Gladwell points out that Terman's "Termites" could be divided into three groups based upon their success. What factors did the members of group A...

Gladwell refers to the psychological study conducted by Lewis Terman three times. The analysis of the A, B, and C groups appears in Chapter Four, “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2.” Beginning in the 1920s, Terman studied 1,470 California children whose IQs averaged more than 140. Because of the researcher’s surname, the “young geniuses” became known as “Termites.” After they reached adulthood, Terman divided the individuals into groups he called A, B, and C, depending...

Gladwell refers to the psychological study conducted by Lewis Terman three times. The analysis of the A, B, and C groups appears in Chapter Four, “The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 2.” Beginning in the 1920s, Terman studied 1,470 California children whose IQs averaged more than 140. Because of the researcher’s surname, the “young geniuses” became known as “Termites.” After they reached adulthood, Terman divided the individuals into groups he called A, B, and C, depending on the types of jobs they had and how successful they had become. The people in Group A were the top of the crop. They included doctors, lawyers, and engineers. 90% of them had graduated from college. The majority of them came from homes in the middle and upper class – homes that were filled with books. Terman’s study showed that even the smartest people also needed a supportive community around them in order to advance well in life. Those that didn’t have that family background were more likely to land in groups B or C.