Terman Life-Cycle Study of Children with High Ability, United States, 1922-1991 (ICPSR 8092)

Version Date: Jun 26, 2018

Cite this study |

Principal Investigator(s):
Lewis M. Terman

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08092.v4

Version V4 ()

  • V4 [2018-06-26]
  • V3 [1992-02-16] unpublished
Slide tabs to view more

Summary

This study of the personal and life characteristics of children with high ability follows the 1,528 respondents from 1922 through the latest series of interviews with the surviving cohort of 720 in 1986. The original research objectives were to replace myths about intellectually superior children with documented facts. In 1922, the children were identified on the basis of an intelligence test as being in the top one percent of the population. Their development was followed over the next sixty years via questionnaires, personal interviews, and various test instruments. Questions were asked about their health, physical and emotional development, school histories, recreational activities, home life, family background, educational, vocational, and marital histories. Questions were also asked about income, emotional stability, and socio-political attitudes. The follow-up questionnaires were concerned with the evolution of the respondents' careers, activity patterns, and personal adjustment. Since 1972 there has been special emphasis on the aging process. These longitudinal data will continue to be collected as long as living members of the original cohort contribute data.

Citation

Terman, Lewis M. Terman Life-Cycle Study of Children with High Ability, United States, 1922-1991. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2018-06-26. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08092.v4

Export Citation:

  • RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
  • EndNote

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Restrictions

The data collection may be disseminated only to academic researchers. All other users must get express written permission from the Principal Investigators. While the data tapes cannot be provided to those at nonacademic institutions, some limited data analyses can be conducted on request. For time and cost estimates of such analyses, please contact the Director, Member Services, ICPSR.

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
Hide

Time Period(s)

1922 -- 1991

Date of Collection

1922 -- 1991

Data Collection Notes

  1. A description of the extensive cleaning and processing carried out by the Principal Investigators, with the aid of a grant from the National Institute on Aging, appears in the introduction to the printed documentation.

Hide

Sample

1,528 children living in California in 1922, with birthdates scattered around a mean of 1910, with a standard deviation of 4 years. By the final followup, there were 812 participants remaining in the study.

Universe

Children living in California in 1922 with an average age of 12 and a Stanford Binet Intelligence test score of 135 or more.

Data Source

questionnaires filled out by parents, teachers, subjects and spouses, personal interviews, and test instruments

Data Type(s)

Hide

Original Release Date

1984-03-18

Version History

2018-06-26 Study updated to add Dataset 7 (1922 Parents' Information Parts II and IV, Males).

2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:
  • Terman, Lewis M. Terman Life-Cycle Study of Children with High Ability, United States, 1922-1991. ICPSR08092-v4. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2018-06-26. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08092.v4
Hide

Notes

ICPSR logo

This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.