children were found to be even more interested
in. parties. dancing. playing social games and
the like than ordinary children. Also, brilliant
children are always pictured as being book
worms. with large spectacles, skinny bodies and
unintefested in rough games and sports. This
popular belief was simply knocked into cooked
hat. It was found that the gifted children
Dempsey and the base bali and foot ban and
tennis stars and sports in general at the age
Of than average boys and girls know At the
age Of IL.
one more item OF extraordinary interest for
mothers and fathers was the discovery that the
age at which q child learns to talk Il q
remarkable indication, as a rule, Of it's future
intelligence. These gifted children on the
average talked about az months earlier than
ordinary children. Some Of them had astoniss1-
ing command Of language at the age Of 10 or II
months. They also learned to walk about a
month earlier than average children Nearly
half Of them taught themselves to read before
they started to school few learned to read
before they were 3, and one boy learned TO read
before he was year and half old.
We see, therefore that at last we have a
perfectly clear composite picture Of the average
gifted child. And what a wonderful picture
It Is, and how totally opposed TO the popular
conceptionl While, Of course these gifted
children varied this way and that as other
children do and while they were not all per-
fectly wen behaved children and easy to
manage, yet their average Of stability social
conduct, good health, interest in play and work
and all that makes a superior human being was
distinctly and In some respects astomdingly
higher than that Of average children.
Now. since that was the picture of these chill
dren 10 70 IS years ago what about the picture
now? Has 1t changed radically? Has the
brilliant promise OF babyhood been fllnlled in
youth? Does the promise Of youth at present
give sound ground for the hope Of Q great
fulnlimene IN manhood and womanhcod? No
greater questions have ever been asked IN the
history OF humanity, because the march of
humanity depends solely upon the leadership Of
the able and great of mind and heart
THE geat follow-up study just completed and
written by Drs. Barbara Burks and Dortha
W. Jensen, with Prof. Termans cooperation,
gives an answer abounding in hope and
prophecy. The picture has not changed rad
ically. It has, Of course, changed in some
minor respects and with some individuals We
have no absolute methods Of predicting what
any human being win do or become But ON
the average there is no evidence that the activi-
ties OF these brilliant and dynamic minds have
injured the health or the moral character OF
these remarkable children. There is not the
slightest evidence Of general deterioration due
10 mental precocity. Today most Of them are
healthy, normal young men and women and