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Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth After 35 Years Uncovering Antecedents for the Development of Math-Science Expertise David Lubinski and Camilla Persson Benbow

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Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth After 35 Years Uncovering Antecedents for the Development of Math-Science Expertise David Lubinski and Camilla Persson Benbow PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE Special Section: Doing Psychological Science Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth After 35 Years Uncovering Antecedents for the Development of Math-Science Expertise David Lubinski and Camilla Persson Benbow Vanderbilt University ABSTRACT—This review provides an account of the Study (e.g., administration, law, medicine, and the social sci- of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) after 35 ences). By their mid-30s, the men and women appeared to years of longitudinal research. Findings from recent be happy with their life choices and viewed themselves as 20-year follow-ups from three cohorts, plus 5- or 10-year equally successful (and objective measures support these findings from all five SMPY cohorts (totaling more than subjective impressions). Given the ever-increasing im- 5,000 participants), are presented. SMPY has devoted portance of quantitative and scientific reasoning skills in particular attention to uncovering personal antecedents modern cultures, when mathematically gifted individuals necessary for the development of exceptional math-science choose to pursue careers outside engineering and the careers and to developing educational interventions to physical sciences, it should be seen as a contribution to facilitate learning among intellectually precocious youth. society, not a loss of talent. Along with mathematical gifts, high levels of spatial ability, investigative interests, and theoretical values form a par- ticularly promising aptitude complex indicative of poten- Society is becoming more knowledge based, technological, and tial for developing scientific expertise and of sustained international (Friedman, 2005); the physical and social systems commitment to scientific pursuits. Special educational within which people operate are increasingly complex and dy- opportunities, however, can markedly enhance the devel- namic, and economies are built upon ideas. Those countries that opment of talent. Moreover, extraordinary scientific ac- flourish will be the ones most effective in developing their human complishments require extraordinary commitment both in capital and in nurturing individuals who will come up with the best and outside of school. The theory of work adjustment ideas and innovations of tomorrow. A recent report issued by the (TWA) is useful in conceptualizing talent identification and National Academy of Sciences (2005), Rising Above the Gathering development and bridging interconnections among edu- Storm, highlights the importance of these trends for all countries cational, counseling, and industrial psychology. The lens concerned about their future prosperity and speaks to the im- of TWA can clarify how some sex differences emerge in portance of developing intellectual talent. Indeed, identifying and educational settings and the world of work. For example, developing talent for science, technology, engineering, and math- in the SMPY cohorts, although more mathematically pre- ematics (STEM) was the dominant reason that Julian C. Stanley cocious males than females entered math-science careers, founded the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) in this does not necessarily imply a loss of talent because the 1971. Longitudinal findings emerging out of SMPY have special women secured similar proportions of advanced degrees relevance today as the United States considers, for example, and high-level careers in areas more correspondent with launching an American Competitiveness Initiative (2006). the multidimensionality of their ability-preference pattern The purpose of this article is twofold. First, we outline the SMPY longitudinal study and how its findings over the past 35 years have informed both basic and applied psychological Address correspondence to David Lubinski or Camilla Benbow, science on identifying and nurturing intellectual talent. Much Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody 512, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, e-mail: david.lubinski@ has been learned about effective ways to identify potential vanderbilt.edu or [email protected]. for and to facilitate the development of scientific expertise. 316 Copyright r 2006 Association for Psychological Science Volume 1—Number 4 David Lubinski and Camilla Persson Benbow Because the work on educational facilitation has been sum- Gross, 2004). In the words of Stanley (2000), the idea is to teach marized elsewhere (Benbow & Lubinski, 1996; Benbow & students ‘‘only what they don’t already know’’ (p. 216). Stanley, 1996; Stanley, 2000),1 our second purpose is to focus From the beginning, SMPY focused as much on serving the attention on the critical personal antecedents for developing social and emotional well-being of intellectually precocious outstanding scientific careers. Which individuals are most youth as on experimenting with differential opportunities for likely to become exceptional STEM professionals? We say less promoting intellectual development (Benbow, Lubinski, & here on how to facilitate the educational development of such Suchy, 1996). To inform these two agendas, Stanley planned an individuals. after-high-school follow-up that ultimately evolved into a SMPY was not designed for, nor is this article about, enhancing 50-year longitudinal study, which currently includes more than the scientific literacy of the general population. Enhancing sci- 5,000 intellectually talented individuals identified over a 25- entific literacy is clearly important. The public needs to make year period (1972–1997). The aim of this research is to develop a informed decisions on topics ranging from whether evolution better understanding of the unique needs of intellectually pre- should be taught in the schools to whether tax dollars should be cocious youth, the determinants of the varying developmental used to fund stem cell research. Fostering scientific literacy, trajectories they display, and the role of education in talent however, is different from identifying future scientific leaders and development. ‘‘Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth’’ has creating supportive environments for them. Although the two become a bit of a misnomer, however, because many of our certainly have common components, the talent and commitment participants are more verbally than mathematically talented, necessary to develop as a scientific leader require both personal and the participants are now all adults. Nevertheless, to main- attributes and learning environments that are truly beyond the tain consistency, we have chosen not to rename the study. norm. The intellectual abilities, personal commitment, and edu- cational experiences needed to ameliorate global warming or to Above-Level Testing and Criteria Used to Identify SMPY create an environmentally safe, oil-independent energy source are Participants of a much different order of magnitude than those required for The members of four of SMPY’s five cohorts were selected developing scientific literacy (Simonton, 1994; Zuckerman, 1977). (primarily) at around age 12 or 13, when they were in the seventh An overabundance of STEM leaders has emerged from SMPY. or eighth grade (a fifth cohort of top math-science graduate Their distinguishing psychological characteristics and the devel- students was identified for longitudinal study as well). The se- opmental choices structuring the paths they traversed from age 12 lection process was tiered: Almost all students were first re- have become evident from experiential and personal data collected quired to earn scores within the top 3% on a conventional at earlier time points. Not surprisingly, the personal attributes of achievement test routinely administered in their schools (e.g., future STEM leaders reveal that it takes much more than excep- the Iowa Test of Basic Skills). This select group was then given tional abilities to develop truly exceptional scientific expertise. the opportunity to take the SAT through a talent search (TS; Benbow & Stanley, 1996; Colangelo et al., 2004; Keating & SMPY Stanley, 1972; Stanley, 1996). The SATwas designed for college- bound high school juniors and seniors, to assess mathematical SMPY was founded by Stanley on September 1, 1971, at Johns (SAT-M) and verbal (SAT-V) reasoning abilities critical for Hopkins University (Keating & Stanley, 1972; Stanley, 1996). college work (Donlon, 1984). Because few of the potential cohort The study moved to Iowa State University in 1986, and was members had received formal training in algebra or more ad- directed by Camilla P. Benbow from 1986 to 1990; from 1991 vanced mathematics, and because they were 4 to 5 years through 1998, we co-directed SMPY at Iowa State, and then in younger than the population for whom the SAT was designed, 1998, we moved it to Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. this assessment falls into the category of above-level testing. The initial idea motivating SMPY was to conduct research while SAT-M and SAT-V score distributions among seventh and eighth providing services to intellectually talented adolescents, par- graders in the top 3% are indistinguishable from the score dis- ticularly those with mathematical talent. The underlying phi- tributions observed among high school students (Benbow, 1988). losophy driving this study is based on the best educational This finding is especially noteworthy for SAT-M, because despite a practices for all students, namely, ‘‘appropriate developmental lack of formal training in algebra, geometry, and other areas of placement’’ (Lubinski & Benbow, 2000, p. 138)—providing
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